Wo-Built Inc Home Maintenance Plan: How It Works to Your Advantage

Poster: Wobuilt's New Maintenance Service
2008 @ wobuilt.ca

How would a Wo-Built Inc home maintenance plan work to you advantage?

As with Wo-Built’s "Your Dream House" Program every home maintenance client starts with an assessment of their entire home. The following describes our maintenance process using a hypothetical scenario of the problems we might find in a turn of the century or early 1900, 2-storey home.

We start with looking at the exterior and record all areas that need repairs, that are overdue for maintenance and which can benefit from a home improvement. In this hypothetical example we have identified the following problems:

• Two windows need to be repaired due to severe weathering. The wood on two of the windows has rotted over the years, but the home owner does not want to replace the windows.
• The front steps are cracked;
• The porch area needs painting;
• The rear storm door or screen door is badly warped and a little torn;
• The roof needs re-roofing;
• Gutters are clogged.

After having identified all the items on the outside of the house we proceed to have a look at the interior.

• Minor repairs are required – the railing on the stairs is loose and some doors do not close properly;
• The bathrooms need new grouting and/or caulking;
• The ducts have not been cleaned for a while.
• The kitchen plumbing needs to be upgraded. The kitchen is dated and in need of refurbishment, but in discussions with the home owner it is decided that the kitchen is not a priority.

The home owner signs up for maintenance package #1, the package would include 3 hours every 6 weeks for a total of 27 hrs. The start date is April, the maintenance visits run for one full year and break down as follows:

• April 15th – cleaning of gutters accessible from a ladder;
• May 27th – repair of windows, i.e. cleaning off the rotten wood, replacing outside casements, painting and caulking. In this example the time estimated at the outset is 6 hrs. As the owner opted to pay for 3 more hours, both windows can be repaired at the same time. Otherwise the repairs might take two visits. Materials such a wood, paint and caulking are also extra.
• June 17th – bathroom caulking and grouting. Also, caulking in the kitchen and the plumbing for changing a faucet. Faucet, grout and caulking are an extra charge.
• July 29th – painting of the porch. Estimated time required 9 hrs. As the owner opted to pay for 6 more hours the painting of the porch can be finished all at once. Paint is charged extra. This work could be eligible for tax credits.
• September 9th – minor repairs such as storm doors and internal repairs that the owner wanted to have done, i.e. a new shelf put up in the kitchen.
• October 21st – cleaning of gutters again as gutters should be cleaned twice a year. This ensures that water is kept away from the building, making water ingress more difficult.
• December 2nd – cleaning of ducts, changing furnace filters and minor repairs;
• January 13th – minor repairs;
• February 24th – the final visit for this years maintenance plan and a few more minor repairs.

The front steps that needed repairs could be moved into next years maintenance plan or fitted in as an extra during the present year. We would also get three quotes for the re-roofing of the roof.

Wo-Built can help maintain your largest investment in tip-top shape. And if you hurry you can take advantage of the Home Improvement Tax Credit which is in place for the year. Let your dollars do double duty in the home renovations area as well!

Lonya is the staff writer for Wo-Built Inc.

links:
Wo-Built Inc.: Invest in Your Home Renovations and Be Eligible to Receive up to $1,350 in Tax Relief
Wo-Built Inc.: Wo-Built’s New Maintenance Service
Wo-Built Inc.: How to Come out ahead on Your Home Renovation

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