HSJ

Maintaining your home
in sweet Jamaica
As a property owner in the current
economic climate, it is important to
do what you can to preserve the value
of your property. You can achieve
this through scheduling basic
maintenance, making timely repairs,
and getting creative with home
improvements. Different parts of the
world require various strategies and
processes to maintain their homes
and property. Jamaica’s tropical
climate, mountainous terrain, and
proximity to the sea create unique
circumstances that need to be
considered in matters relating to
home construction, maintenance,
and repair.
With any property, the single most
important thing you can do to
safeguard its value is to routinely
inspect for maintenance needs.
Proper maintenance reduces the
potential for serious damage. By
routinely inspecting your house, you
will become more familiar with the
structural and cosmetic aspects of
your home. Familiarity
will aid in your ability to quickly
catch and address issues that need
attention. Early corrective measures
can keep small repairs from turning
into big expenses.
Termite trail
When managing your Jamaican home
from abroad it is important to have
someone that can be trusted to
regularly inspect and perform basic
maintenance procedures on your
property. Whether you use a friend,
family member, or Management
Company, diligence is critical when
the property is vacant for long
periods of time. Qualified management
companies will create a list of
inspection points specific to your
property, or you may download a free
copy of a basic home inspection
worksheet from our website. Keep in
mind each property will have its
own unique characteristics and
maintenance requirements.
It is important for do-it-yourselfers
to recognize limitations. Even
management companies will only
perform standard maintenance
procedures in-house and refer to a
Obstruction overgrowth safety
list of qualified professionals for the
more complex issues.
An inspection list can be separated
into three main categories, exterior
lot maintenance, exterior of
structures, and interior of the home.
Sub-categories will include general
inspection points as well as the
individual aspects of your home.
Some basic elements have been
detailed below and should be considered
a starting point for generating
an inspection sheet for your property,
but this list should be expanded and
adapted to encompass your unique
circumstances.
Relating to Exterior Lot Maintenance,
it is important to watch for signs of
erosion. This can be accomplished
by observing the flow of the ground
water. Look for cracks in walls,
Continued on next page
34 Home Sweet Jamaica | August 2012