In Traralgon, “property maintenance” means different things to different people. On Google, the top local results for the phrase are mostly lawn-mowing and garden businesses. Those are worth having, but they do not fix the screen door, re-hang the gate, clear the gutters or patch the hole in the hallway. We cover the building side of property maintenance: the small repairs and regular upkeep that keep a house, rental or small commercial property working properly and stop little faults turning into big bills.

We look after homes, investment properties, units, strata blocks, shops and small offices across Traralgon, Morwell, Moe, Newborough, Churchill and the surrounding towns. You can call us in when something breaks, or set up a regular schedule so we visit, check and fix things before they fail.

Who uses property maintenance

Owner-occupiers

Busy households, older residents and shift workers at the power stations, the hospital and the mines often do not have the time or the energy to work through the job list. A twice-yearly maintenance visit takes care of it in one go.

Landlords and investors

Many people who own rentals in the Valley live in Melbourne or elsewhere. They need someone local and reliable who will turn up, do the work properly, and send photos so they can see what was done. We work directly with owners and through their property managers.

Property managers

Agencies in Traralgon, Morwell and Moe need tradespeople who answer emails, keep to the agreed scope, and report clearly. Read more on our property managers page.

Strata and owners corporations

Common-area repairs, door closers, letterboxes, fences, paths and small carpentry in unit blocks and townhouse developments.

Small commercial sites

Shops, clinics, offices, community halls and sporting clubs need doors that close, signs that stay up, shelves that hold, and safe access. See our commercial handyman page.

What a maintenance visit can include

Every property is different, but a typical visit covers a mix of the following.

Outside

• Gutter cleaning and downpipe checks on single-storey buildings
• Fence palings, posts and gate hinges and latches
• Deck boards, steps and handrails
• Screen doors and flyscreens
• Clearing weeds and leaves from paths and around the base of walls
• Pressure washing slippery paths, decks and entries
• Checking that subfloor vents are clear and not buried by garden beds
• Letterboxes, house numbers and clotheslines

Inside

• Doors that stick, swing open or will not latch
• Loose handles, towel rails, toilet roll holders and curtain rails
• Kitchen cupboard hinges and drawer runners
• Cracked or missing silicone in wet areas
• Small plaster patches and paint touch-ups
• Smoke alarm battery replacement (hard-wired alarms are serviced by electricians)
• Window locks, catches and winders

Reporting

• Photos of work done, and of anything we noticed that needs a licensed trade
• A short written list of upcoming items, such as “deck needs oiling before summer” or “back fence posts are starting to rot”

Seasonal maintenance in the Latrobe Valley

The local climate shapes what needs doing and when.

Autumn

Leaf fall is heavy in established streets with big street trees and in leafy areas of Traralgon, Tyers and Traralgon South. This is the time to clear gutters before the winter rain, check downpipes run freely, oil decks that faded over summer, and check for gaps around doors and windows before the cold sets in.

Winter

Winter brings frost, fog and steady drizzle, plus strong winds. Doors swell and stick. Fences lean in soft ground. Bathrooms run damp, and mould appears on ceilings and around windows. We fix sticking doors, re-silicone wet areas, and deal with fence damage after the westerlies.

Spring

Spring is for outside repairs as things dry out. That means fence and gate repairs, deck board replacement, pressure washing paths that went green over winter, and fixing flyscreens before the flies and mosquitoes arrive.

Summer

Summer means bushfire preparedness for homes near the Strzelecki foothills and on rural blocks. We clear gutters and debris, check for gaps where embers could enter, and tidy around sheds. See our guide on fire season preparation.

Planned maintenance versus breakdown repairs

Most properties are maintained reactively: something breaks, someone rings a tradie. That works, but it costs more over time. A gutter left to overflow can rot a fascia board and stain a ceiling. A dripping shower seal can damage the floor under the tiles. A fence post that wobbles in autumn is lying flat on the lawn after the first big winter wind.

A planned schedule catches these early. For most homes, one or two visits a year is enough. For rentals, a visit between tenancies plus one routine check is common. For commercial sites with public access, we can agree a more frequent routine.

What we do not do and who we refer

Property maintenance covers a lot of ground, but some work legally needs licensed tradespeople:

• Electrical work, including new power points, lights, hard-wired smoke alarms and exhaust fans, needs a licensed electrician.
• Plumbing and gas work, including taps, leaks, hot water and gas heaters, needs a licensed plumber or gasfitter.
• Structural work and building work over certain values may need a registered builder and permits.
• Asbestos removal needs licensed removalists.
• Roof work at height or on steep or double-storey roofs needs a roofer with the right safety systems.

When we see something that needs one of these trades, we note it in our report, with photos, so you or your agent can arrange the right person.

Rental minimum standards

In Victoria, rental properties have to meet minimum standards covering things like locks, window coverings in bedrooms and living areas, a working stove, bathroom and kitchen facilities, ventilation, and structural soundness. Many of the items on a rental maintenance list relate to these: deadlocks and window locks, curtain tracks and blinds, door seals and handles. We can help bring a property up to standard on the non-licensed items and point out anything that needs a licensed trade. For the full list, check Consumer Affairs Victoria’s rental minimum standards page.

How a maintenance arrangement works

1. Walk-through or list. We visit and walk the property with you, or you send a list and photos through the quote form.

2. Scope. We reply by email with what we can do, what needs another trade, and how long it will take.

3. Visit. We bring the materials needed, work through the list and tidy up.

4. Report. You get photos and notes, plus any items to plan for.

5. Next time. If you want a schedule, we set reminders for the next visit, before winter or before summer.

Keys, lockboxes and tenant access can all be arranged. When tenants are home, we give notice through the agent or the owner and are respectful of people’s homes.

Areas we cover for property maintenance

We provide property maintenance in Traralgon, Morwell, Moe, Newborough, Churchill, Yallourn North, Glengarry, Tyers, Traralgon South and Hazelwood North.

Maintenance for older Valley homes

A large share of housing in Morwell, Moe, Newborough and Yallourn North dates from the post-war decades. Those houses were built solidly, often with hardwood frames, but sixty or seventy years on they share some predictable needs. Timber windows have swollen sashes and broken sash cords. Weatherboards have split, with gaps opening at the corners. Original doors have been painted so many times they no longer fit their frames. Subfloor vents are buried under decades of garden. Kitchens and bathrooms were updated piecemeal. None of this is urgent on its own, but together it adds up to draughty rooms, damp subfloors and an ever-growing list. Working through it steadily, a few items each visit, keeps these houses comfortable without the cost of a full renovation.

Maintenance for newer estate homes

Newer houses in Traralgon’s growth areas and around Churchill have different issues. Builders’ warranty items appear in the first years, such as cracked cornice, sticking doors as the frame settles, silicone that was never quite finished, and fence gates that drop. Owners also want things added: TV brackets, shelves, blinds, clotheslines, garden edging and shed assembly. A maintenance visit can do the added items and the small settling repairs at the same time.

A sample maintenance checklist

Here is the kind of list we work through on a general visit to a three-bedroom house. Every property gets its own version.

• Open and close every door inside and out. Adjust hinges and strikers, and lubricate locks.
• Open and close every window. Check locks, winders, catches and flyscreens.
• Check taps, toilets and showers for visible drips and failed silicone, and flag leaks for a plumber.
• Look under sinks for swollen cupboard bases, a sign of a slow leak.
• Test the smoke alarm buttons, and replace batteries in battery-powered alarms.
• Walk the fence line and gates. Check posts, palings, hinges and latches.
• Clear gutters and check that downpipes discharge away from the house.
• Check decks, steps and handrails for loose boards, popped nails and rot.
• Look along the base of external walls for buried vents, garden beds against weatherboards and signs of termites (mud tubes). Suspected termites need a licensed pest inspector.
• Note anything else worth planning for, with photos.

Seen together, the results give a clear picture of the property’s condition. It is the kind of record landlords appreciate at tax time and owners find useful when they eventually sell.

Response for urgent repairs

Planned maintenance does not stop things breaking. When a door will not lock, a gate has blown off its hinges, or a fence panel is down and the dog is out, let us know through the quote form, mark it urgent and we will do our best to get there quickly. Urgent repairs that need a licensed plumber or electrician, such as burst pipes, gas smells or electrical faults, should go straight to those trades or to emergency services.

Frequently asked questions