Tyers is a semi-rural township and lifestyle area just north of Traralgon, where the flat valley floor gives way to gently rising, partly timbered country toward the Tyers River and the foothills of the Great Dividing Range. It’s a popular choice for families who want a bigger block, room for horses or a few animals, and a quieter life while staying within a short drive of Traralgon’s schools, shops and workplaces. Homes range from older farmhouses and weatherboard homes to modern brick and Colorbond homes on acreage.

We provide handyman services across Tyers 3844 and its surrounding rural-residential areas.

Lifestyle properties need more than a house handyman

On a Tyers property, the jobs list doesn’t stop at the back door. Alongside the usual household repairs, there are verandahs, decks, sheds, carports, horse and animal shelters, gardens, water tanks and long fence lines to look after. We handle the jobs around the house and its immediate surroundings:

• Verandah and deck board replacement, oiling and handrail repairs
• Shed door repairs, shelving, workbenches and storage
• Gates near the house, yards and garden, rehung and re-latched
• Timber fence repairs around the house and garden
• Gutter cleaning on single-storey homes and sheds
• Flyscreens, screen doors and window repairs
• Pressure washing paths, verandahs and outdoor areas
• Removal of rubbish that fits in our vehicle

For boundary fencing over large distances, stock yards or heavy machinery work, a rural contractor is the better choice, and we’re happy to say so.

Inside Tyers homes

Newer homes

Many Tyers homes were built in the last few decades on lifestyle blocks. These homes typically need settling-in jobs (TV mounting, shelving, blinds and curtain rails, flat pack assembly) and, as they age, door adjustments, silicone renewal in bathrooms and laundries, and plaster crack repairs where the house has moved on reactive clay soils.

Older farmhouses

Older Tyers homes, some of them former farmhouses, have timber floors, timber windows and older wet areas. They need the full range of traditional repairs: freeing sticking windows, re-hanging doors, replacing rotten weatherboards and sills, regrouting tiles and patching plaster and lining boards.

Popular services in Tyers

• Deck and pergola repairs
• Carpentry
• Fence repairs and gates
• Gutter cleaning
• Window and flyscreen repairs
• Pressure washing
• TV wall mounting
• Property maintenance

Fire preparation in Tyers

Tyers sits on the edge of grassland and bush, and fire preparation is part of life here. Each spring, before the fire danger period, it’s worth getting the practical jobs done:

• Clean gutters of leaves and bark, and fit or repair gutter guards where suitable
• Repair or fit ember-proof mesh on windows, vents and under-floor openings
• Seal gaps under doors and around eaves
• Move woodpiles, timber offcuts and rubbish away from the house
• Clear under decks and verandahs of stored items and leaf litter
• Ensure gates and driveways allow easy access for fire trucks

We help with these tasks so you can focus on your fire plan. Always follow CFA advice for your property. See fire season preparation.

Verandahs and decks in the weather

Tyers homes often have big verandahs and decks to enjoy the views and the space. Sun, rain and frost take their toll on timber. Boards cup and split, nails and screws work loose, and finishes wear off. We replace damaged boards, refix loose ones with screws, sand back rough areas, and clean and oil decks to protect them. We also repair steps, handrails and balustrades, which are important for safety. If posts, bearers or joists show rot, we’ll explain what we found and whether a builder is needed.

Sheds, stables and storage

Sheds on Tyers properties work hard. We fit them out with heavy-duty shelving, benches, hooks and racks, repair sliding and hinged doors, fit latches and padlock hasps, and keep doors running smoothly. For horse owners, we fit tack hooks, saddle racks and rug rails, repair timber stable doors and gates and fix loose boards in shelters, all to keep things tidy and safe.

Ageing on acreage

Some Tyers residents have been on their properties for many years and want to stay as long as possible. We fit grab rails and handrails, improve access with steps and rails, and take on the jobs that become harder with age, such as gutter cleaning, high cleaning and regular property maintenance visits.

Planning your Tyers visit

To make the most of a visit to a rural property, send us your full list with photos of each item through the free quote form. Tell us about access, dogs, horses or other animals and any gates that need to be shut behind us. We’ll bring the right materials and get as much done in one trip as possible.

Nearby areas

We also service Traralgon, Glengarry, Traralgon South, Morwell, Churchill, Hazelwood North, Moe, Newborough and Yallourn North.

Reactive soils and moving houses

Like much of the Latrobe Valley, parts of Tyers have clay soils that swell when wet and shrink when dry. Over the seasons, this movement shows up inside the house as cracks above doors and windows, doors that bind in one season and swing freely in another, gaps opening between skirting and floors and cracked tiles or grout lines in wet areas. Most of this is cosmetic and can be repaired. We fill and tape cracks with flexible products that allow for movement, adjust doors and strike plates, refix skirting and regrout or reseal joints. Keeping gutters and downpipes working and directing water away from the house helps reduce the movement in the first place. If cracks are wide, growing quickly or stepping through brickwork, we’ll recommend a building inspector or engineer look at them before cosmetic repairs are done.

Water tanks and gutters

Many Tyers homes collect rainwater, so gutter maintenance does double duty: it protects the house from overflow and keeps tank water cleaner. We clean gutters on single-storey homes and sheds, clear leaf guards and inlet screens, check first-flush diverters are not blocked and refix loose downpipes and brackets. Pumps, plumbing connections and tank installation need a licensed plumber.

Settling into a new Tyers home

If you’ve just built or bought in Tyers, there’s usually a list of jobs to get the house working for you. We mount TVs on brackets, hang mirrors and artwork, fit curtain rods and blinds, put up shelves in garages and laundries, assemble outdoor furniture and trampolines, and fit hooks and racks in the mudroom for boots, coats and hats. We find studs and use the right fixings so everything stays put. See picture and shelf hanging and flat pack assembly.

One visit, a long list

Travelling out to a lifestyle property makes the most sense when there’s a solid list to work through. Many Tyers clients keep a running note on their phone of everything that needs doing (the gate that drops, the deck board that’s split, the flyscreen the dog went through, the shower silicone) and send it to us every few months. We quote the lot, bring the materials, and work through it in a day.

Flyscreens for country living

In Tyers, summer evenings bring flies, mosquitoes and moths, and an intact flyscreen is what lets you open the house to the cool change. Dogs, cats, children and wind are hard on screens. We replace torn mesh with standard or pet-resistant mesh, rebuild bent frames, replace spring clips and pull tabs, fit screens to windows that never had them and repair hinged and sliding screen doors so they close and latch properly. Fine mesh in good condition also helps keep embers out on bad fire days.

Careful and tidy

We protect floors with drop sheets, keep work areas tidy and take away offcuts and rubbish. We close every gate we open.

Honest scope

We’ll tell you plainly what we can do and what needs another trade. Electrical, plumbing, gas, roofing, structural building and asbestos removal are outside our scope, and we’ll flag them in the quote so you can book the right licensed person.

Frequently asked questions