Common Issues with Sydney Housing
Sydney is without question home to some of Australia’s most beautiful residential buildings. From the Victorian terraces of Paddington to the expansive coastal homes of Mosman Bay, houses in Sydney are rich, varied and stunning across the board. But with the heritage homes comes a number of problems which are impacting the housing market, the development industry, and the peace-of-mind of residents. The stock of older homes may be charming, unique and beautiful, but many also feature a number of structural issues that can put off new buyers and affect the lives of residents. Issues such as subsidence, rising damp, and leaning walls are common within Sydney’s stock of older homes. The good news is these problems can be overcome, making older homes an attractive investment and lifestyle option, especially as new housing starts are down in Sydney with migration & population growth still relatively high.
Within an older home, potential issues range from plumbing difficulties to electrical faults to asbestos. Plumbing issues are inevitably likely to arise over time, and while these can be simple to fix, they can occasionally lead to significant structural damage, so maintaining solid plumbing infrastructure is important. The same case goes for electrical faults: while some electrical maintenance is expected and unavoidable, by purchasing an older home you are generally increasing the likelihood of needing to deal with electrical issues. Additionally, it’s likely that those buying an old home may be interested in completing a refurbishment of one or two rooms, with kitchens and bathrooms being popular refurbishment options. The necessity to complete domestic maintenance can often put home buyers off opting for older homes, but the charm, prime locations and generally larger lot sizes of older homes often mean they remain an appealing option.
On the outside of the building itself, a number of maintenance issues may arise, with a much higher likelihood of afflicting older buildings. One issue which negatively impacts many older buildings is the use of asbestos. While typically asbestos will have been removed from the internal walls of homes, many outer buildings (such as garages and workshops) built before the 1990’s still contain the harmful substance. Since asbestos poses serious health risks, making changes to buildings that contain asbestos can be an expensive and difficult process.
Other possible problems associated with older buildings are often related to a building’s structural integrity. While newer builds are constructed under strict regulations, older buildings were typically constructed with less attention paid to matters such as slopes and earth integrity, which can lead to structural issues such as leaning walls, sunken concrete and rising damp. Rising damp is often the result of poor masonry structure allowing in moisture, or of damaged drainage systems which are often a feature of older homes. As well as being aesthetically displeasing, damp can pose a threat to the structural integrity of your home and to the health of your family. Damaged drainage systems and poor masonry can also cause wall cracks, which can be dangerous and unsightly.
Another common issue in older homes is subsidence: the eroding or shifting of the ground beneath a home which essentially results in a building sinking into the ground. As a building sinks, a number of other problems arise: cracks appear in walls, windows and doors begin to jam and floors may begin to slope. While matters such as an outdated bathroom design can be ignored, leaning walls and sloping floors are the kinds of serious maintenance issues which need to be addressed. BuildFix exists to solve the structural issues which can seem impossible. With a number of pioneering technologies, the expert team solves the problems of subsidence, wall cracks, rising damp, sinking piers, arch and lintel failure, leaning walls and sunken concrete. For more information on these structural issues, and to learn how BuildFix can help.
