In a newly handed-over home the work is mostly installation: mosquito mesh, safety grilles, balcony glazing, mirrors and glass tops. The repair side is handover defects - windows that do not lock, doors that catch, seals that were fitted badly. Both are worth doing early, while the builder is still in the picture.
Mesh and grilles are the first two things people want
Almost nobody gets mesh or safety grilles with the flat, and they are the first two things asked for after moving in.
Mesh should be a removable framed panel rather than fixed to the window, so it can be taken out and washed.
Grilles are worth thinking about before fitting, because a fixed grille over a window is also a fixed grille in the way of an emergency. Where a grille is wanted on a bedroom window we fit one with an opening section, which most suppliers do not offer unless asked.
Handover defects worth raising before you fix them
A new window that does not lock, a door that catches on the frame, a seal that has been pinched during fitting - these are defects, not wear.
They are usually covered by the builder for a period after handover, and fixing them yourself can end that cover.
So when we survey a new home we separate the list into what is a defect and what is genuinely an addition. You can then put the defects to the builder and have us do the rest, which is almost always the cheaper order.
Fitting into finishes that are brand new
Drilling into new tiling, new paint and new stone needs more care than in an older house, because everything is unmarked and any damage is obvious.
So we work with the surfaces protected, drill slowly to avoid chipping glaze, and vacuum the dust at the bit rather than sweeping it afterwards.
It is slower. In a new home it is what people actually care about, and a chipped tile or a dust mark on fresh paint is remembered long after the job itself is forgotten.
How the job works
- Tell us about the jobSend a few photos, rough sizes and what you need. Use WhatsApp or the form. For a repair, a short video of the door moving helps a lot.
- We call you back in about 2 minutesWe confirm what you need and a time to visit. Where we can, we give you a rough price on the call.
- We come and measureWe measure the opening and check the walls, floor and ceiling around it. Anything made to size is made to these measurements, so they must be right.
- You get a written priceIt lists each item, with GST as its own line. If anything about the job changes, we tell you before we go ahead.
- We fit itYou approve the price and pay the advance. Our own team fits the work, checks that every door and window opens and closes properly, and clears up. Most jobs are done in 3 to 4 days.
