This is the one place where our repairs page is mostly not about repairs. The towers here are new, so almost nothing has worn out yet. What people actually need is the things a handover flat does not come with: mosquito mesh, balcony glass, a mirror fixed properly, a glass railing on an internal stair.
Mesh, and getting the choice right the first time
A new flat comes with windows and no mesh, and mesh is the single most common addition here. Choosing the type properly matters because changing it later means paying twice.
Fixed mesh is cheapest and permanent - it stays across the window whether you want it or not. Sliding mesh runs on the window's own track and suits sliding windows naturally. Pleated and roll-up types fold or wind away when you want the full opening and a clear view, and cost more for that.
At height there is one more consideration: wind. A large pleated mesh on a high floor takes real pressure, and the cheaper mechanisms do not last. We will say where the sturdier option is worth it rather than quoting the lowest number.
What a handover flat is missing
It is worth walking the flat once, listing everything, and doing it in one visit - because in a tower with a lift queue, each separate visit costs a slot as well as money.
The usual list: mesh on every openable window, a shower enclosure, balcony glazing if the society permits it, mirrors fixed to the wall rather than propped, and sometimes a glass railing on an internal stair in a duplex.
Some of that you will not have decided on yet, and that is fine. Being measured commits you to nothing, and knowing the whole number lets you stage the work sensibly instead of discovering the cost of visit three.
Snagging: what the builder should fix, not you
In a handover flat some of what looks like a job for us is genuinely a snag the developer should put right, and we will tell you when that is the case.
A window that does not close squarely, a sliding door that binds from day one, a balcony door that leaks in the first rain - these are installation faults in a new building and they usually sit inside the handover warranty.
So raise them with the builder before paying anybody to fix them. We would rather look at a flat, tell you that three of the five items belong to the developer, and do the other two, than take payment for correcting somebody else's snag list.
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.
