Handyman Services

You do not need to be one of our managed clients to enjoy our Handyman Services.  We are willing to tackle all jobs, big or small.  So whether its a leaking tap to a new fitted kitchen, Mark can do it all.  Simply contact Mark at Lotus Property Services for a free no obligation quote for any of those little jobs you need doing.  Below is a list of the more common works we carry out.  This is not exhaustive so give contact us for your specific requirements. 

  • Painting and decorating
  • Plumbing
  • Electrics
  • Wall and Floor Tiling
  • Small Building Works
  • Pool tiling and regrouting
  • Pool leak detection and repair


Painting and Decorating

Anybody can paint! That is what we hear time and again, but it is not true.

You don't need to come on holiday and waste a week painting your apartment (longer for a villa).  If you live in your apartment can you afford a week off work to paint?  It doesn't cost the Earth to have Lotus Property Services come in to advise you and then paint through the house properly ready for your arrival so you can enjoy your holiday.  Professional does not mean expensive.  What it does mean is that you receive the high quality you expect.   The furniture will be moved (not painted around and yes we have seen this with our own eyes).  You will not spend two weeks cleaning paint off doors, furniture, floors etc.

Mould and damp are a continuous ongoing problem in Mallorca, the climate is generally warm/hot, the nights and winters can by comparison be quite cool, and when it rains, it rains.  This causes damp in walls, floors and ceilings which regular inspection should bring to light early. The first task when you know where the water penetration is coming from is to treat the cause.  Then the effects can be treated both for the mould and also the soft plaster.  It should then be possible to paint the area.

Outside is totally different.  How long the paint lasts is dependent upon the quality of the paint used, even more than the inside, and that does not necessarily mean the most expensive.  Different types of wall suit different types of paint, especially where extra damp proofing is required.  Wood brings up an even more bewildering array of different varnish, paint, stains and colours.  Choosing the right one for the job is really important, as is how well it is put on.  Only use half the coverage and watch your wood disintegrate to sawdust (from where the water got in).  Metal window bars and other metal items like garage doors and railings finish off the list of possible paints and coverings to be found in your average hardware store.

Now you understand the importance of having professionals, we know what you need.  You choose the colours, and you leave the rest up to us.

Plumbing and Leak Repairs

Leaks are more than just a nuisance, they can be very costly if unchecked.  So where is the water coming from?  You may be sure that it is coming from a bathroom close by, or you may be convinced it is coming from your neighbours bathroom.  Which is it, and how do you prove it?  Is it on the water feed or the waste water outlet, the shower supply or the shower tray?  There are many other explanations too. 

It would be nice to have a new toilet, one where the seat didn't constantly fall off.  As green was never your colour how about that new bathroom suite.  A tap on the patio would be very helpful.  You could then have an automated irrigation system then which would save you digging up the planters and putting 200 new plants in every spring. Wouldn't it be nice to set the temperature on the bath or shower so that it is the same every time you step in?

These are all problems that can be sorted by Lotus Property Services.  We are however   not just about solving leak problems.  There are a lot of older properties here in Mallorca which would benefit from a change of bathroom suites or new kitchen fittings, and re-tiling at the same time.  In some cases if budget is a concern, take things slowly. Change things a little at a time, a new toilet this month, remove the bath and install a shower next month, take the bidet out and install the washing machine out of the way next time, and finish with re-tiling the bathroom.  Congratulation,  you have just added value to your home without breaking the bank.  You have also increased the likely hood of bookings if you rent because you have a nice new bathroom to advertise in your property, unlike your neighbour.

Electrics

Spanish electrical installations are to say the very least, interesting.   You just don't know what you are turning up to find.  This is not to say they are bad, only that they do not always follow a set logical pattern, even sometimes within the same building.

In older properties this can be a nightmare, you start by tracing a fault in one direction only to find that over the years virtually everybody who has owned the property has tried to "Do it yourself" some additional wiring.  They never tried to say that they were qualified or even really new what they were doing.  Only that "It was working okay" when they left it. That is when it becomes really interesting.  But lets not discount nightmares in newer properties as well, such as missing cables, unconnected wiring, or just plain old wrongly wired up sockets and switches.  The problem sometimes lies with the constructor.  Qualified men are expensive and hard to hold onto, so installations are often carried out by "assistants" whose work is checked out afterwards (in theory).  However in practice this is often not the case. The results range from "funny", to "Fairly dire".

Hot water boilers, washing machines and dish washers, they all break down and seemingly more frequently than ever. The hard water supply in the area causes havoc with heating elements and thermostats.  This fills boilers and washing machines with sludgey calcium deposits.  It is not always possible to repair them however it quite often is, depending upon the machine and its age, and at a reasonable cost.


Small Building Works

What is small building work?  Well  it is all those things that you would love to do in the property to improve it, but which needs more specialist tools, knowledge and supplies.  How many times have you opened the kitchen door and squashed one of the kids up against the fridge.  How many times have you said to yourself that when the kids get older you will have a wall or fence built in the garden to keep them safe.  If you are still frustrated about having to go through the hallway, down and round the corner just to get into the kitchen, which has no natural light and would be better opened directly into the lounge with a breakfast bar, then contact us.  Remember that if it bothers you then it will probably not suit a prospective buyer either when you want to move on to another property.

Doors can be re-handed and that way they are more practical.  Alternatively they can be taken out and an archway put in.  Within reason a wall can be built anywhere, either inside or outside the property.  Local community restrictions may apply to outside work however.  Inside the walls can be solid or plaster board.  You could divide a large room into two to make an office or dining room at one end.

If you demolish an old built in wardrobe or cupboard at one end of the room you can completely alter the size and shape of that room.  This would  give it a whole new feel so that you can alter some of the other things in the room, like lighting, colour and shape of some furniture.  It could  really lift the whole house whilst adding value to the property.

Gardens can be wonderful, bringing colour and beauty to the home.  They can however become a burden.  If they are steeply sloping it can be very hard, if not dangerous to get to the bottom in wet weather (which may be where the garage or pool pump house is located). It would help to have better, safer steps down or even to terrace the garden so that it is not so steep.  This would help as time goes by and mobility is harder.  As time passes the end of the garden starts to resemble the campo, wild an unkempt.  Builders also have this habit of making the garden slope towards the house, resulting in flooding and a mud bath every winter and a chronic damp problem along that side of the property.  It may not always be possible to rectify the problem without major work, but it quite often is, often simple steps can be taken to relieve a problem and make it manageable.  Plant pots full of shrubs and flowers sitting nicely on a terrace, a beautiful sight until the plants get too big and force a whole out of one side, or you cannot get the plants out because they are so tight and you dare not risk breaking the pot, and at up to € 400 in some cases who can argue. Now might be the time to consider having planters built on the terrace or garden, it also makes it easier to bend down to when weeding or cleaning.

Whatever you decide to do or begin to think about doing, contact Lotus Property Services and ask for a quote and some advice.  It may not be possible to do what you want.  O on the other hand we may be able to suggest a better or cheaper way of achieving the same thing, which makes lots of our customers very happy. 


Wall and floor tiling

When you really think about it, tiles are what make the home what it is.   All tiles are not made equal, they are most definitely different, by which we do not mean they are made better, or worse, we can argue that point, but that there are many things whtich alter their suitability for certain places or conditions.  You would be ill advised for example to use wall tiles on the floor, or nice high quality marble to line your pool. Then there are sizes, shapes, borders, colours, grouts, mosaics, with or without borders, and so on, many things alter the amount of work involved in the tiling an area, which sometimes leads to second thoughts.  |If you have already bought the tiles, you may well be stuck with them.  Tile supply companies are not known for generously taking back twenty or more boxes of tiles because you have found out that they are unsuitable. It really is more beneficial to contact us and ask for advice about these things first.  For one thing it saves buying enough tiles to tile the whole house when you only want a small bathroom tiling.  Similarly it saves buying the last and only three boxes because they are on offer, when you need a whole house tiling.

Terrace tiles are especially interesting, the moment you start to loose the grout from between the joints you start the clock on when the tiles are going to start coming up.  This causes long bouncy ridges across the terrace, if unchecked the  tiling becomes far worse as more tiles lift and more water seeps into the concrete, and therefore the ceiling below.  The problem is cheap to rectify in the beginning at least.  They simply need re-grouting (and sometimes sealing), but don't leave it too long to contact us, or you will need to treat the damp problem downstairs as well.

Pool Retiling and Regrouting

For further information please visit our sister website Lotus Pool Services.

Pool Leak Detection and Repairs

For further information please visit our sister website Lotus Pool Services.