10 Quick and Easy Home Repairs You Can DIY In Malaysia
Home repairs in Malaysia can be intimidating, scary and, let’s face it, expensive.
Wear and tear are inevitable. However, as property owners, we strive to upkeep our properties in tip-top condition to increase our rental value and to ensure the comfort of our tenants.
Sometimes, all we need are just DIY house maintenance quick fixes to save us from the energy and money needed for full-blown home renovations.
While we do recommend hiring expert services for more serious issues, we’ve compiled a list of easy and quick fixes to solve your home maintenance woes.
Here are 10 Easy DIY Home Repairs that you can do for FREE:
- Replacing Light Bulbs
- Fixing Squeaky Cabinet Doors
- Fixing Leaking Shower Head
- Covering Up Ceiling Water Stains
- Clearing Clogged Drains
- Removing Scratches From Stainless Steel
- Fixing Scratched Cabinets
- Prevent Furniture Leg From Scratching Floors
- Repairing Wall Cracks
- Fixing Leaking Pipes
Replacing Light Bulbs
The most common DIY home repair is replacing burned-out light bulbs. All it takes is a ladder, a new light bulb and a good stretch.
Have you ever bought a light bulb, only to go home and find out that it’s the wrong type? Save yourself the disappointment, and bring your old lightbulb to the store!
Tip: We recommend using LED light bulbs as it is the most energy-saving and it lasts longer than a regular incandescent bulb. In the long run, it saves you money and an extra trip to the hardware store.
Fixing Squeaky Cabinet Doors
Are your cabinet doors squeaky on the hinges when you open and close them? This usually occurs over time as a result of friction in the hinges.
No worries, the solution for this kitchen cabinet repair is a simple one! Apply some lubricating oil around the hinges to eliminate any friction in the mechanism.
Tip: If you don’t have lubricating oil at hand, household items like olive oil, soap or even butter, also do the trick. If it still doesn’t work, try re-adjusting the hinges to make sure both doors are aligned.
Fixing Leaking Shower Head
A leaking shower head can be irritating for tenants but also, hugely expensive as it wastes a huge amount of water over time. This occurs usually due to the wear and tear of rubber O-rings within the showerhead or faucet.
To fix this, here are 4 easy steps:
- Turn off the water supply to your shower
- Identify which rubber O-ring that needs replacing
- Buy new lubricated O-rings from your local hardware store
- Replace the old rings with the new ones
Tip: Before heading out to buy the specific rubber washer you need, make sure you identify the correct type and size you need. This will save you money and another trip to the store.
Covering Up Ceiling Water Stains
Seeing brown stains on the ceiling? This could be from a water leak in your ceiling. If you have fixed the leak, try spraying a mixture of 2-parts bleach and 2-parts water on the stain directly.
Tip: Be sure to wear gloves to protect your hands from the bleach solution and layout newspapers or rags on the floor in case of any dripping solution.
Unclogging Kitchen Sinks
If the water isn’t draining quickly from your sink while you’re doing your dishes, it’s most likely your sink is clogged. Instead of calling for a plumbing repair, the easiest fix to unclogging kitchen sinks would be with the trusty plunger.
Alternatively, you can also try pouring down boiling water, a solution of baking soda and vinegar to help break down the blockage.
Tip: To avoid disposing food residue into your kitchen sink like grease, meat, coffee grounds, eggshells, starchy foods, fruit peels and gum.
Removing Scratches From Stainless Steel Appliances
We love our stainless steel appliances until we scratch them. Then it looks awful. A quick fix to this mini home repair issue is by using sandpaper to buff out the scratches from the surface.
You can easily get sandpaper or a sanding block from your nearby hardware store.
Fixing Scratched Cabinets
Kitchen cabinet repairs are expensive, try this quick and easy fix if you want your cabinets to look brand new. If you have shallow scratches on your cabinet doors, hide them by dabbing a touch-up marker on the stain and wipe off the excess with a rag.
For deeper scratches, you can use a filler pencil instead which fills and colours the scratch, leaving your cabinets looking fresh and new.
Tip: Polish your touched-up wooden cabinets frequently to give them a fresh and new sheen.
Prevent Furniture Leg From Scratching Floors
Do you have scratches on your floors caused by moving your furniture too much? Here is an easy step you can take towards preventing your furniture legs from further damage your floors, use stick-on adhesive pads.
Just peel and stick adhesive pads that you can buy from any hardware store to the bottoms of your furniture legs. This will not only prevent unwanted scratches but also eliminate the irritating noise when furniture is being dragged across the floor.
Tip: Got a wobbly chair or table? You can also use adhesive pads to level out your furniture as well, no need for furniture repair or a new purchase!
Repairing Wall Cracks
Don’t know how to repair cracked walls? Nobody likes a cracked wall, especially when it starts to allow insects and bugs into the house. To seal the crack without having a professional contractor come in, you will need a sort of joint compound from any paint shop and a flat taping knife. Check out this step-by-step tutorial to help you with the process.
Tip: After fixing the crack or hole, make sure to use sandpaper to buff out the surface to ensure a ridgeless and smooth wall surface. It’s easier than you might think!
Identifying Leaking Pipes Early
Not sure if you need a full plumbing repair? There are a few ways to fix common water leaks before they cause rust and other damage to your household appliances. However, prevention is better than cure.
Pay attention to the roofs, ceilings and walls for signs of discolouration and droplets of water vapour under the sink and toilets. Early detection will prevent toxic moulding and the bad health effects that come with it.
We hope that with these quick and easy home repair fixes that you can do yourself, you’ll be able to save money on minor repairs and keep bigger problems away.
If you’re a landlord looking for more invaluable house maintenance tips, we’ve got you covered here. For future landlords, here are some important pointers to get you started.
