b'the hard truth about .Iwords: Keri Bridgwater homeimprovements Most of us spend more time and money looking after our car than the house we live in. We don\'t think twice about splashing out on our vehicles, so why don\'t we take more care of our homes? Paint peeling from the weatherboards, an old sofa rotting"The bottomline isthatpeople needto starttakingKeep your paintwork in on the porch,the overgrown garden and a roof that\'smoreresponsibilityfor their buildingsanddo regulargood nick with Resene\'s Caring for Your Paint seen better days. We\'ve all seen itmany of us are guiltymaintenancework,"saysBlairWilmshurstfromtheFinish brochure, free -ofleast one such transgression at some point - but didWaikatoCity Council."Weneedto educatethemtofrom ColorShops. at April you know as of1, all homeowners are novv obligedtake action andproperly maintain their houses.Many tomaintaintheirpropertiestoanationalstandard?homeowners are unaware their roof needsre-paintingCOLORSTEEL has a new DVD that shows That\'s right - a section of the recently imposed revisedevery 5-10 years orevery that septic tanks need emptyingyou howrepaint to Building Act now stipulates that owners must becomefive years."your COLORSTEEL or zincalume roof. Order it more responsiblefor the upkeep of their property and,Your home is probably the most valuable asset you willfrom colorsteel.nzsteel. whererequired,provide anannual building warrant ofco.nz or borrow a copy ever own, but nothing lasts for ever. To keep your housefrom your Resene fitness(BWOF)to verifytheir systems areinworkingColorShop. Use Resene order. Failure to comply might make it difficult to obtainin good condition, regular maintenance is essential. TimeHi-Glo gloss acrylic for and money both need to be factored in, but there arethe best resu Its. insurance and could even cause complications in the case viable solutions toitresearch su every budget. According to of future sale. authority BRANZ, the average yearly cost of maintaining On March 31, all councils automatically became Buildinga home is $5000. If money is tight. prioritise projects and ConsentAuthorities(BCAs).Councilcertifierswillbecarry out painting, cleaning and minor repairs yourself. retrained over the next yearin order to be accreditedAnd remember to consider replacing carpets, roofing and under the new system. They will then officially take overoutside cladding in your long-term budget. from private certifiers to carry out inspections and monitor Properly maintaining your home isa sensible financial progress on maintenance andrepairs.For thefirst 12 investment that willnot only sustainthe longevity of months of the programme, homeowners will be issued a the building, but will also help hold - if not increase - its statement of fitness by the council. However, after March market value. It\'s also a great way to keep your home safe 31, 2006, building ovvners must arrange theirBWOF, own and looking good for years to come. sending the original to the council and holding a copy at home. Inspections can be carried out by the owner or anyMore information regarding the new law is available at independently qualified person.www.consumerbuild.org.nz.H 108habitat'