Repairs
Home Improvements
Home improvements
We want you to feel at home in your property and have the freedom to make changes for you to feel comfortable.
Depending on the terms of your tenancy agreement you may be able to make improvements or alterations to your home, but there will be times where you’ll need to get written permission from us such as replacing a kitchen, changing electrical fittings or putting up a satellite dish.
If you’re in any doubt, get in touch to check with us before you make a start on any home improvements.
Aids and adaptations
We aim to help you live as independently as possible. One of the ways we can do this is by funding certain aids and adaptations to your home so that you can live more comfortably and maintain your independence for longer. There are a range of services and simple adaptations such as; grab rails, stair lifts and ramps that we can offer, and we’ll work closely with you to find the options that best suit you.
Find out more in our handy guide below.
Planned Improvements
Every year we plan which of our homes will receive replacement or improvement work to make sure your home is well maintained and in good condition. Planned improvements are different from the repairs you report to us when something isn’t right in your home.
If you have any immediate repairs, the easiest way to report your repair is via MyHome. You can access MyHome here or via the MyHome app. MyHome is available 24/7 and might save you some time if the phone lines are busy.
You can find out more about what repairs we cover, and what you’re responsible for in this section of our repairs guide. If, when you report something to us that we think is beyond repair, we’ll consider it for our planned maintenance programme.
How do we schedule planned improvements?
We prioritise our improvement work by using the data we have on our properties, what you’re telling us about your home, and the knowledge of our partners on the ground.
We aim to carry out surveys ahead of any planned works in your area so we can check the results, order any materials required and work with our contractors to plan our programme. We survey our customers’ home every five years to check the condition of things like your kitchen, bathroom, windows and more and we use this information to identify what work may need doing in the future. Once we have this information, we’ll be in touch to tell you what work is needed and when it will be carried out.
The information gathered during a survey will help us to continually improve our programme of planned works in line with the Government’s Decent Homes Standard. The Decent Home Standard plays a pivotal role in setting the minimum standard that your home is required to meet.
Types of planned improvements
Improvements may include:
- Installing new kitchens and bathrooms
- Replacing windows and doors
- Replacing roofs and gutters
- Making structural improvements
- Decorating communal areas and exteriors
- Upgrading central heating systems e.g. boilers
- Improvements to communal areas such as lifts, lighting, fire alarms and door entry systems
As part of our objective of making sure that all our properties have an EPC rating of C or above by 2030, we’re also working on larger projects to improve the energy efficiency of our homes.
When do you replace kitchens, bathrooms, windows etc?
The expected life cycles of the typical parts of your home are:
- Kitchen - 23 years
- Bathroom - 33 years
- Boiler or air source heat pump - 15 years
- Central heating systems - 33 years
- Electric heating systems - 23 years
- Electrical wiring - 40 years
- Windows and doors - 38 years
- Roof - 20 for a flat roof and up to 70 years for a pitched, tiled roof
All of these life cycles are estimates, and it may be that we replace things earlier or later depending on its condition.
If you think there is something in your home that needs to be replaced, then you can log a repair and our team will help you to get it booked in.
There's more about our planned improvements programme on our website here:
