AN ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF PROPERTY MAINTENANCE ON RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY IN NASARAWA
ABSTRACT
A building fabric is referred to as
an “environmental envelope” because it is the means by which the natural
or external environment may be modified, to produce a satisfactory
internal environment for man to live in. The deterioration of
residential buildings hampers its ability to perform adequately, thus is
important to ensure proper maintenance to prevent deterioration. This
project therefore attempts to assess the impact of property maintenance
on residential property in Nasarawa. Due to the neglect of the
maintenance component of the housing process in the country, a lot of
public and private residential buildings are in a state of disrepair. In
view of the above, this study was designed to assess the current
condition of residential buildings, identify the underlying principal
causes of poor maintenance of residential properties, analyses the
maintenance policy and practice and capacity of the maintenance and make
suggestions and recommendations towards the adoption of effective
maintenance policy and innovations that would address the property
maintenance problem in residential property. The field investigations
focused on residential buildings. The study also established the
following factors as being responsible for the poor maintenance of
residential buildings: The age of the buildings, Lack of maintenance
culture, Inadequate funds and high maintenance cost, pressure on
building facilities by number of users and poor construction work and
maintenance work done by maintenance personnel of the institution. The
study concludes by enumerating a number of recommendations aimed at
providing the necessary framework for proper and effective maintenance
of buildings. These among others are: the need for public institutions
to embrace preventive maintenance practice as a high priority rather
than adhoc maintenance.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.0 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Provision of adequate, affordable and
high standard and quality housing that meets the social, economic and
political aspirations of the citizenry remains the primary and major
focus of all governments the world over. This is because the fulfillment
of this desirable social objective is a key component of sustainable
development (Ibem and Amole, 2010) and a measure of the well being of
the people. According to Leong (2009), housing is a major factor
impacting on the health, safety, socio-economic and political life of
the occupants. In fact it impacts all aspect of human endeavour. Thus,
the state of housing and its environment is an indicator of the level of
development and condition and state of the citizenry.
Physical infrastructure constitutes a
high proportion of the country’s investment. It is therefore of primary
importance that these facilities which include residential buildings are
maintained in order that they can serve both the architectural and
aesthetical functions for which they are built. The physical appearance
of residential buildings in part constitutes the basis upon which the
society makes their initial judgment of the quality of services to be
offered.
One of the critical problems confronting
the housing industry in Nigeria is the poor maintenance practice
(Afranie and Osei Tutu, 1999). The role of residential buildings in
national development cannot be over-emphasized. However, in spite of the
heavy investment in residential buildings, residential building owners
and occupants allow their structures to care for themselves without any
sustainable maintenance plan to preserve the quality of the buildings.
The continued efficient and effective performance of such property
depends on the nature of their buildings in addition to other factors
such as enhanced conditions of service, provision of the requisite tools
etc.
Maintenance primarily, is to preserve
buildings in their initial functional, structural and aesthetic states
so that they continue to remain as such and retain their investment
value over a long period of existence. It is therefore necessitated by
deterioration of the materials and components of building(s) and its
environment. It is the works undertaken in order to keep or restore
every part of the building(s), its contents and its environment in an
acceptable standard or condition. This includes but not limited to the
carrying out regular repairs of works and the replacement of items in
buildings and its environment that are in deplorable conditions.
According to Seeley 1987, neglect of
maintenance has accumulative results with rapidly increasing
deterioration of the fabric and finishes of a building accompanied by
harmful effects on the contents and occupants. Therefore, buildings are
too valuable assets to be neglected in this way. In his hierarchy of
needs theory Maslow (1954) identifies five basic needs which are
organized into successive level of importance in an ascending order. He
identified physiological needs as the most basic needs of human beings
which include air, food, water, shelter (housing), sex and sleep.
BS 3811(1984), define ‘maintenance’ as
“The combination of all technical and associated administrative actions
intended to retain an item in, or restore it to, a state in which it can
perform its required function.”
Maintenance brings about improved
utilization of buildings ensuring the highest safety standards. It must
be emphasized that more rather than less maintenance work is necessary
if the value and amenity of the nation’s building stock was to be
maintained. A good maintenance system is also a good disaster mitigation
system. Moreover, a well operated system of maintenance for buildings
and equipment has the effect of being a very effective disaster
mitigation measure in terms of cost and facility usage. It ensures the
most economic way to keep the building and equipment in the best of form
for normal use, given the original design and materials
(http\\www.oas.org\en\cdmp).
When buildings are neglected, defects can
occur which may result in extensive and avoidable damage to the
building fabric or equipment. Poor maintenance has resulted in damage
and deterioration to some residential buildings in Nigeria. Neglect of
maintenance especially in relation to replacing electricity cables after
thirty of use can also give rise to fire and safety hazards, which
could result in the property owner being found liable for any injuries
and damages.
1.2 Statement of The Problem
The main purpose of maintenance of
property is essentially to retain its values for investment, aesthetic,
safety, durability, with a view to ensuring that the property is
continually in good condition for habitation and to the satisfaction of
the owner(s) / users and communal prestige (Brennan, 2000). Some
residential have not seen any significant maintenance or show little
signs of maintenance since they were constructed, some dating back to
the colonial era. This has resulted in such buildings being in a
dilapidated state with some being abandoned. This lack of maintenance by
the owners and occupants of these facilities often leads to reduced
lifespan of these buildings (Melvin, 1992), which invariably defeat the
purpose for which they are developed. The problem of ownership of these
buildings, where occupants regard it not as their own property and
handle it without due care largely have resulted in the state in which
most residential buildings find it. In some cases occupants do not
recognize the building as their property and hence have passive
attachment in relation to the efficient use and maintenance of the
building. In order to evolve an effective good maintenance practice
regime for residential property, knowledge of effectiveness of the
strategies adopted in the maintenance of this properties becomes
necessary, hence this study “An assessment of the impact of property
maintenance on residential property in Nasarawa.
1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study
1.3.1 Aim
The study is generally expected to assess the impact of property maintenance on residential property in Nasarawa.
1.3.2 Objectives of the Study
The specific objectives of this study are:
- To Assess the current condition and state of residential buildings in the study area
- To identify the underlying principal causes of poor maintenance of residential properties in Nasarawa.
- To analyse the maintenance policy and practice adopted in the maintenance of residential properties in the study area
- To assess the impact of property maintenance on residential property value in the study area
1.4 Research Questions
In line with objectives of this study, the following research questions shall serve as a guide to the researcher:
- What is the current condition and state of residential buildings in the study area
- What are the underlying principal causes of poor maintenance of residential properties in Nasarawa?
- What are the maintenance policy and practice adopted in the maintenance of residential properties in the study area
- Does property maintenance have significant impact on residential property value in the study area
1.5 Significance of the Study
This study is essential in the sense that
it would not only contribute to knowledge and theory, but will also
contribute to good maintenance practice of residential properties
Nigeria. This is because the study will attempt to find out the factors
that have contributed to the present state of non-maintenance of
residential buildings some of which have been abandoned due to its state
of deterioration.
Furthermore the study will assist
managers of residential property to become aware of the current state of
their building infrastructure and its effect on the safety and health
of occupants and also to put in place adequate innovative measures to
prevent new buildings put up to suffer deterioration which ultimately
lead to increased cost in restoring these buildings to their original
state.
With increasing demand for efficiency and
effectiveness from workers in the public and private sector by the
populace, this study will attempt to establish the linkage between the
present states of residential buildings in relation to the social and
economic impact it has on the occupants.
1.6 Scope and Limitation of the Study
The study is limited to the assessment of
the impact of property maintenance on residential properties, the scope
is limited to Nasarawa town in Nasarawa state. It is also limited by
the objectives of the study as it is strictly out to assess the cause of
poor maintenance and its impact of residential property value in
Nasarawa.
Data gathering suffered due to delay in
getting responses due to the schedule of work of especially personnel of
the study area. In addition records keeping was a problem for all the
institutions surveyed such that in some situation researcher had to
collate the number of buildings himself. This also resulted in
difficulty in identifying the buildings.
Notwithstanding the above limitations,
the study results have not been affected and thus are credible, reliable
and useful for any purposes of evaluation and feedback.
1.7 Operational Definition of Terms
Residential Properties: Oxford
advanced learners dictionary defined residential properties as
properties suitable for living in, consisting of houses rather than
factories, or offices.
Property: Property is by
property dictionary as anything that is owned by a person or entity,
which be divided into “real property” and personal property.
Infrastructure: This is
seen as a wide range of economic and social facilities crucial to
creating an enabling environment for economic growth and enhances the
quality of life, Nubi (2002).
Value: Value is basically the worth of a thing which depend largely on the basis of assessment and unit of measurement.
Property Value: property
value according too Millington (1981) is the money obtainable from a
person willing and able to purchase property when it is offered for sale
by a willing seller, allowing for reasonable time for negotiation and
with the full knowledge of the nature and uses which the property is
capable of being put.
1.8 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Nasarawa Local Government area of
Nasarawa state was established in 1976 during the military regime under
the leadership of general Mohammed Administration, the local government
have thirteen 13 wards and it consist of six department which is
responsible for carried out the activities personal social primary
health care agriculture and natural resources. The state derived its
name from the local government Nasarawa. The local head quarter is
between latitude 7.8 degree east by Karu.
The also shared boundary with Benue
state, Toto Local government area and federal capital territory, the
local government have a population 187220 by the 2006 census through
contest in the law court it has multi ethnic Afo, Agatu, Gwandara etc.
THE PEOPLE AND THEIR OCCUPATION
The major ethnics groups are Hausa, Afo,
Gwari, and Gwandara. The earliest inhabitants were predominantly farmers
and some of them are fishermen they use river for their routine
fishing.
Besides, they were also engaged in
rearing of cattle, black dying and weaving. Meanwhile, trading is one of
their major occupation as a result of the establishment of the Federal
Polytechnic.
TOPOGRAPHY
From an elevation of about 1,500 to 1,000
meters, the Nasarawa descends in a series of step to the wide Benue
through the northern part of the low lands forms a continuous plain
about 50 kilometers wide which gradually slopes from the foot of the
Nasarawa towards river benue.
The western part of the northern low land
is an area of transaction, only part of it can be regarded as belonging
to the Benue plains.
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