What the seaside climate does to a flat: what wears out first in Sharm and how to hold it back

By the sea wear comes from the air rather than from use. Salty humidity, ultraviolet and the swing between an air-conditioned room and a forty-degree terrace work all year, and a flat nobody lives in ages no slower than an ordinary one — sometimes faster, because it is not aired, the appliances are not run and leaks go unnoticed. This article is about what breaks first, why, and what to do so that the flat is worth in five years what it is worth today.

What gives way first

Metal

Hinges, window and wardrobe runners, terrace railings, the brackets holding outdoor air-conditioning units, taps, door handles. Salt in the air settles on everything metallic and starts corrosion in the first months; ordinary steel rusts, chrome plating flakes. A rusted bracket on an outdoor unit is not cosmetic but a safety matter: the unit hangs over somebody's terrace.

Air-conditioning

The most expensive and most vulnerable equipment in a seaside flat. Salt clogs the outdoor unit's coil, lowers efficiency, raises electricity use and eventually kills the compressor. The indoor unit, left uncleaned, grows mould and starts to smell. The service life here is shorter than in a dry city and depends on care more than on the brand.

Sealant, paint, joints

Sealant at windows, terrace joints and around the bath cracks under ultraviolet and temperature swings, and water follows it into the wall. Exterior paint fades and peels; stains and efflorescence on a façade mean moisture in the concrete. Tile joints on a terrace are water's path to the slab and to the neighbour's ceiling below.

Appliances and electrics

Fridge, washing machine, water heater, sockets and switches on the terrace and in the kitchen: salt and humidity reach contacts and circuit boards. Appliances by the sea live shorter than the manual says; sealed sockets and damp-proof terrace lights pay for themselves.

Furniture and textiles

Wood warps with humidity, chipboard swells, fabrics fade in the sun, mattresses and pillows in a closed flat draw moisture and grow mould. Garden furniture on a terrace survives a season or two unless made of the right materials.

An empty flat: what happens in the months without its owners

Without airing, a stale smell and mould appear in the bathroom and the cupboards. An air-conditioner switched off for months seizes and, on first start, throws out smell and dirt. An unused tap silts up; traps dry out and the drains start to smell. A burst washing-machine hose or a leaking water-heater valve is discovered on the water bill or on the ceiling of the flat below — weeks later. Insects move into the silence. A flat nobody has opened for six months greets its owners with a repair.

The simple minimum of care

• Every two or three weeks: open the windows for an hour, run every tap and flush the toilet, run each air-conditioner for twenty minutes, inspect ceilings and floors for stains.
• Once a season (four times a year): rinse the outdoor units of salt and clean the indoor filters, check the sealant at windows and terrace, oil hinges and runners, check the air-conditioning drainage.
• Once a year: a specialist's service of the air-conditioning, a clean of the water heater, a check of valves and hoses, touch-up of metal, renewal of sealant where needed.
• When leaving for a long time: shut the water at the flat's inlet, switch off everything but the fridge if needed, leave cupboards ajar, put out a moisture absorber, photograph the meters.
• Keep photographs of the meters — rising water use in an empty flat shows a leak before a stain does.

Materials for a renovation: what to choose by the sea

• Stainless steel or coated aluminium for railings, hinges and fixings; brass or stainless for taps.
• Aluminium or good PVC windows with hardware rated for a marine climate; ordinary steel hardware fails within a couple of years.
• Ceramic tile and stone instead of laminate and chipboard near windows and in the kitchen; moisture-resistant furniture fronts.
• Façade paint for marine climates and an elastic UV-resistant sealant.
• Garden furniture of teak, aluminium or good plastic; textiles removable and washable.
• Air-conditioners with anti-corrosion coil treatment where there is a choice — and servicing without fail.

Whom to entrust it to

If you do not live in Sharm permanently, the flat needs a person on the spot: a neighbour, a trusted tradesman or a management company that opens, airs, runs the appliances and reacts to leaks. In a compound this is often part of the manager's services for a fee; in an ordinary building you arrange it yourself. What property management covers and how to choose it has its own article. It is a cost cheaper than any repair after a season without supervision.