If you spot anything in your home that’s leaking, broken or mouldy, you’ll no doubt want to fix them pretty quickly! And rightly so – if you don’t maintain a home properly things can start to go badly wrong.
Home maintenance checklist
There are a number of key tasks you should try to do every year, and even monthly, to keep your property in tip-top shape. Some things you might be able to do yourself, but others, such as servicing the boiler, you’ll most likely need a professional for.
It’s a good idea to create a maintenance checklist which, to an extent, reflects the demands of the seasons on a home.
Spring:
– Walk around the house and look for signs of any damage caused by bad winter weather – cracks in render, wonky chimneys, missing tiles, sagging gutters, damp patches etc.
– Check chimney ‘cowls’ – wire nets – are firmly in place to prevent birds from nesting. Or get some fitted, if you haven’t any already.
– Look in the loft for any signs of water entering, and animals such as squirrels and rats.
– Clean out gutters, and sweep up leaves and debris, especially from around drainage covers and access points.
– Look for flaking/cracking paintwork and putty around windows, and patch up if necessary.
– Air bricks, which help prevent damp, should be kept clear of debris.
Summer:
– Clean patios, paths and decking thoroughly.
– Weed, weed and weed again! Weeds can cause major damage to a property’s structure.
– Carry out any major repairs needed to windows, doors, fascias and fencing while the weather’s better.
– Get your boiler serviced each summer, while plumbers aren’t in such demand! It helps prevent costly breakdowns.
– Repoint mortar in walls that is crumbling and missing to stop water damage.
Autumn/early winter
– Go around the house bleeding radiators to ensure they function properly.
– Clean gutters of leaves and debris, along with drainage points.
– Check insulation is in place on pipes that are in exposed places, such as lofts and outbuildings.
– Clean any garden furniture and store it away.
– Make sure air bricks are clear – like you may have done in the Spring.
– Check smoke, carbon monoxide and security alarms are working.
– Locks on windows and door should be checked and fixed if necessary.
– Trim back any overhanging trees and bushes.
– Pin down any large garden items such as trampolines and climbing frames.
– Regularly check the outside of your property throughout the winter and remedy failing fencing, roof tiles etc.
Monthly:
– Clean tumble drier filters.
– Top up salt in dishwashers.
– Check the water pressure in your boiler.
– Ventilate rooms that aren’t used very often to prevent mould and damp build up.
Policy Expert
Being the number 1 rated UK home insurance provider on Review Centre* it goes without saying that our customers come first. If you have any questions or you’d like to learn more about your cover, we’d be delighted to help. There are a number of ways you can get in touch.
* Policy Expert is rated the number 1 home insurance provider in the UK on independent review website – Reviewcentre.com. Based on 28,204 customer reviews and a 96% recommendation rating, January 2020.
