Autumn is the sweet spot for home maintenance. The weather is still kind enough to work outside, trades are easier to book than in the December rush, and a couple of hours now can save a soggy, expensive January. Here are the twelve jobs we’d put on every homeowner’s list.
Outside the house
- Clear the gutters and downpipes. Leaves and moss block them fast in leafy areas like Northwood and Ruislip. Overflowing gutters are the number one cause of damp patches on upstairs walls.
- Check the roof from the ground. Look for slipped or cracked tiles, and lifted flashing around chimneys. Binoculars help. Anything loose now will be a leak after the first storm.
- Look at the flat roof. Garages, extensions and dormers with felt or fibreglass roofs should be free of standing water, splits and bubbling.
- Clear drains and gullies. Lift the grating and scoop out the silt. A blocked gully backs water up against your walls.
- Check external sealant. Around windows, doors and where pipes pass through walls. Cracked sealant lets water into the wall behind.
Heating and hot water
- Get the boiler serviced. Once a year, by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Autumn is the best time, before the breakdown season starts.
- Bleed the radiators. Cold at the top and warm at the bottom means trapped air. If a radiator is cold at the bottom, it’s sludge and needs a power flush.
- Test the heating for ten minutes. Don’t wait for the first cold night to find out the pump has seized.
- Lag the pipes in the loft. Cheap, quick and it stops the classic burst pipe over Christmas.
Inside the house
- Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Press the button. Replace batteries or the whole unit if it’s over ten years old.
- Check for condensation hot spots. Black mould in the corners of bedrooms or behind wardrobes is a ventilation problem. Extractor fans should actually pull air, so hold a tissue to the grille.
- Draught-proof doors and windows. Brush strips and new seals pay for themselves in one winter.
Not sure what’s a DIY job and what isn’t?
Gutters, sealant, draught strips and alarm batteries are all sensible weekend jobs if you’re comfortable on a ladder. Anything involving gas, the consumer unit, the roof itself or a persistent damp patch is worth getting a professional to look at. The good news is that most of the list above can be done in a single Propfix visit.
Want the whole list done in one go? Upload a few photos through our Get a quote page and we’ll send you a free, itemised quote, usually within a few hours. Or call us on 07872 606019.
