Essential Home Maintenance Checklist: Prepare Your Home For Autumn

As the weather begins to change and that wet, cold climate that we are so familiar with in the North West returns, it’s a crucial time of year for checking your property for maintenance needs. Ultimately, the more diligently you check your property before you lose the daylight, the better you will protect yourself from costly repair needs further down the line.

Our team of expert home surveyors based around Formby has put together a list of the key things to check to make sure your property is ready for the winter:

• Roof & Gutters

Maintenance preparations should begin at the top. Cast your eye over your roof as best you can–check for any missing tiles that might let rain in. As the rain picks back up, leaks are going to be one of the biggest dangers–causing serious structural damage if left unchecked.

Clogged gutters, equally, can lead to leaks if rainwater has nowhere to go. Autumn is a busy time of year for gutter cleaners and with good reason. It’s a treacherous job, so let the professionals handle it, clearing out your gutters and downpipes.

• Heating Health Check

Can you remember the last time you had your boiler serviced? Autumn is the best time to do it. Contact a registered, Gas Safe engineer to make sure it’s running properly. Don’t wait for a complete breakdown before you have it looked at. With the increasing uncertainty around energy prices, it’s crucial that your heating is not just functioning, but functioning efficiently.

Some other general tips for your home’s heating include bleeding radiators to deal with cold spots and checking your loft insulation. Poor insulation will cause significant heat loss. Seal any draughts with excluders and close gaps in door and window fittings with caulk.

• Exterior Checks

Taking the time to check your home’s walls and windows from the outside while there’s still plenty of light in the daytime is always a good idea. Look for any cracks in the brickwork or windows–for any minor issues you can usually fill them in yourself with exterior-grade sealant, like masonry filler. This will provide a durable surface that can be painted over.

• Preventing Damp

Good ventilation is vital when you don’t have the windows open much if at all. Damp and mould are often a much bigger problem during the winter when you have the heating on and the windows closed. Make sure your kitchen and bathroom extractor fans are working properly, and keep trickle vents open on doors and windows.

Always look out for signs of dampness such as:

1. Peeling wallpaper
2. Discolouration
3. Musty smells

The sooner you notice it, the easier it will be to address. See here for a more comprehensive guide to understanding damp.

• Chimneys & Fireplaces

If you are fortunate enough to have a cosy fireplace at home, the autumn is a good time to have your chimney inspected and swept. As it gets colder and you start using the fireplace more, you want to ensure that nothing has nested in the chimney or otherwise blocked it over the summer–this is a significant fire hazard. Make sure to test your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector, too.