It might sound obvious, but autumn and winter are the times of year when you are most likely to experience problems with your home. Frozen pipes, leaky roofs, wind damage or heating breakdown – they can’t all be avoided completely, but if you do some simple jobs around the house before the weather starts to get really cold, you should minimise the risk of being stuck in a leaky or cold house when the first storms of winter strike. Here are a few items on our Autumn home maintenance checklist to ensure you avoid being caught out at this time of year.
Service the Boiler
Many of us will barely have used the central heating over the summer months, and as soon as the weather starts to get colder, call outs to heating engineers hit a peak as we suddenly discover that our heating isn’t working quite as well as it might. It’s a good idea to get a heating engineer out while the weather is still warm to service the heating and give it a thorough check over before the first of the cold snaps. As well as making sure your boiler is working as efficiently as it can be and not using more fuel than it has to, a service will also flag up any potential issues which could cause your boiler to break down. Now is also the time to think about taking out an annual insurance policy to protect you against boiler breakdown, which also sometimes includes an annual service.
Check the Gutters
Build-up of debris or leaves in gutters and down pipes can be expensive if it stops the gutters from working properly and allows water to penetrate into the fabric of your building. Damp can be hugely expensive and disruptive to remedy, so spend a couple of hours clearing out all the gutters now to avoid the damp. Clearing out the gutters might be a bit messy, but it’s not a job which requires any specialist skills or equipment and is something you can easily tackle yourself with some long ladders. If you aren’t confident working at height or would prefer to get someone in to do this job for you, any professional roofing company will be happy to give you a quote for the work.
Loft Insulation and Draught-Proofing
If you’re still dragging your heels over getting extra insulation in the loft or dealing with draughty windows and doors, get onto it now before you are literally letting the money you spend on fuel escape through the windows and roof. Loft insulation is often the easiest to install, and take a look on the shelves of your local DIY store to see what sort of insulation suits you best. If you have insulation in the loft at all, you could easily save £240 a year by stopping heat escaping, and your loft insulation will therefore quickly pay for itself. Even something as simple as putting insulating strips around your windows and doors will stop draughts getting in, make your house feel warmer and allow you to turn the heating down, an these “quick-win” jobs will make a real difference to your comfort – and budget – over the winter.
Storm-Proof Your House and Garden
Storm damage is one of the most common reasons for insurance claims over the winter so spend a while looking around the house to see what might cause you problems if the weather turns bad. Get any cracked or loose roof tiles replaced or repaired, think about getting a tree surgeon in to lop or fell any large trees which might damage your home if blown down in high winds, put away all summer garden furniture and children’s toys, make sure larger items like trampolines are firmly secured, and have any cracks in render fixed or think about having the house repainted. Make sure your buildings insurance is up to scratch, especially if you live in an area which has flooded in the past. It might be worth approaching a specialist broker who can help negotiate with insurers on your behalf.
Home Security
Unfortunately the darker nights can mean a rise in opportunistic burglaries, so consider how effective your home security might be. Many local police stations will offer free home security checks where a trained professional will evaluate your current locks, lights or CCTV, point out weak spots and make recommendations for which products would be most appropriate for you. It can help to get an impartial third party in to spot the vulnerable points around your home – we can be very blind to the faults in our own property. Ramping up your home security needn’t be costly; it might be as simple as making sure your ladders and tools are safely locked away in the shed or garage, cutting back hedges or replacing light bulbs. If a more extensive review of your security recommends the installation of security lights or CCTV, make sure you shop around home security specialists and get the best price for any work recommended, without compromising on quality of course.
Chimney Sweeping and Maintenance
If you have a coal or solid fuel fire, autumn is the time to get the chimney swept to avoid any fires or smoke coming back into the house when you start to use the fire again when the weather turns cold. When you’re up on the roof checking out your slates and tiles have a look at the chimney too; one of the most common causes of damage to your house is chimney stacks becoming unstable and falling down. Repairing a chimney is always going to be cheaper than dealing with the damage caused by one which has collapsed, but the cost for this sort of work will vary enormously depending on the type of roof. A chimney accessed from an easy to reach flat roof or on a single storey building is going to cost less to repair than a chimney on the top of a three storey townhouse where scaffolding has to be built to reach the roof. Get quotes from at least three local, experienced roofing contractors to help you ensure you are getting the right price for the work.
