12 things to look out for and maintain when doing your own home survey – give your home a health check now to avoid added expense later on
Many of us only think about giving our home a health check if we’re putting it on the market, but doing this once or twice a year can help spot any potential problems before they start, saving you time, hassle and money in the long run. Now is the perfect month to give your home a 10-minute MOT, looking at specific areas before the winter sets in. From guttering and the roof to leaky pipes and the boiler, here’s how to catch any issues at an early stage, making it more pleasant to live in, cheaper to run and even increasing its value at the same time.
GET THE BOILER SERVICED
If you don’t have an annual reminder or have it written on the calendar, check your household paperwork to see when you last had the boiler serviced. It should be done once a year to ensure it runs effectively and efficiently and many boiler warranties are invalid if you don’t. Now is the perfect time to book this in if it’s not been serviced already, as heating engineers get really busy and booked up during the winter, so get this sorted while it’s still a little quieter. It also means it’s less likely to break down when you really need it most, and it will keep your energy bills as low as possible. This must be done only by a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer.
CHECK SOFFITS, FASCIAS AND GUTTERING
Start your home’s MOT by stepping outside and looking up at your soffits, fascias and guttering from all angles – front, back and sides. Use binoculars if you need to and see if there’s peeling or flaking paint on wooden fascias and soffits, any holes or gaps in the fascias, soffits and guttering, leaks from a recent downpour or if the gutters are full of leaves and moss. Wet or dry rot, cracking and warping can all occur as a result of prolonged exposure to the elements while cracks or gaps in vinyl soffits and fascias can be a result of temperature variations and, if left untreated, these can cause water damage and damp inside the property as well as damage to the roof rafters and joists, which could then mean a new roof – a huge
