Seasonal house-maintenance

As analogies go, comparing houses to teeth may not make much sense but think about it... You brush your teeth twice a day to keep them looking nice and toprevent decay that would involve costly – and sometimes painful – work.

Your property needs just as much maintenance to keep it in tip-top form. Without it, the repair bills could dwarf any dentists bills that even an A-list celebrity could run up. So, do a little maintenance each weekend and:

a) You won't notice the extent of the work so much
b) Your property will look and feel better for it; you will maximise its value and
c) Either you will notice any niggling problems before they develop into something major or you may even prevent them altogether.

Some chores need doing regularly, particularly in winter. Others should be looked at annually.

Here's a quick guide to what you can and should be doing regularly yourself.

Monthly

Scrub up your frontage!

That means outside of windows, clearing leaves, moss and any other debris (especially important in the autumn and winter or in damp weather).

Check your alarms:

Make sure the batteries are working in any smoke or carbon monoxide alarms you have.

Set aside one day a month:

Make one Sunday every month house Sunday and set time aside to do all those niggling chores, whether that means mowing the lawn, weeding, planting or painting.

Spring

Moss & mildew:

OK, you've hibernated for the best part of six months. Spring is here and it's time to get scrubbing. Invest in a wire brush from your local ironmongers and scrub off any moss or mildew from your brick and stonework.

Your property will breathe better as a result because you're removing something that absorbs damp and keeps it right against your home. Moss may look rustic and charming but your home is better off without it.

While you're at it, remove any moss from pathways and you won't need to tread so carefully up to the front door again.

Kitchen:

Clean the filter in the cooker hood (a totally nasty job but one your kitchen needs). Also, check around the washing machine and dishwasher areas for leaks.

Bathroom:

When you do your spring cleaning, have a look at the seals around the side of the bath, washbasin and the floor and walls of the shower.

If you can see any gaps or discolouration around the seal, go and buy some silicon sealant from any DIY shop and reseal all edges. The last thing you want is for water to get behind your appliances and cause damage you can't see.

Autumn

Set aside an entire weekend and make sure you get house-wise.

Heating:

Bleed all your radiators and check for leaks. Get the boiler serviced and make sure the flu is clear. If you have a gas fire, then make sure that gets the once over at the same time.

Gutters:

Clear drainpipes and guttering. If they get blocked up with old leaves and other debris, water cannot drain away and can leak back into the property.

Roofs:

Check your roof space for any tell-tale damp signs. Have a look for any loose, wonky or missing tiles. If there is any damp or any tile out of place, make sure you get a roofing contractor in BEFORE the winter. From wet and windy October through to freezing February, roofers are at their busiest fixing problems, so get in there early and make sure you have nothing to worry about.

If you have a chimney, get it serviced.

Windows & wood:

Check the external paintwork. If you still have wooden window frames check them for rot. It is usually easy to spot but if you're not sure, try digging your thumbnail into the wood, if it can make a dent in the woodwork, you've got rot and need to give your windows some TLC.

Pointing:

Check your pointing (that's the cement between the bricks). Surveyors often advise home-buyers to repoint parts of their property when they purchase. That involves scraping out all the old pointing and refilling those spaces. This is important because if the pointing has begun crumbling or wearing away, then your property is susceptible to damp.