Seasonal maintenance

Most expensive household failures were preventable, and the preventive tasks are few enough to list.

Autumn

The most important season for maintenance, since it prepares for the conditions that cause damage.

Clear gutters and downpipes, which is the single most consequential task on this list.

Blocked gutters cause water to run down walls, which causes penetrating damp, and are among the most common causes of avoidable building damage.

Check the roof from the ground with binoculars for slipped or missing tiles, and check flashing around chimneys and junctions.

Clear drains and gullies at ground level.

Service the heating system before it is needed, and bleed radiators.

Gas appliances should be serviced annually by a qualified person, which is a legal requirement for landlords in many jurisdictions and sensible for everyone.

Check and test carbon monoxide and smoke alarms, and replace batteries.

Insulate exposed pipes in lofts, garages and outbuildings.

Draught-proof, as discussed elsewhere on this site.

Cut back vegetation touching the building.

Winter

Mostly monitoring.

Check for damp and condensation, which appear now if they are going to.

Keep heating at a minimum level even when away, to prevent freezing.

Know how to isolate the water supply, and drain the system if leaving a property empty for an extended period in freezing conditions.

Check the loft after heavy weather for signs of leaks.

Clear snow from flat roofs where it accumulates significantly.

Spring

Inspection and repair after the winter.

Inspect external walls for cracks, damaged render and failed pointing.

Check window and door frames for rot, failed seals and paint failure.

Repaint or treat external timber before summer.

Check the roof again for winter damage.

Service and clean garden equipment.

Check fences, gates and outbuildings.

Clean the exterior of windows and any accumulated growth on paths, which becomes a slip hazard.

Summer

The season for the larger jobs, since the weather permits them.

External decorating.

Any work requiring dry conditions.

Checking and cleaning ventilation — extractor fans, air bricks, trickle vents.

Servicing air conditioning where fitted.

And clearing the loft, which is a summer task by necessity.

Annual regardless of season

Items with a yearly cycle.

Boiler and gas appliance service.

Chimney sweeping where solid fuel or wood is burned, which is both an efficiency and a fire safety matter.

Testing residual current devices at the consumer unit using the test button.

Checking the loft for pest activity.

Reviewing insurance cover against current rebuilding cost, which has risen substantially and where under-insurance is common.

And checking the condition of appliance hoses and seals.

Every few years

Longer cycles worth diarising.

Electrical installation condition report, at intervals depending on property type and tenure.

Repointing, redecorating externally, and reroofing as required by condition rather than by schedule.

Descaling and servicing water systems.

And a general condition survey for an older property, which identifies what is developing before it becomes urgent.

Keeping a record

The practice that makes this manageable.

A simple log of what was done and when, with any receipts and certificates.

This makes it obvious what is due, provides evidence for insurance and for sale, and means a new occupant or a professional can understand the property's history.

Photographs of anything hidden — pipe runs, cable routes, what is behind a wall — taken during any work, are disproportionately useful years later.

The annual checks that prevent expensive failures

A short list, each of which addresses a problem that is cheap now and expensive later.

Gutters and downpipes cleared, since overflowing gutters saturate walls and cause damp that is diagnosed as something else for years.

Roof inspected from the ground with binoculars for slipped or missing tiles.

External timber checked for failed paint, since water entering a joint rots a frame from inside.

Pointing checked for eroded mortar.

Drains and gullies cleared of debris.

Flat roofs and their edges inspected.

Boiler serviced, which most warranties require anyway.

Alarms tested and batteries replaced.

And any external tap isolated and drained before the first frost, which is among the most common and most avoidable winter failures.

General information only, not professional advice. Gas, electrical and roof work should be carried out by qualified professionals, and working at height is a significant cause of serious injury.