What home maintenance should I do each season?

A seasonal rhythm of small jobs that prevents the expensive failures, organised by when each matters.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 2 hr
Read: 2 min

Short answer

Clear gutters and service the heating in autumn, check the roof and outside taps after winter, clean and check ventilation in spring, and check external timber and drainage in summer. The pattern matters more than the exact dates.

Most expensive home repairs begin as small problems that were visible months earlier. A seasonal check catches them while they are still cheap, and spreading the jobs across the year makes it manageable.

What you'll need

Ladder or binoculars
Torch
A calendar reminder (optional)

Step by step

Autumn: clear gutters and downpipes.Before the heavy rain. Blocked gutters put water into walls and are behind a large share of damp problems.
Autumn: service the heating and bleed radiators.Before you need it. Engineers are busiest and most expensive during the first cold snap, and a fault found in October is far less disruptive.
Autumn: check draught-proofing and insulation.Doors, windows, loft hatch, pipe lagging. The cheapest energy measures, done before the cold arrives.
Winter: check for leaks and damp after heavy weather.Ceilings, external walls, around windows. Problems show up during driving rain and are much easier to trace then.
Spring: inspect the roof and external fabric.Slipped tiles, damaged flashing, cracked render, failed pointing. Binoculars from the ground are safer than a ladder and usually sufficient.
Spring: clean and check ventilation.Extractor fans, trickle vents, air bricks. A winter of condensation shows where ventilation is inadequate.
Summer: treat external timber and check drainage.Fences, sheds, decking, window frames. Dry weather is when this work is possible and when it lasts.
Any time: test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms monthly.Press the test button. It takes ten seconds and it is the single most important recurring household check.

Tips

Put the seasonal checks in a calendar with reminders. Home maintenance fails on remembering rather than on ability.
Keep a simple record of what was done and when, plus service dates and contractor details. It is useful for warranties and when selling.
Walk around the outside of the house twice a year and look up. Most external problems are visible long before they cause damage inside.

Common mistakes

Waiting for a problem to appear — Damp, rot and roof failures develop over months. By the time they are visible inside, the repair is far more expensive.
Servicing the heating when it fails — That is the most expensive and disruptive moment. Autumn servicing costs less and avoids being without heating.
Never checking the roof — A single slipped tile lets water in for months before it shows inside, by which point timbers may have rotted.

Questions people ask

What home maintenance is most important?

Clearing gutters, servicing the heating, and testing smoke alarms. Between them they prevent the most common expensive failures and the most serious safety risk.

How often should I check my roof?

At least once a year, and after any severe storm. Binoculars from the ground are safer than a ladder and will show slipped tiles and damaged flashing.