Maintenance tasks: avoiding more serious problems

When you buy a home, it can be exciting with all the possibilities that are open to you: do you simply repaint? Or should you try putting up wallpaper maybe as a solo feature wall? Perhaps you could try the techniques on television makeover shows to add that extra pizazz to a room? Maybe you should install a small chandelier or some wall lights to set the room off nicely?

Whether you are handy with the decorating and the complex tasks that some of that involves, there is one sure question that every homeowner will need to answer at some point while they are living in the property: what to do about maintenance? And the supplementary question: what maintenance tasks need to be managed to prevent an issue becoming a major - and expensive - problem.

Some of the tasks are seasonal, such as clearing blocked and overflowing gutters. Others are simple and regular checks, like verifying that washers on the plumbing are still functioning without drips.
Such tasks done regularly should only take minutes to manage. But the problems that they cause if left unchecked can be time-consuming and expensive to fix.

For example, if gutters aren't cleared of leaves and other detritus, when it rains, there will be an overflow, with water pouring down the walls. Depending on the construction materials, water can seep through to the internal walls, leaving staining and a source for mould to grow - itself being a considerable health risk for those living there. For the sake of a few minutes clearing drainpipes and gutters, it could lead to the need to replace plaster and the cost of redecoration and replacement furniture, carpets, rugs and keepsakes that might have been ruined.

Managing washers is a simple and quick task. Are the taps dripping? Is there evidence of water on any piping, particularly any seepage at joints and unions? And don't forget to check the connections to water for dishwashers, toilet cisterns and washing machines. Can the water be easily isolated and switched off? If not, then this needs to be looked at (ideally by a plumber or someone with the requisite skills) since these are usually located in hidden places like the back of cupboards.

Even small drips or dribbles can build up quickly to cause problems in flooring, lifting tiles, soaking carpets and rugs, and buckling wooden flooring and laminates. Water will always find the path of least resistance and it is the singular cause of significant damage if left unchecked.

Pipes themselves are often forgotten, too, since they are often out of sight and therefore not at the forefront of the mind. Is the lagging on the otherwise exposed pipework sufficient to protect it from freezing in the colder months? Water is the stuff of life but it can be feckless when it comes to your home - in freezing temperatures, water expands when it solidifies, which, in the confines of the copper pipes means that cracks might form which you won't notice until it thaws. At which point, a trickle may quickly turn into a flood.

And can the mains stopcock be easily turned off? In the event of issues with the water supply within the property that can't be managed by local isolation, you'll want to know that you can turn the water supply off easily until the problem has been fixed. Without it, you may find faults become overwhelming.

You should also check the seals and effectiveness of the doors and windows. Can you feel a draught? Can you define its source? Sometimes the problem will be that the seals have started to perish and need replacement, or it could be indicative of something more serious, such as subsidence, which is likely to be accompanied by cracks in the structure (often leading to the corners of doors and windows). If the window or door that used to open freely now seems to get stuck, you will want to get it checked out by an expert.

If the windows and doors are constructed from wood and they are now sticking where they once moved freely, you'll need to check for evidence that water hasn't got into wood, which expands the fibres to create the problem. Make sure that all external wooden windows and doors are regularly checked to ensure the paint or treatment is still effective, touching up and redoing it completely dependent on the severity of any problems identified.

This might feel like a lot of work - it really isn't if you keep an eye on things throughout the year and jump on issues as they arise; without that maintenance activity, the problems are likely to turn into something time-consuming and, more importantly, costly.

Concerned about some issues in a home that you are looking at buying? Is it looking tired and uncared-for?

You'll want to get a professional assessment of any existing problems and what the remedial effort and cost will be. 

At Surveyor Local, we only work with chartered surveyors who are members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, ensuring the survey you get is always professionally delivered.

They will work hard to identify all kinds of problems, including the impact of prior flooding on the structure of the property.

Where a survey does reveal any issues with a property, the buyer is then armed with knowledge that can allow them either to renegotiate the price, have the seller carry out the repairs or pull out of the purchase altogether.

That's where it is really worth contacting Surveyor Local

Call  to get your no-obligation survey quote started, or to discuss your concerns with the acquisition of your planned property.

Or you can get a quick quote, using Surveyor Local's easy-to-use quote generator. Simply input your name, postcode, email address, phone number and an approximate value of the property (usually the agreed price), and we'll give you an instant quote for the work (with an email copy). 

We'll do the rest once you confirm your acceptance of the quote.