Preparing your house for winter: a maintenance checklist

Outside: keep water where it belongs

Water is the main enemy. Almost all of it can be dealt with from a ladder in an afternoon.

• Clear gutters and check downpipes run freely
• Check the ground slopes away from the house, not towards it
• Look for cracked or missing pointing on exposed walls
• Clear drains and gullies of leaves
• Check the roof line and flashings from the ground with binoculars

Timber and paintwork

Any bare or flaking timber on doors, window frames, fascias, gates and fences should be filled, primed and painted before the wet sets in. Once water gets into end grain over a winter, you are replacing timber rather than painting it.

Draughts and heat loss

Draught fixes are the cheapest way to make a house more comfortable.

• Renew failed draught seals on external doors
• Check letterbox and keyhole draught excluders
• Reseal around window frames where the sealant has split
• Insulate loft hatches and any pipework in cold spaces
• Fit or fix door thresholds that no longer meet the door

Inside: the small repairs list

Bathroom sealant that has gone black or lifted lets water into the floor, so it is worth renewing before winter. Loose handrails, sticking doors and dripping wastes all belong on the same visit, because grouping them into one half day is much better value than calling someone out three times.

Book the checklist as one handyman visit

Most of the inside and outside jobs above suit a single planned handyman visit. Send the list with photographs and the job can be priced as a half day or full day, using the rates in the handyman hourly rates guide, rather than separate call outs through the winter. Saturday mornings are available between 8am and 1pm if weekdays are difficult.

Storm damage: what to do first

After a storm, take photographs before anything is moved or repaired, make the property safe, and get temporary protection in place. Then arrange the permanent repair rather than rushing a patch that has to be redone.

Jobs to book before the first frost

Some jobs are much easier before the weather turns. Cold, wet ground makes setting fence posts harder, and once the heating is on every draught and gap becomes obvious. A short list booked in early autumn often covers several of these in one visit.

A loose or wobbly fence post is worth fixing before winter winds get to it, and the fence post replacement guide explains how. Inside, a loft hatch that is hard to reach usually means the loft never gets checked for leaks or cold spots. Fitting a ladder and an insulated hatch door through loft ladder installation makes winter checks easy and cuts draughts from the loft at the same time.

• Firm up leaning fence posts and refix loose panels
• Renew failed sealant around baths, showers and external frames
• Ease doors that stick when the air is damp
• Make the loft safe and easy to reach for winter checks

Frequently asked questions

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