Home maintenance calendar
Most of what a surveyor finds started as a job nobody did. Filter by season and property type and get the list that actually applies to your house.
Last updated July 2026 · built by working UK builders
The six jobs that matter most
If you do nothing else, do these. Between them they prevent the majority of what turns up on a survey five years later.
- Clear the gutters twice a year. Spring and late November, after the leaves are down.
- Keep ground levels 150mm below the damp-proof course. Decking, gravel and raised beds creep up over the years.
- Look in the loft on a bright day, once a year. Ten minutes, and it tells you almost everything about the roof.
- Service the boiler annually. It keeps the warranty valid and it stops February emergencies.
- Ventilate. Extractors ducted outside, trickle vents open, washing not dried on radiators.
- Deal with small roof defects immediately. One slipped tile is £150. The ceiling below is £1,500.
Why period houses need different maintenance
A pre-1919 solid wall works by absorbing moisture and letting it evaporate again. It has no cavity and no membrane — the evaporation is the damp-proofing. Wrap it in cement render, cement pointing and modern plastic paint and the moisture cannot get out, so it goes inwards instead.
That is why lime mortar, lime plaster and breathable paints matter on old buildings, and why so much "damp proofing" on period houses makes things worse. If you own a solid-walled house, the most valuable maintenance decision you make is choosing materials that breathe.
What to keep in a folder
- Boiler service records and the Gas Safe certificate
- The EICR and any electrical installation certificates
- Building control completion certificates for every alteration
- FENSA or CERTASS certificates for windows
- Guarantees for damp, timber, roofing or structural work — check they are transferable
- Photographs of anything you are monitoring, dated
This folder is worth real money when you sell. Buyers' solicitors ask for all of it, and the difference between having it and not is a smooth sale versus a fortnight of enquiries and an indemnity policy.
Frequently asked questions
What home maintenance should I do every year?
Clear the gutters twice — spring and late autumn. Service the boiler. Test the alarms and the RCD. Look in the loft on a bright day. Check the pointing and the ground levels around the damp-proof course. Those six jobs prevent most of what surveyors find.
How much should I budget for home maintenance?
The usual guidance is 1% of the property value a year, which is high for a modern house and about right for anything pre-war. A more useful way to think about it is that gutters, a boiler service and a sweep cost a few hundred pounds a year, and skipping them costs thousands eventually.
What is the most important maintenance job?
Clearing the gutters. It costs nothing, takes an hour, and prevents more damp, more rot and more spoiled decoration than every other job combined. Water running down a wall for three winters causes damage that no amount of internal treatment will fix.
Is a period house more expensive to maintain?
Yes, and it also needs different maintenance. Solid walls need lime mortar and breathable finishes; cement pointing and plastic paint cause the damp they are sold to prevent. Sub-floor ventilation, sash windows and chimneys all need attention that a 1990s house simply does not.
When should I call someone rather than doing it myself?
Anything at height beyond a stepladder, anything involving gas, anything involving the consumer unit, and anything structural. Ladder falls are the most common serious accident in home maintenance, and a roofer with a tower costs far less than an ambulance.