Keeping your property well maintained is essential to reducing nasty maintenance surprises when something goes wrong.  Often simple checks a couple of times a year will pay dividends in terms of saving money on repairing problems after they have been left to get worse.

Here are a few checks we recommend every property owner should do at least a couple of times a year.

Checking the outside of your property

Most of the checks can be done at ground level but a ladder may be helpful to thoroughly check your property

	The Roof – Stand back from your property and take a good look at the roof. If you have a pair of binoculars it may help.  Check that all the tiles are in place and that none have slipped.  Look at any metal flashing to make sure its in good order and not lifting up.
	TV Aerials & Satellite dishes – Check that they are secure.  Check that the cables are secure and in good order.  If cables need replacing its well worth replacing with the better quality digital cables available.  We found that we got an extra 2 bars on the signal strength on both our sky box and free view media centre by upgrading the cable.
	Gutters – If you have a long ladder this will certainly help you to do a more thorough check.  Make sure the gutters are free of leaks and leaves. Leaking gutters can be a cause of damp.  Check that the drain pipes and gutters look well secured and not coming away from their fixings or sagging.
	Facia’s and soffits – if they are made from wood have a look at the paint or stain to make sure they do not need repainting.  Make sure there are no holes or rot in the boards as this will enable birds or wasps to make a nest in your loft.  Modern plastic gutters, facia and soffits generally need less maintenance.
	Windows and Doors – Check for rot in wooden windows and that they don’t need painting or staining.  Make sure they all close securely and open properly.
	Air Bricks & Vents – Getting proper ventilation to suspended floors (on older houses) is very important to reduce the risk of damp and rotting timbers.  Make sure airbricks are clear and nothing is blocking them of restricting the amount of air that can circulate
	Damp courses – make sure that nothing is bridging across the bricks beneath the damp proof course and the bricks above.  This is a simple method to preventing damp and all sorts of other problems.
	Gates and fences – Check that the gates and fences are secure.  A couple of extra nails to secure a fence could stop it collapsing during the next storm
	Sheds – check the woodwork is in good order and the paint is OK
	Overflow pipes – check that no water is dripping from overflow pipes.  If you are on a water meter it could be costing you money as well as wasting water.