The short answer
find your stopcock, fuse box and boiler manual in week one. After that, a home mostly needs a little attention each season: heating in autumn, gutters in winter, a look round outside in spring, and sealant and paintwork in summer.
When you rent, a problem is a phone call to someone else. When you own, it's yours. That's less daunting than it sounds once you know what to look for.
Week one: five things to find.
- The stopcock. It turns off the water to the whole house. Usually under the kitchen sink, sometimes under the stairs or in a downstairs toilet. Check it turns.
- The fuse box (consumer unit). Know where it is and how to reset a tripped switch.
- The gas meter and its shut-off lever.
- The boiler manual and its service history. If there's no record of a service in the last year, book one.
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Test them. Fit them if they're missing.
It's also worth changing the locks if you don't know who has keys.
Your first autumn.
- Run the heating before you need it.
- Bleed any radiators that are cold at the top. See How to bleed a radiator.
- Check the boiler pressure. See Boiler pressure dropping?
- Clear gutters once the leaves are down.
Our winter checklist has the full list.
Your first winter.
- Notice where condensation forms. It tells you which rooms need more ventilation. See Condensation, damp or mould.
- Look at ceilings and outside walls after heavy rain.
- Keep the heating on low if you go away. See Frozen pipes.
Your first spring.
- Walk round the outside. Look at the roof from the ground, the pointing, the gutters and the paintwork on any timber.
- Check fences and gates after winter winds.
- Clear drains and gullies.
Your first summer.
- Renew cracked or mouldy sealant round baths, showers and sinks.
- Sort sticking doors and windows.
- Paint or treat outside woodwork while it's dry.
The small jobs worth staying on top of.
Most home problems start small. These are the ones people put off:
- A dripping tap. See How to fix a dripping tap.
- Cracked sealant and grout.
- A gutter that overflows in heavy rain.
- A slipped slate.
- A socket or switch that's loose or crackles. Stop using it and have it checked.
Keep a house folder.
One place, paper or digital, for the boiler service record, any certificates, appliance manuals, paint colours, and who did what and when. You'll be glad of it when something goes wrong, and again when you sell.
What to do yourself and what to leave.
Fine to do yourself: bleeding radiators, changing a tap washer, resealing a bath, clearing a ground-level drain.
Leave to a qualified person: anything involving gas (Gas Safe registered engineers only), most electrical work, and anything at height.
When to call FixAble.
Finding a different tradesperson for every job is the part most new homeowners don't expect. A FixAble subscription gives you one team for plumbing, heating, electrical and general repairs. Labour is included, with up to £250 of materials on every job, and your price is set before anything goes wrong.
Plans start at £19.99 a month. Your first repair request can be made 14 days after you join. FixAble works across Greater Manchester and surrounding areas, within 30 miles of Ancoats.
