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things to check on every year in your house

As a homeowner or a landlord, there are a few things that you need to be on top of when it comes to your property. You already check everything within the home, but there are five exterior maintenance items that you need to do every year. 

It doesn’t matter how old your home is because even new houses can suffer from weathering, and the more severe the weather conditions in the area, the more likely it is you’ll have some damage or wear to the outside of your home. 

 

Brickwork

The first check is the easiest to perform, as you only need to check the brickwork immediately on the ground. You are looking for signs of mold and mildew, small cracks, or the wearing of the materials. 

If you have any inside cracks or areas of damp, that is a good indicator that the outside bricks might need to be repointed. New homes tend to settle over several years, and only then can any foundation issues become apparent - usually from cracks on interior and exterior walls. 

Lawns and Hedges

The back and front yard can look great, but you might find pooling water, pests, or bald patches on closer inspection. 

 

If you notice pooling water, depending on where this is, it might be no problem. If it is close to the house, touching the brickwork, you might have issues with your gutters and downpipe. Pooling water can cause damage to the foundations by seeping into cracks. 

 

In general, you need to mow your lawn, reseed bald patches, and trim back hedges. Most often, a small job is regularly maintained. 

If you want to change up the garden, this post has plenty of tips for you: Ways to Upgrade Your Backyard And Make It More Fun and Attractive

Roofing

Your roofing needs to be replaced between 10-75+ years based on the material you have on the roof. Something worth keeping in mind is that even a new roof is subject to damage. 

If you have been in the home for over ten years and never had the roof checked, now is the time to contact local roof contractors to check it out and make any repairs. 

Guttering and Downpipe

Your gutters are designed to control how the water moves after and during rainfall. It directs the water to the drainage system and prevents water pooling, the roof, and the walls. If the gutters are overflowing, they aren’t able to do their job correctly.

 

If trees surround you, you are even more likely to have gutters filled with leaves, bird nests, and other debris. Gutters need to be maintained every six months at a minimum. 

Decking

Does your house have a beautiful deck surrounding the exterior? They add so much value to a home but certainly, need maintenance. Over the winter months, decks can take a lot of damage. If you haven’t hit the winter months, then you can take some time to add a layer of sealant to the deck. As you do the inspection, you are looking for cracks or warping in the wood. 

Decks can usually be scrubbed easily with a broom and some hot water, but you will need to treat them against wood rot and algae. 

Those five simple exterior checks on your home can stop you from getting a large repair bill later down the line or damage to the property.