Regular inspection of your home can save you money. Lots of money. Most people have their Cars serviced regularly to prevent breakdowns, but forget that things can go wrong in their home too.

Simply walk around the outside first. Climb up and look in the gutters, look at the roof. Is there anything there that shouldn’t be there? Cracked roof tiles? Missing Metal roof screws?  TV aerial guy-wires missing or sagging? Anything that doesn’t look right could be worth investigating.

Now walk around the exterior walls, are plants or Mulch up against the walls? Any signs of mould or damp?  Any signs of Termites (White Ants)? How is the paint holding up? Any cracks in the brickwork or cladding? Any cracks in concrete paths? Is the ground extra wet in one spot? Don’t forget to check the shed or other out-buildings and your fence. If your home is built on stumps you must crawl under and have a good look for anything that could be a problem. Water leaks quite often will show under the house first. All and anything out of the ordinary needs further investigation. I recommend an annual Termite inspection as White ants can cause huge damage if allowed to invade your home.

Now check the inside of your home. Walk around every wall and look for small piles of dirt or damp spots. Check for mould at the same time. Tap with the handle of a bigish screwdriver against the skirting boards and architraves. If one area sounds very different to another have it checked further. Small heaps of dirt could mean you have mice too! Check the Tile grouting for cracks.

Do all the Taps run well without banging noises? Do all the drains empty quickly?

Look in all your cupboards and wardrobes for anything that is out of place. Especially cupboards near a water source. Laundry, kitchens and bathrooms. Mould or rodent droppings? Sagging shelves? Look closely at walls adjoining these rooms as leaks often show up here first. Mould too can show here. Are there any bulges in the walls? Do all your doors swing freely? Are all your windows sliding freely? Any water getting in around windows and doors? I would even get up through the Manhole with a torch and carefully have a look around in the roof space. NOTE: Only stand on Roof beams and trusses. Do not stand on ceiling battens or the actual ceiling.  Large amounts of rodent droppings or other signs of unwanted visitors? Roof water leaks can be found if you look up here. If you have Down Lights see if the Insulation is away from them. Do your floors creak or squeak? Is there a bigger gap under one section of skirting board? Anything that is out of the ordinary. Anything you are not sure about is worth investigating.

See the Handyhint “How to maintain your home in good condition, with a Checklist” for more important information.

If your inspection finds anything you are not sure about give me a call or I can make the inspection for you. Mike the Handyman.

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