When you buy a home you may be keen to jump in and start making it your own, but it’s important to consider any repairs and maintenance tasks which may need your attention first. It’s wise to employ a surveyor to identify any issues with water and drainage systems, structural elements or the electrics before you commit to buying any property. Some tasks are relatively simple to do yourself with a little research, but others are best left to the professionals. Here are three maintenance tasks to consider and how best to approach them:
Check your systems
Water damage can be expensive to repair, so it’s well worth ensuring your new home is waterproof outside and in. Check the guttering is unblocked and that there are no leaks in the roof or drips coming through into the attic or walls.
Blocked or slow drains can soon become a disastrous, smelly problem. Check your toilets, baths, showers and sinks to make sure they are draining properly and don’t have any stagnant water smells coming from them. Slow-draining pipes may be helped by an unblocking chemical, commonly found in most supermarkets. But if this doesn’t shift it, you may need to call in a professional.
Mould on the walls can signal a damp problem or leaks in the pipes in the roof. Run the water and check for leaks or any water pooling on the floor around the shower or under the sink. You can regrout bathroom tiles yourself if it is mouldy or patchy.
Bleed your radiators to ensure your heating is effective, especially if it hasn’t been used for a while. Check the boiler to ensure the thermostat is working properly and the unit is no more than eight years old as it may need to be replaced.
Repairs
You can fix draughty windows by replacing the weatherstripping yourself, but if you want to replace any windows or external doors you’ll need to hire a professional. Fill in old nail holes with interior filler and sand them flat before you paint or apply the new wallpaper. Sticky doors that are difficult to shut are usually caused by wood swelling due to excess moisture in the air. You can fix them by sanding the swollen edge and repainting them, but make sure to investigate the surrounding rooms for any damp areas on the floor, ceiling or walls.
Flooring
Old carpets can harbour bacteria, dust mites, fleas and pet hair. It’s worth budgeting to replace the carpets in your new home or fit new flooring to ensure you don’t have any nasty surprises. Whilst you can do this yourself, it’s worth paying the professionals to fit any new flooring for you as it can be frustrating and difficult to achieve a high standard if you aren’t experienced. Many companies will also take the old flooring or carpets away and properly dispose of them for you. Wood or tile flooring may just need a deep clean, or if the carpets are relatively new, you may get away with simply hiring a professional carpet cleaner.
You can probably do most painting tasks yourself, although it may pay to hire a professional if you need to paint a large area or multiple rooms quickly. Wallpaper can be especially difficult to remove, so either gather a team of family and friends to help or hire someone!
However you choose to fix up your new house, remember to keep on top of repairs and maintenance tasks regularly to avoid problems. Above all, have fun creating your unique style and indulging your inner interior designer!
How Quick Clear Drainage Can help
It’s also important to understand the condition of your house before undertaking any home improvements. If you want to fully understand the condition of your drains, you should arrange for a homebuyers CCTV Drain Survey If you live in London, the chances of having blocked drain issues can be quite high due to the antiquated sewerage that a large portion of homes in London has to deal with. Give us a call if you have any questions!