The 4 summer maintenance tasks that could save you

As a rough rule of thumb, the cost of maintaining a home for one year is equivalent to 1% of its market value.

With a current average UK house price of £285,009, this is an annual upkeep bill of £2,850.

To avoid having to fork out more than this, or maybe even spend less, regular home maintenance is a must, if only because catching problems early stops them getting out of control both in terms of severity and cost.

But where exactly should you be focusing your spend this summer?

Roof maintenance
Roofs can be a thorn in the homeowner’s side. When things go wrong up there, it can be costly and highly inconvenient to fix. That’s why carrying out an annual roof checkup is always money well spent.

If roof maintenance issues are spotted early, they can be more easily addressed at far less expense. Instead of having to shell out thousands for a major repair, you can expect to pay around £150 for a minor repair, and £200 to replace a small number of tiles.

Get the job done while the weather is on your side.

Boiler service
It’s easy to forget about the boiler during summer, but there is no better time to have it serviced. Demand for boiler engineers is lower during the warm months, and getting it serviced now will mitigate the risk of it breaking down during the cold of winter.

Be sure to use a fully certified engineer to service your boiler, for which you can expect to pay around £80. Far cheaper than fixing your boiler when it goes bust, which can cost an average of £300, not to mention the cost required when having to replace your boiler altogether.

Mould and damp
Most mould and damp issues start to reveal themselves in spring and summer, following the wet and cold of winter.

Action needs to be taken at the first sign of mould or water damage. Left unattended, it can be catastrophic and with the bill for basic mould removal coming to around £225, it’s far better to sort it before it gets out of hand.

Exterior care
The outside of the home needs just as much care as the inside. First you want to check for any damage winter has inflicted to the brickwork and rendering. If not addressed, damage could let rainwater into the home and cause significant water damage.

A simple patch repair to the brickwork should cost about £210.

Head of eXp UK, Adam Day, commented:

“Keeping the home in a good condition doesn’t only make for a more enjoyable homelife, but it also helps to maximise and maintain its market value.

Dodgy roofs and rampant damp or mould can knock thousands off an asking price and give buyers the upper-hand when it comes to negotiations, if it doesn’t deter them in the first place.

There’s no worse time than winter to experience a serious maintenance issue, so there’s no better time than summer to carry out your checks and get on top of any potential issues before they arise.”