Every month: ten minutes that saves hundreds
Most expensive repairs we are called out to started as something small and quiet. A monthly walk around your home catches nearly all of them.
- Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
- Look under sinks and behind the toilet for damp patches
- Check the outside gullies and drains are running clear
- Run the shower and watch for slow drainage or lifting silicone
- Open the loft hatch and look for daylight, damp or pests
- Check gates, fence posts and shed doors still shut properly
Seasonal jobs that matter in the West Midlands
The region gets wet, windy autumns and hard frosts inland. Gutters and roof edges take the worst of it, especially on older properties with cast iron or shallow-fall guttering.
- Spring — inspect ridge tiles and flashing after winter storms
- Summer — treat fences and sheds, cut back overgrowth from walls
- Autumn — clear gutters and downpipes before the leaf fall finishes
- Winter — lag exposed pipes, keep paths clear, check heating early
Once a year
- Boiler service by a Gas Safe engineer
- Electrical safety check by a qualified electrician
- Chimney sweep if you use an open fire or burner
- Reseal baths, showers and kitchen worktops
- Repaint or touch up exterior woodwork and render cracks
Where a handyman fits in
Plenty of this list is DIY-friendly. The jobs people usually hand over are the ones needing ladders, tools or time: gutter clearing, fence repairs, resealing bathrooms, door adjustments, shelf and TV mounting, and clearing the garden or garage that has got away from you.
We cover Birmingham and the wider West Midlands, including Dudley, Halesowen, Stourbridge, Wolverhampton, Oldbury, Cradley Heath and Solihull.
Useful next steps: see typical prices, check we cover your area or use our full maintenance checklist.