5 Jobs to Get Your Home Ready for Winter

September is a useful month for your home. Summer isn’t quite over, the really wet weather hasn’t arrived yet, and there’s still time to tackle those jobs that become much harder once winter sets in.

It’s also the perfect time to think ahead. If you want your garden, patio or decking ready to enjoy next summer, now is the time to start planning.

Here are five jobs worth putting on the list.

1. Check your roof

Your roof is your home’s first line of defence against winter weather, so don’t wait until there’s water coming through the ceiling to give it some attention.

Look out for slipped, cracked or missing tiles, damaged flashing around chimneys, deteriorating mortar and anything that simply doesn’t look quite right.

It’s also worth checking inside the loft for damp patches, staining or signs of water ingress.

A small roof repair now can prevent a much bigger problem once the heavy rain, wind and freezing temperatures arrive.

2. Check gutters, drainage and exterior repairs

Once the leaves start falling, gutters can fill surprisingly quickly. Blocked or damaged guttering can cause water to overflow onto brickwork, render and windows, so make sure gutters, downpipes and drains are clear and working properly.

While you’re outside, take a look at the rest of the property too.

Cracked render, deteriorating pointing, damaged exterior paintwork and tired timber windows are all worth dealing with before winter.

We regularly repair existing timber windows and exterior joinery using specialist repair systems before preparing and repainting them. Repairing rather than replacing can often extend the life of the original timber considerably.

3. Get the garden winter-ready

Autumn is a great time to tackle landscaping.

Lawns can be repaired, beds reshaped, planting areas prepared and retaining walls or stonework repaired before winter weather makes existing problems worse.

It’s also a good opportunity to look at drainage. If parts of your garden become boggy, water collects against the house or your patio struggles after heavy rain, now is the time to address it.

A bit of work in autumn can make a huge difference to how the garden comes back next spring.

4. Plan next summer’s patio or decking now

Want a new patio or decking ready for next summer? Don’t wait until the first sunny weekend in April to start thinking about it.

Autumn and winter are ideal for planning outdoor projects properly.

You can consider layout, materials, levels, drainage and how you actually want to use the space. Whether it’s porcelain paving, natural stone, hardwood, softwood or composite decking, planning ahead means you have time to make the right choices.

It also means the work can be scheduled ahead of the inevitable spring rush.

Do the planning now, then enjoy it when summer arrives.

5. Sort the jobs you’ve been putting off indoors

As we start spending more time inside, attention naturally turns back to the house.

Now is a good time to repair tired plaster, redecorate living spaces, refresh woodwork, tackle damaged walls or finally get that room finished before Christmas.

It doesn’t necessarily need to be a huge renovation. Sometimes a freshly decorated room, repaired windows or some new bespoke storage can completely change how a home feels.

Get ahead of winter

A little maintenance now can prevent much bigger problems later.

Whether it’s roofing repairs, exterior maintenance, landscaping, a new patio or decking, or getting the inside of the house sorted, autumn is one of the best times to get things moving.

Stagbrook can take care of the lot, with one team and one point of contact.

Based in Sevenoaks and working across the surrounding areas, we help homeowners maintain, improve and make more of their homes throughout the year.