Home care & seasonal
The house paperwork system that survives a move
The drawer of paperwork is not a personality flaw. It is a missing system. One folder — physical or digital — with the right certificates and dated invoices is worth more at sale, claim or repair time than any amount of “I know it is here somewhere.”
By the Tickover team · Published 20 March 2026 · 2 min read
What is actually worth keeping
| Document | Why it matters | Typical life |
|---|---|---|
| Boiler install + service records | Warranty, safety, resale | Life of boiler |
| Gas safety / CP12 (if rented) | Legal for landlords | Annual cycle |
| EICR | Electrical condition | Often 5–10 years |
| EPC | Sale, let, retrofit planning | 10 years |
| FENSA / certs for windows | Building regs proof | Keep indefinitely |
| Roof, damp, structural reports | Claims and buyers | Keep indefinitely |
| Appliance manuals + receipts | Repair or replace decisions | Life of appliance |
| Insurance policy schedule | Claims | Current year + prior |
Landlords have sharper duties: EICR timing and codes and gas safety sit in the legal pile, not the optional one. Owner-occupiers still benefit — buyers and insurers ask the same questions.
Build the house file in an hour
Pick one home
A single concertina file, or one cloud folder named with the address — not five apps and a kitchen drawer.
Make seven tabs
Gas & heating, Electrics, Building works, Appliances, Insurance, Guarantees, Other.
Photograph paper as you go
Phone scans beat fading thermal receipts. Date the filename.
Log the boiler
Make, model, install year, last service — on a sticky note at the front if nothing else.
Bin the noise
Old energy ads, duplicate manuals, expired quotes. Keep proof of works and safety, not junk mail.
Pair the file with the first-week new-home list when you move in, and with the year calendar so service certificates land in the right tab every summer.
Scan once, find forever
Tickover’s free document tools pull key fields from EPCs, warranties and invoices into a property record — so the drawer becomes structured data, not archaeology.
Quick answers
What home documents should I keep?
Safety and compliance certificates (gas, electrical, EPC), proof of building works and guarantees (windows, roof, extensions), boiler install and service records, insurance schedules, and receipts for major appliances. Keep them for the life of the installation or until you sell, whichever is longer for guarantees.
How long should I keep boiler service records?
For the life of the boiler. Warranties often require evidence of annual service by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and buyers routinely ask for history. A simple log of dates plus PDFs or photos of certificates is enough.
This guide is general information for UK homes, not advice about your specific property. Anything involving gas must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and notifiable electrical work by a qualified electrician. If you smell gas, call the National Gas Emergency line on 0800 111 999. If you’re ever unsure, stop and get a professional in — that’s exactly what Tickover is for.
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