Home care & seasonal
The spring home checklist: fix what winter broke
Spring is when the house shows you the bill for winter. A calm outside walk-round in March, with binoculars and a notebook, turns “something looks off” into a short list of bookings while trades still have diary space.
By the Tickover team · Published 6 July 2026 · 2 min read
The outside audit
One dry Saturday morning
Walk every elevation
Look for cracks, blown pointing, stained brickwork and peeling paint under eaves.
Scan the roof from the ground
Slipped or missing tiles, sagging gutters, lifted flashings. Tile guide if something is off.
Check fences and gates
Wobble posts, rotten gravel boards, panels that only survived by leaning on the neighbour.
Clear winter debris
Gutters, gullies, airbricks and paths. Moss on steps is a fall waiting for wet weather.
Note damp clues
Tide marks, musty sheds, green north walls — then diagnose properly, not with a free “survey” that sells injections.
Book in spring, do in summer
- Roof and gutter repairs while the weather is kind
- Exterior painting and timber treatment
- Boiler service in the quiet months
- Fence repairs before the next named storm
- Any scaffolding jobs you have been postponing
Fence triage has its own repair-or-replace guide. Gutters that clogged all winter need the cleaning guide. Inside, open windows on dry days, check under sinks, and listen for extractors that no longer pull.
Want a professional on it?
Find someone lists local trades Tickover has scored. You skip the review-hunting and contact them yourself.
Quick answers
What should I check on my house every spring?
The roof and gutters from the ground, fences and gates, pointing and cracks, airbricks and drains, and any damp stains that appeared over winter. Inside: under sinks, extractors, and whether the boiler still has a recent service record before summer bookings fill up.
Why book roofers in spring?
Roofers are busiest after storms and in autumn leaf season. Spring bookings are more likely to land before summer holidays, and dry weather makes the work faster and safer. Small slipped-tile jobs left until autumn often become ceiling stains.
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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