An annual home maintenance schedule — follow it and your house stays in good shape for years

Almost every big repair bill starts as a small problem nobody noticed: a roof leaking drop by drop until the ceiling collapses, termites quietly eating for two years until they reach the door frames. Walking around the house on a schedule is the cheapest insurance

Every 6 months (before and after the rainy season)

• Clean the air conditioners — Regularly cleaned ACs clearly use less power and last longer; heavily used units need it more often
• Clear gutters and the roof — Leaves blocking gutters are the number one cause of water overflowing back into the eaves; check for cracked or slipped tiles at the same time
• Clean the water tank — Sediment at the bottom is a breeding ground for germs: close the valve, drain, scrub and rinse once or twice a year
• Press the Test button on the residual current device (RCD) — It takes 5 seconds. If the power doesn't cut, call an electrician immediately — this device protects the whole house from electric shock
• Check for leaks under sinks, at the base of toilets and at pipe joints — Touch a tissue to the joints; if it gets wet, there's a leak

Every year

• Termite inspection — Look for mud tubes along walls and ground beams, tap wood and listen for a hollow sound. Wooden houses or houses with wooden frames should have an annual termite control contract
• Check exterior paint and wall cracks — Fill small cracks before rain seeps in and moisture builds up
• Electrical system — Loose outlets or points that get unusually warm in use: have an electrician tighten the connections in the main panel
• Water heaters — Test the ELCB cut-off on the unit with its Test button
• Door and window hinges and tracks — Blow out dust, oil them and adjust locks that are getting stiff
• Check large trees near the house — Branches over the roof, roots pushing up floors or pipes — trim before storms come

Tips to actually do it

The hard part isn't the work, it's "not remembering when it's due" — always note the date you last did it, or use Bhoon Kharn's periodic maintenance system: set the schedule once and it reminds you (houses handed over through the system get this schedule automatically from day one), with a button to call a technician when a job is beyond you