Autumn is the best time to get a house ready for winter. The weather is usually still dry enough for outside work, and small faults found now are far cheaper to fix than the damage they cause in a cold, wet January. Here is a practical checklist for homes across Essex.
Outside
Clear gutters and downpipes
Falling leaves block gutters fast, and overflowing water can soak walls and cause damp inside. Clear them once most leaves have fallen and check joints for drips. If you are not comfortable working at height, our guttering service can help.
Look at the roof from the ground
Use binoculars or your phone’s zoom to look for slipped or missing tiles and damaged flashing around the chimney. Catching a loose tile now can prevent a leak later — see roof repairs.
Protect outside taps
Turn off the isolation valve if you have one, drain the tap and fit an insulated cover. A frozen outside tap can split the pipe behind it. If there is no isolation valve, it is a quick plumbing job to add one.
Check fences and gates
Autumn storms find weak posts. Rocking posts and loose panels are best fixed before the windy weather. See fencing repairs.
Clean paths and patios
Wet leaves and moss make paving slippery. A jet wash removes the slippery layer and the dirt that holds moisture — see jet washing.
Inside
Bleed radiators
If radiators are cold at the top, there is air in the system. Bleeding them helps the heating work properly. If you have a sealed system, check the boiler pressure afterwards.
Draught-proof doors and windows
Self-adhesive seals, brush strips and letterbox covers are cheap and make rooms noticeably warmer. Doors that no longer close tightly may need adjusting — see doors and windows.
Check the loft
Look for daylight through the roof, damp patches and gaps in insulation. Boarding over insulation without squashing it gives useful storage — our loft page explains the options.
Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
Press the test button on every alarm and replace batteries where needed. It takes five minutes.
Need a hand?
If your checklist turns up a few jobs, send them all at once through the contact form with your phone number. Handyman James covers the whole of Essex and can usually sort several small jobs in one visit.
Last updated 1 October 2026.
