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We send our cars in for an MOT once a year, to make sure they are safe and roadworthy. Having an MOT also give you an insight into your vehicle’s general health and performance. You’ll get some advice on what could be improved or what’s likely to go wrong in the near future. Giving you a chance to fix things before they become a problem. Your MOT can ultimately save you a lot of money, and perhaps even your life.
So, why don’t we MOT our homes? We live in them, they get lots of use, and hidden things start to deteriorate over time. Yet, often we don’t notice issues until things break and we need to pay for expensive repairs, or we find ourselves without essentials such as heating and hot water.
Performing a home MOT once a year can help to make sure your home is running at its best, and it’s most cost-effective. Helping you to avoid costly breakages and keeping your home safe and comfortable in the long term. Here’s a look at the things that you should check.
Boiler
Many boilers break in the first few weeks of autumn. When they haven’t been used much for a long time, problems start to show. You should have your boiler serviced once a year to check for damage and make sure it is safe. If you rent property, your landlord should arrange for this to be done by a certified gas inspector.
Pipes
Burst or leaking pipes are another common problem in the wintertime. Go around your home, check for leaks and repair insulation to avoid issues later. If there’s anything wrong, find local plumbing services to help you get them sorted.
Roof
Roof damage is something that can easily go unnoticed until it’s a much more serious problem. Make checking your roof tiles and guttering a part of your home MOT. Get your gutters cleaned and hire a professional to repair any damage. Do a search for gutter cleaning in your area, for example, ‘Gutter Cleaning Oklahoma City‘ to find reliable people to do it, as you don’t want to end up with more damage.
Electrics
If you live in a newer home, in theory, your electrics should be fine. But, if you own an older home, and they haven’t been replaced it’s important to have them all checked regularly for your own safety.
Appliances
You should also check all of your large and small appliances for signs of damage and wear. Check the plugs and wires to make sure they are safe, and check that everything is working correctly. Small repairs to appliances are much cheaper than replacements later on.
Insurance
Once you’ve performed your home MOT, it’s important to check your home insurance. It’s a good idea to have your policy start, and expire around the time you do your checks so that you can’t forget. Check that the policy is still correct and gives you the cover you need.
It’s a good idea to perform these checks at the end of summer approaches. This way, there’s plenty of light and great weather to get repairs done quickly and you can rest assured that your home is going to be warm and efficient going into the colder months. Try to set aside a few days at the same time every year to perform a thorough home MOT, and keep up with regular maintenance the rest of the time.
Welcome to Birds and Lilies! I'm Lou: mother, blogger and freelance writer. This is my lifestyle blog, where I talk about motherhood, infertility and IVF, beauty, my love for food and wine, as well as my thoughts about stuff, and our real-life and travel adventures.
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