Getting Your London Home Ready for Autumn
Whether you're in a Victorian terrace, a 1930s semi or a modern flat, your home is about to start working harder than it has all year. Autumn is when small issues — a slipped tile, a blocked gutter, a draughty window — turn into winter emergencies if they're left alone, and it's also the cheapest time to catch them. London's clay and chalk soils don't help matters either: they shift with changing moisture levels through autumn and winter, which can affect foundations and drainage if problems go unnoticed. A bit of time now is far cheaper than a repair bill in January.
Here's what's worth checking, room by room and job by job.
Your heating system
Start with a full test run before you actually need it. Put the heating on for at least half an hour and pay attention:
- Listen for banging, whistling or gurgling — none of these are normal
- Check the flame is burning blue, not yellow or orange
- Check the boiler pressure gauge reads 1–1.5 bar when the system is cold
If any radiators have cold patches near the top after the system's been running, they need bleeding: turn the heating off, use a radiator key to let the trapped air out, then check the boiler pressure again afterwards, as bleeding can drop it. If some rooms heat up faster than others even after bleeding, the system may need balancing — adjusting the lockshield valves on each radiator so heat is distributed evenly across the house, which is usually a job for a heating engineer.
ServiceTypical costHow oftenBoiler service£80–£120AnnuallyPower flush£300–£500Every 5–10 yearsRadiator replacement£150–£300As needed
Roof and gutters
You don't need to get up there yourself — a pair of binoculars from ground level is enough to spot missing, cracked or slipped tiles and slates. If your roof has concrete interlocking tiles or slate, keep an eye on the fixings and general weathering too.
Gutters clogged with autumn leaves are one of the most common causes of damp and overflow issues. You can clear them by hand or with a trowel (wear gloves), but if you'd rather not go up a ladder, gutter vacuuming services are a safer option and typically cost £50–£150. If your property is near trees, gutter guards can cut down how often you need to do this at all.
If you've got a flat roof, check the drainage outlets are clear and look the surface over for cracks, blisters or spots where water tends to pool. Felt flat roofs generally need recovering every 15–20 years, so it's worth knowing roughly where yours sits in that cycle.
Windows and doors
Pick a cold or windy day and run your hand around the edge of each closed window and external door — you'll feel a draught immediately if the seal has failed. On double-glazed units, it's often just the rubber seal that needs replacing, not the whole window.
If you've got original wooden windows or doors, check for flaking paint and cracked putty. Re-puttying is a genuinely satisfying DIY job once you've had a bit of practice, and it's far cheaper than a full repair.
Misting between the panes of a double-glazed unit is a clear sign the seal has failed — the good news is individual sealed units can usually be swapped out within the existing frame, without replacing the whole window.
Garden and outside
Autumn is a good time for tree pruning, since most deciduous trees are heading into dormancy — but check first whether any trees on your property are protected, as many London councils require permission before work on significant trees.
Outdoor taps are a classic source of burst pipes in a cold snap. Isolate them using the internal stop valve and open the tap to drain any remaining water, and lag any exposed pipework in unheated spaces — a garage or under-stairs cupboard, say — with foam insulation tubing.
While it's raining, take a walk around the property and note any standing water building up. A quick way to test whether a drain is flowing properly is to pour a bucket of water down it and watch how fast it clears.
Inside the house
Loft insulation is one of the most cost-effective improvements you can make, and it's worth checking yours is up to the recommended depth of 270mm — many older homes are well short of this.
Get the chimney swept annually if you use a fireplace or wood burner; it typically costs £50–£80 and clears out the soot and creosote buildup that's a genuine fire risk if left. While you're doing safety checks, test every carbon monoxide and smoke alarm in the house, replace the batteries, and replace any alarm that's over 10 years old outright, regardless of how it's testing.
Condensation tends to spike once the heating goes on and windows stay shut — good ventilation is the best defence, so keep using extractor fans when you're cooking or in the bathroom.
Being ready for the worst
Put together a small emergency kit: torches, spare batteries, candles, matches, a battery-powered radio, bottled water and some non-perishable food. Make sure you know where your stop tap is before you need it in a hurry, and it's worth familiarising yourself with your consumer unit's circuit breaker layout so you can identify a tripped circuit quickly if the power goes.
What it costs, DIY vs professional
TaskDIYProfessionalGutter cleaningFree–£20£50–£150Boiler serviceNot recommended£80–£120Chimney sweepNot recommended£50–£80Draught-proofing£20–£50£100–£200Loft insulation top-up£100–£250£300–£500
Frequently asked questions
When should I start preparing? September, while the weather's still mild — it gives you time to get everything done at a comfortable pace before the winter rush hits tradespeople's diaries.
How often does a boiler need servicing? Annually. Most manufacturers require it to keep your warranty valid, regardless of how the boiler's actually running.
Can I clear my own gutters? Yes, as long as they're reachable from a ladder at a sensible height. Never lean a ladder directly against the guttering itself.
How do I know my double glazing needs replacing? Misting between the panes, damaged seals, draughts, or windows that are getting stiff to open and close are all signs.
Should the heating run all day or on a timer? A timer is generally more efficient. In very cold snaps, a bit of background heat overnight helps prevent pipes freezing.
What temperature should my home be? 18°C is the recommended minimum. Most people find 18–21°C comfortable in living areas, with bedrooms a little cooler at 16–18°C.
Home+ connects homeowners across London and the Home Counties with vetted local tradespeople — so when one of these checks turns up something you can't fix yourself, you're not starting from a search engine. Sign up for Home+ today, free forever.
