Did you know that today marks the start of National Maintenance Week? I thought not. But you can save yourself stacks of money in the long run by following this ten-minute MoT for your house, compiled by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings :

Use binoculars to check your chimney. Is it leaning, is any mortar missing from the joints, are any plants growing from the top and are the pots in good nick?

Check your roof. Are any tiles or slates missing, or have any slipped? Look out for tell-tale fragments of tile on the ground.

Are there any missing ridge tiles along the top of your roof? Any gaps between ridge tiles may indicate a need for repointing.

Check your gutters, ideally on a rainy day. Are they leaking at the joints, and do they overflow?

If you have timber soffits, fascias or bargeboards behind the gutters, check that they are rot-free, and whether they need repainting.

Examine rainwater pipes. Are they fixed securely? Are there any cracks or splits (especially at the back of cast iron)? Green algae, stains or vegetation on adjacent walls are signs that they are blocked, probably with leaves.

Timber windows and doors need repainting every three to five years; check whether any bare wood is showing, especially on the sills and the lower parts of the opening sashes.

Look at the gullies at the foot of the rainwater pipes. Have they been cleaned regularly, and are they working? Blocked gullies can cause damp and even subsidence.

Do a “green” check. Are there any plants (especially ivy) or trees growing against the house that may be damaging the structure? If so, remove or prune carefully.

If your ten-minute MoT has revealed problems, call a decent builder; recommendations from friends and neighbours are best.

The SPAB Ten-Minute Home MoT is sponsored by Jewson; free leaflets will be available in its stores this month

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