The maintenance calendar that prevents the big job
Seven checks with a date on them. None takes a day, and together they push the heavy work back by years.
Maintenance does not compete with the big job: it postpones it. A building with a calendar that is actually followed reaches twenty years needing what another needs at twelve.
Twice a year, before and after winter: gutters, downpipes and terrace drains. It is the check with the best ratio between the time it takes and what it avoids.
Once a year: external window sealant, paint condition on exposed façades, and ventilation grille operation. All three announce problems before causing them.
Every two years: expansion joints, roof flashings and external metal fixings, especially near the sea.
Every five years: electrical inspection and a water network test. Not mandatory in housing, but it is what separates a planned replacement from an emergency in the middle of August.
The annual cost of all this, on a house, comes in below a single rushed damp repair.