Property Maintenance & Home Improvement Services

rob mantle
Oct 1, 2025
4 min read

Updated: Oct 2, 2025

Owning a home is a rewarding experience, but it comes with its own set of challenges. Ongoing maintenance and unforeseen replacements can put us under a significant financial strain. If a boiler were to breakdown would you have the money set aside to replace it the next day?

Understanding Property Maintenance

Property maintenance refers to the upkeep and repair of a home. This includes everything from routine cleaning to major repairs. Regular maintenance can prevent small issues from becoming larger, more costly problems.

Homeowners should prioritize maintenance tasks based on urgency and importance. For example, a leaky roof should be addressed immediately, while repainting a room can wait.

The Importance of Regular Inspections

Regular inspections are crucial for maintaining your property. They help identify potential issues before they escalate. Here are some key areas to inspect:

Roof: Check for missing shingles or signs of wear.
Plumbing: Look for leaks under sinks, bathtubs and around toilets.
Electrical Systems: Ensure outlets and switches are functioning properly.
Foundation: Look for cracks or signs of settling.

By conducting regular inspections, you can catch problems early and save money in the long run.

Seasonal Maintenance Checklist

Different seasons bring different maintenance needs. Here’s a seasonal checklist to help you stay on top of your property maintenance:

Spring

Clean gutters and downspouts to prevent water damage.
Inspect the roof for winter damage.
Pruning, clearing of fallen leaves & branches, planting of flowers.

Summer

Check for pests and take preventive measures.
Maintain your lawn and garden.
Inspect outdoor furniture and decks for wear, reseal/repaint/replace as required.

Autumn

Bleed radiators and have boiler serviced.
Winterize outdoor faucets and irrigation systems.
Check windows and doors for drafts.

Winter

Clear any fallen leaves in gutters from autumn.
Keep walkways clear of snow and ice.
Check insulation in the loft.

Following this checklist can help you maintain your home throughout the year.

Budgeting for Property Maintenance

Budgeting for property maintenance is essential for homeowners. Here are some tips to help you plan:

Set Aside a Percentage: Allocate a percentage of your income for maintenance. A common recommendation is 1% of your home’s value annually.
Create a Maintenance Fund: Establish a separate savings account for maintenance expenses. Particularly if your boiler is 10 years or older.
Prioritize Expenses: Focus on urgent repairs first, then plan for routine maintenance.

By budgeting effectively, you can ensure that your home remains in good condition without financial stress.

DIY vs. Professional Help

Many homeowners wonder whether to tackle maintenance tasks themselves or hire professionals. Here are some factors to consider:

DIY

Cost-Effective: Doing it yourself can save money.
Satisfaction: Completing a task can be rewarding.
Skill Development: You can learn new skills along the way.

Professional Help

Expertise: Professionals have the experience and knowledge.
Time-Saving: Hiring someone can free up your time.
Quality Assurance: Professionals often guarantee their work.

Deciding between DIY and professional help depends on your skills, time, and the complexity of the task. Finding a trustworthy contractor can be daunting, act with due diligence and never be afraid to ask questions no matter how trivial it might seem. Understanding the implications of work in your home is critical to maintaining a happy customer/contractor relationship.

Property Renovation & Home Improvements

Undergoing a renovation or home improvement can be incredibly exciting, the thought of that dream rainfall walk-in shower you've always wanted or a brand new open plan kitchen!

As exciting as it is, it can also be overwhelming and a daunting prospect. Particularly if you only have the one bathroom. A week with no bath or shower is a major inconvenience to anyone's life and can be prohibitive to you realising your dream bathroom remodel.

The same can be said for a kitchen. A major kitchen refurbishment/remodel can take several weeks if structural components are required, perhaps the flooring is uneven and needs re-levelling or perhaps it requires a complete rewire. All these elements and time and cost to a project.

Below is an example of remodelling the downstairs space in a modest home just outside of Cambridge. The kitchen was a room by itself, this was isolating for whoever was cooking and just didn't meet the requirements for modern day living.

The project was completed in stages due to the lead time of the kitchen, the nature of the work and the client needing to maintain a functional kitchen with as much storage for as long as possible.

The key factors when undertaking any remodel in your home are as follows:

Budget - this is often everyone's biggest driver. We all want to know we're getting best value for our money.
Trust - Trusting your contractor is vital, knowing they have the skillset, knowledge, accreditation, qualification and right character is vital when selecting someone who will be in your home for potentially weeks on end.

Timescale - How long will it take, having a full understanding of the implications and working together to mitigate impact of the day to day use of your home is vital.

Impact - What disruption will it cause to your household and how flexible is your contractor to accommodate things which may in the long run add time but makes things less disruptive to you and your family.

At RPM we try to look at things a little differently. We will try to accommodate all of our customers wants, needs and desires to the best of our ability and remain flexible throughout. We can offer a fixed price for a project or a day rate. We can accommodate almost any request, if not direct, through one of our trusted partners.

Before

Small kitchen, isolated from the rest of the downstairs space. Living room was dark

After

Doorway into kitchen was boarded, kitchen wall and ceiling removed, radiator removed, kitchen rewired, new downlights, electric underfloor heat matt installed, new flooring, tiling and kitchen designed, installed and commissioned by RPM services.