What maintenance does a landed home need?

Landed house maintenance: the checklist

Landed homeowners should clear drains and look for stagnant water every week, check gutters and apron drains every month, and have the roof, plumbing, wiring and aircon checked once a year. The weekly and monthly items come from the National Environment Agency (NEA), whose mosquito checklist asks you to clear scupper drains weekly and check roof gutters and apron drains monthly (NEA's guide to preventing Aedes breeding). The yearly items are practical advice. The same rhythm suits terrace house maintenance as well as semi-detached houses and bungalows.

Weekly

• Clear scupper drains of leaves, silt and litter.
• Walk the compound after rain and empty any water collecting in pails, pots or trays.
• Sweep the porch so leaves do not wash into the drains.

Monthly

• Check roof gutters for leaves, silt and standing water.
• Check the apron drains around the house for blockages.
• Look at downpipes and their outlets for leaks or loose joints.

Yearly

• Roof tiles and flashing: look for cracked or slipped tiles and lifted flashing.
• Inspection chambers: make sure you can reach each one and that water flows freely.
• Water heater: have it checked by a qualified contractor.
• Aircon: service each unit.
• Electrical: book a check by an LEW.

Keep a simple log of what was checked, by whom and what they found, so next year's round is quicker to plan. To spread these jobs across the year, see the home maintenance calendar.

Drains, sewers and inspection chambers

A landed house has its own sanitary drain-lines under the compound. PUB says owners are responsible for maintaining the private sewers (sanitary drain-lines) within their premises. When one chokes, you can engage a contractor to clear it or contact PUB for advice (PUB on private sewers).

Inspection chambers are the covered access points to these lines. A contractor needs to reach them to check the flow or clear a choke, so a little planning helps:

• Know where every inspection chamber is, including any at the side or back of the house.
• Keep the chambers accessible: do not tile over the covers or place planters, pots or decking over them.
• Ask anyone working in your compound, such as a landscaper or renovation contractor, to leave the chamber covers clear.
• Watch for slow drains in several rooms at once, gurgling sounds or a bad smell near a chamber, and call a contractor early.

If a chamber does back up, see our guide to an inspection chamber choke.

Mosquitoes in the garden

Gardens, porches and roofs collect rainwater in spots that are easy to miss, so mosquito checks are a regular part of landed property maintenance. NEA's checklist for preventing Aedes mosquito breeding asks households to do the following (NEA on other preventive measures):

• Turn over pails and keep them under shelter.
• Loosen hardened soil in potted plants.
• Cover gully traps.
• Cap bamboo pole holders.
• Change the water in vases and remove water in plant plates every other day.

NEA also says to use granular insecticide in roof gutters only as the product label prescribes (NEA). Read the label before you use it and follow it exactly.

Also look for water in places that change from week to week: a tarpaulin over garden furniture, an unused planter, a blocked downpipe outlet or a toy left outside, and tip it out.

Fire and electrical safety

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) sets out a home fire safety checklist in its Emergency Handbook (SCDF Emergency Handbook):

• Do not overload electrical outlets.
• Keep wires in good condition, with no broken insulation.
• Keep lighted candles away from paper or cardboard decorations and curtains, in stable holders on a heat-resistant surface.
• Supervise children with sparklers.
• Never leave cooking unattended.
• Keep escape paths clear.

For a landed house, the Energy Market Authority (EMA) says electrical work at home, including installing, repairing or modifying wiring, should be carried out or supervised by a Licensed Electrical Worker (EMA on engaging Licensed Electrical Workers). Book an LEW for your yearly check as well as for any wiring job, indoors or in the garden.

If you are planning roof work such as solar panels for landed homes, have the roof tiles and flashing checked first, so any repairs are done before the panels go on. Ask the installer how the panels will be fixed to your roof.

Budgeting for upkeep

Regular upkeep is easier to manage when it is planned. Set aside an amount each year for the yearly round of roof, plumbing, electrical and aircon checks, plus a buffer for any repairs those checks turn up. Review the amount each year as your house and its fittings age.

Prices depend on the job, the size of your house and what the contractor finds on site. Before you agree to the work, ask each company what its price includes, such as access equipment or disposal of debris. Keep receipts and service reports together so you know what was done and when. For help setting a yearly figure, see the annual home maintenance budget post.

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