Take a good look at your building. You will be able to assess much of the condition of the building – such as the windows and external stonework – yourself, but you will need a specialist for areas such as the roof and gutters.
You are legally required to keep your building in a good state of repair, so your property should ideally be checked once a year by a professional to check that it is in good order.
A condition survey should be carried out by an architect, a building surveyor, a roofing contractor or another specialist. See Finding the right people.
Once you are ready to go:
- Draw up a maintenance checklist suitable for your property.
- Identify those items that you can inspect yourself and those where you require professional help (such as gutters, roofs and chimneys).
- Keep a list of recommended tradespeople for both inspection and repairs.
- Carry out an inspection of any sections that you can view yourself. Some parts of roof and chimney areas can be viewed well from the ground with binoculars.
- Take photographs of relevant sections to build up your maintenance records, and ask any professional inspectors to supply you with copies of photos they have taken. This is very helpful if you are dealing with neighbours on a communal repair.
- After your inspection, identify any repairs that will be required over the planned timescale.
- Once you have reached agreement with your neighbours, if needed, confirm your plans with your selected tradespeople so that they can make advance preparations for any work and build this into their forward work plan.
Other Sources of Help:
- Historic Scotland guide: Maintaining Your Home, a short guide for homeowners
- The Historic Scotland Inform series of leaflets are all available for free, online, giving detailed help on specialist heritage topics such as sash and case windows, chimneys, masonry, sandstone and so on for owners of older properties
- Shelter Scotland’s guide to keeping your home in good repair
- Glasgow City Council’s guide to property maintenance