The Mauritius home maintenance calendar

The two months when an hour of prevention is worth a week of repairs.

• Have loose roof sheets and fixings checked and re-fixedDo not skip this oneThe single highest-value job of the year, and one for a roofer, not a ladder and optimism.
• Clear gutters, downpipes and yard drainsDo not skip this oneSummer rain arrives in bulk; blocked drainage turns a shower into an indoor feature.
• Trim branches near the roof and power linesAnything that can reach the house in a gust eventually will. Leave line-adjacent work to professionals.
• Test shutters, latches and tie-down pointsFind the seized bolt in November, not in the hour before a warning class rises.
• Walk the yard for future projectilesSheets, planks, pots, trampolines: secure or store anything the wind could adopt.
• Refresh the basics: torch, batteries, water, gas bottle level, phone power bankBoring exactly until the power goes.

Heat, humidity and rain probe every weak point. Watch and react fast.

• After each heavy rain, walk the house looking for new stains or dripsDo not skip this oneA leak caught at the stain stage is a reseal; caught at the sag stage it is a ceiling.
• Keep air moving in bathrooms and closed roomsVentilation beats scrubbing: mould treated without fixing airflow always returns.
• Clean aircon filters monthly in heavy useFive minutes per unit; cooler rooms, lower bills, longer unit life.
• Watch for termite trails and ant highways after rainsMud tubes on walls or hollow-sounding timber deserve a professional look, not a spray can.

Cooler, drier months are when the big outside jobs actually stick.

• Schedule exterior painting, sealing and waterproofingDo not skip this onePaint and membranes cure properly in the dry months; summer coats fail early.
• Sand and treat exterior timber and varnished doorsThe sun and salt of the last summer are already in the finish; renew it before the next one.
• Check hinges, railings and fixings for salt-air corrosionCoastal homes especially: replace rusted screws before they seize or stain the wall.
• Service the water heater and check its safety valveWinter is when you notice a weak heater; a service beats a cold-shower surprise.

• Open the under-sink cupboards and feel for dampThe cheapest leak detector ever invented: your hand, monthly.
• Confirm everyone at home knows where the main stopcock isDo not skip this oneThe difference between a mess and a disaster is knowing this before you need it.
• Work every external lock and bolt onceA squirt of lubricant now beats a locksmith later.
• Add small jobs to a running list instead of fixing them one call-out at a timeBatching five small jobs into one visit is the biggest saving in home maintenance.