Winter home maintenance checklist for NZ homes

Get the moisture out every day

• Run the extractor fan every time you shower or cook, and for a few minutes after.
• Dry washing outside or in a vented dryer — not on racks indoors.
• Open windows for ten minutes or so each day, even when it's cold, to swap damp air for dry.
• Put lids on pots when cooking.

Wipe condensation and catch mould early

Wipe water off windows and sills in the morning so it doesn't soak into frames. Check wardrobes, corners behind furniture against outside walls, and bathroom ceilings every few weeks. Small patches clean off easily; mould that keeps coming back means a ventilation or leak problem worth fixing properly.

Set the heat pump sensibly

Aim for a steady 18–21°C in living areas rather than cranking it to 25°C when you get home. Use the timer to warm the house shortly before you get up or come home, and keep doors closed to rooms you're not heating. Clean the filters every few weeks — they clog quickly with winter use.

Keep the heat in

Close curtains as soon as the sun goes down. Use door snakes on draughty doors. If your ceiling or underfloor insulation is thin or missing, winter is when you'll notice — and it's worth looking into government or council insulation programmes, which change from year to year.

Use fires and heaters safely

Burn only dry firewood, keep a fireguard in front of open fires, and never leave a fire or portable heater on when you go out or to bed. Keep heaters at least a metre from anything that can burn, and make sure your smoke alarms are working.

Protect pipes from freezing

In frost-prone areas, lag exposed pipes under the house, in the roof space and outside. Know where your water mains toby or stopcock is and make sure it turns — you'll need it fast if a pipe bursts. If a pipe does freeze, turn off the mains, open the tap and thaw the pipe gently with warm cloths or a hairdryer, never a flame.

Check the hot water cylinder

Look for drips or rust around the base and valves. Stored hot water should be kept at 60°C or hotter to control Legionella bacteria — don't turn the thermostat down to save power. A cylinder wrap and lagging the first metre of pipe help with heat loss on older cylinders.

Check for storm damage after big weather

After a storm, look for lifted roofing, damaged flashings, blocked or broken gutters, and fallen branches. Take photos before you clean up — your insurer will want them — and get urgent repairs done to stop further water getting in.

Be ready for a power cut

• Torches and spare batteries somewhere everyone knows (not candles, if you can avoid them).
• A battery or wind-up radio, and a power bank for phones.
• A way to cook and stay warm that doesn't need mains power — and never use outdoor gas heaters or BBQs indoors.
• Your power company's outage number written down, not just saved on a phone.

Store emergency water

Civil Defence recommends at least three litres of drinking water per person per day, for at least three days — and some regions, including Wellington, recommend a week's supply. Include water for pets, and refresh stored water regularly.

Check tyres, battery and visibility

Cold weather lowers tyre pressure, so check it more often, along with tread depth. Car batteries often fail on the first frosty morning — get it tested if it's more than a few years old. Replace streaky wipers, top up washer fluid, and check all lights work.

Keep a winter kit in the car

A blanket, torch, scraper, phone charger and some water and snacks. If you drive alpine passes, carry chains where required and check road conditions before you leave.