A villa on the Bay, month by month: the full maintenance calendar

The question we are asked most often is not "what needs doing?" but "when?". It is the better question. Almost every maintenance task is known; it is the calendar that separates a house that is kept from a house that is rescued.

What follows is the actual calendar we apply, adapted to the climate of the Bay — mild, very wet winters, windy springs, dry summers, stormy autumns. A house inland would follow a different rhythm.

September — autumn starts in September

The most important month of the year, and the most neglected, because everyone is still mentally on holiday.

• Clear gutters and rainwater outlets after the late-summer needle drop.
• Inspect the roof covering: verge tiles, ridge, chimney flashings, ridge closures.
• Check terrace outlets and flat-roof gullies.
• Test the motors: gate, roller shutters, garage door, backup batteries.
• Cut back branches overhanging within three metres of the roof.
• Check joinery weatherproofing before the rain.

October — switching to winter configuration

• Winterise the pool (see Active or passive winterisation).
• Drain and frost-protect the buried irrigation system.
• Store and lash down outdoor furniture, remove shade sails.
• Annual boiler or heat pump service — a legal requirement for most appliances, and the only time of year an appointment is easy to get.
• Chimney sweeping where there is a flue: at least annually, required by most insurers.
• Set the heating to frost protection, 8 to 12 °C.

November — closing up

• Full closing-up if the house is unoccupied over winter: the detailed protocol is in Closing up a villa for winter.
• Second pass on the gutters, after the oaks and maples have dropped.
• Check sensors, batteries, internet connection and alarm signalling.
• Dated photographs of general condition — the baseline for comparison in spring.

December to February — the monitoring season

Few interventions, a great deal of watching. This is when houses deteriorate fastest and when nobody is looking.

• Documented visit every two to four weeks depending on exposure.
• Inspection after every wind event above 80 km/h: tiles, trees, fencing, furniture.
• Water and electricity meter readings — a consumption anomaly is the best leak detector there is.
• Verification of frost protection and ventilation.
• Twenty minutes of manual airing at every visit, preferably in dry weather.
• Watch for processionary caterpillar nests in the pines, January to March (see Pine processionary caterpillars).

March — restarting

• Recharge the water system, gradually, checking every outlet.
• Look for winter traces: staining, mould, failed seals, greyed timber.
• Full clean of joinery tracks and grooves — accumulated sand and salt.
• Fresh-water rinse of ironmongery, balustrades and outdoor units.
• Recommission the irrigation and check for leaks on the buried system.
• Prune before growth resumes.

April — surfaces

• Wash timber decks, inspect joists and fixings.
• Re-coat timber exposed to the west, every two to three years depending on exposure.
• De-moss roofs where needed — mainly north-facing and under trees.
• Clean exposed façades: salt, sand, green growth.
• Check and renew sliding door seals.

May — preparing for the season

• Recommission the pool, water analysis, plant room check.
• Verify safety equipment: pool alarm, balustrades, lighting.
• Check gate, entryphone, locks and cylinders.
• Full test of appliances and hot water production.
• Arrival preparation if the family comes down in June (see Preparing an arrival).

June to August — the season of use

Maintenance becomes routine upkeep and logistics. The paradox of second homes: this is when you are present, so when you see the problems, and when you least want to deal with them.

• Mowing and watering within any prefectural restrictions — summer water restrictions have become frequent in the Gironde.
• Weekly pool maintenance.
• Continuous clearing of pine needles.
• Technical work deferred from winter, while the house is accessible and trades are available before peak season.

What the calendar does not say

It does not say how long it takes. Around forty interventions a year, ten of which need a professional, and all of which need someone to open the house, meet the trade, check the work and pay.

For an owner two hours away, that is achievable at the cost of six or eight round trips a year. For an owner in Paris, Geneva or London it is not a question of organisation: it is a practical impossibility.

That is precisely the gap we occupy. Not replacing the trades — we are not tradespeople — but holding to the calendar, opening the door, checking the work, filing the evidence and reporting back.