Owner's guide
The annual maintenance calendar for Costa Blanca homes
Sun, salt air and autumn storms each make their own demands on a house here. This season by season guide shows what to do and when, so small jobs never grow into expensive ones.
The Costa Blanca climate is kind to people and hard on houses. Three hundred days of sun fade woodwork and perish rubber seals, salt air eats at metal, and the same autumn skies that fill the reservoirs can drop a month of rain on your terrace in one afternoon. None of that is a problem for a home that gets regular attention; all of it is a problem for one that does not.
This calendar collects the jobs we plan for the homes in our care in Jávea, Moraira and Dénia. Use it as a checklist for your own place, whether you live here all year or fly in a few times a season.
Spring: get ready for the heat (March to May)
Spring is the busiest season for prevention. Winter damp is on its way out, summer heat has not yet arrived, and everything you fix now works all summer long.
- Service the air conditioning before the first heatwave: clean filters, check gas pressure and run every unit. Engineers are booked solid by June.
- Bring the pool back to life: deep-clean, check the pump and filter, balance the water and repair tile or grout damage while the water is still cool.
- Check the irrigation system line by line: winter cracks drippers, and timers fail silently while plants die in June.
- Prune and clear the garden before the growth spurt, and cut vegetation away from the house: it matters for wildfire safety in urbanisations near pinewoods.
- Inspect awnings, pergolas and shutters: tighten fixings, treat wood and replace worn canvas before the sun does it for you.
- Air the house thoroughly after winter and check ceilings, wardrobes and north-facing walls for damp patches or mould from the closed months.
Summer: stay on top of it (June to August)
Summer maintenance is about rhythm rather than big jobs. Heat speeds everything up: water evaporates, chlorine burns off and a small leak can empty a water tank in days.
- Test pool chemistry at least weekly: in 30 degree water the chlorine balance shifts fast, and a green pool in August is a spoiled holiday.
- Watch the water meter: a jump with no change in habits usually means an invisible leak in the irrigation or a running cistern.
- Rinse aircon filters monthly when units run daily; a clogged filter raises the electricity bill and wears out the compressor.
- Keep an eye on pests: ants, cockroaches and wasp nests establish quickly in hot months and are easiest to stop early.
- Check wooden doors, gates and garden furniture for sun damage; a quick coat of oil in July prevents a full sanding job next year.
- If the house is let to guests, walk through it between stays: guests rarely report the small faults that grow into big ones.
Autumn: prepare for the storms (September to November)
Autumn is the season the Costa Blanca tests every roof and drain. A gota fría can deliver more rain in a day than the rest of the year combined, and it finds every blocked outlet.
- Clear every roof terrace drain, gutter and downpipe before the end of September. Blocked drains are the biggest cause of water damage we see.
- Walk the roof, or have someone do it: loose or cracked tiles let wind-driven rain straight into the insulation.
- Storm-proof the garden: secure or store parasols, trampolines and light furniture, and check that large trees carry no dead branches.
- Test that terrace doors and window seals actually keep water out; perished rubber only shows itself in horizontal rain.
- Wind down pool maintenance gradually and consider a winter cover: it saves water, chemicals and cleaning time.
- If you leave in autumn, decide now who checks the house after each storm; insurers often require damage to be discovered and reported promptly.
Winter: guard against damp and vacancy (December to February)
Winters are mild but wet, and Spanish houses are built for summer. An unheated, unventilated house grows damp and mouldy over winter, and burst flexible hoses are our most common winter callout.
- Ventilate: if the house is occupied, air it daily; if it stands empty, have someone open it up at every visit and run a dehumidifier where needed.
- Close the mains water valve whenever the house is empty; a failed flexible hose under a sink can run for weeks unnoticed.
- Keep the pool balanced and covered rather than emptying it: an empty pool can crack and lift in heavy winter rain.
- Check the house after every named storm: tiles, awnings, satellite dishes and garden walls take the hits here.
- Run every tap, shower and appliance briefly at each visit to keep traps filled and seals from drying out.
- Mind security: winter is the quiet season in urbanisations, and a home that visibly stands empty attracts attention. Lights on timers and a cleared postbox help.
All year round: the quiet essentials
Some jobs belong to no season. They are exactly the ones that quietly protect the value of the house and the validity of your insurance.
- Have solar panels rinsed a few times a year: Saharan dust (calima) can cut output noticeably within weeks.
- Service the water heater annually and check the flexible hoses; they are cheap parts with an outsized talent for causing damage.
- Test smoke detectors, alarm batteries and outdoor lighting on a fixed rhythm.
- Keep a simple log of visits, checks and repairs, with photos; it is worth gold in an insurance claim and when you one day sell.
- Read your home insurance policy once a year, especially the clauses about how long the house may stand empty. Our insurance guide covers this in detail.
Every home is different: an apartment by the Arenal needs a different rhythm from a villa on the Montgó. Treat this calendar as a starting point and adjust it to your own house.
Rather have all of this taken care of?
This calendar is exactly what our care packages automate: fixed visits, seasonal checks and a photo report after every one. You keep the peace of mind, we climb onto the roof.
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