Linc Point · Simple Home Checks · lincpoint.com.au · 0458 381 559
A ten-minute walk-around you can do from the ground and inside the house. No ladders and no roof. For each check: what to look for, what it might mean, and who to call.
Most homes have a small problem or two hiding somewhere. Catching them early is the difference between a quick fix and a big one. Start the water meter test first, then do the rest while you wait.
The water meter test for hidden leaks
About an hour, mostly waiting
- How to do it
- Turn off every tap and anything that uses water: the washing machine, the dishwasher, irrigation and any tank pump. Make sure nobody flushes. Find the meter, usually near the front boundary in a small box or pit, and take a photo of the reading. Wait at least an hour, then check it again. Start this one first and do the rest of the walk-around while you wait.
- What to look for
- Any movement on the meter at all.
- What it might mean
- Water is going somewhere. Common culprits are a toilet cistern that keeps running, a dripping tap, or a leaking pipe in a wall or under the slab. To check a toilet, put a few drops of food colouring in the cistern and wait without flushing. Colour in the bowl means the cistern is leaking. Our simple plumbing checks walk you through it.
- Who to call
- A licensed plumber.
Ceiling and cornice stains
- What to look for
- Brown rings, yellow patches, bubbling or flaking paint, and cracks along the cornices where the ceiling meets the wall. Check every room, the garage and around the manhole.
- What it might mean
- A stain usually means water, from the roof or from plumbing. Fine cracks along the cornices are often just the house moving with the seasons. Take a photo so you can tell later if it has grown.
- Who to call
- A roofer or a licensed plumber, depending on whether it changes after rain. Our who should I call guide helps you tell which. A plasterer for the cosmetic fix once the cause is sorted.
Damp or musty smells
- What to look for
- A musty smell in one room or cupboard, under the sinks, behind the toilet, or in wardrobes on outside walls. Open the cupboard under each sink and look at the pipes and the base of the cupboard.
- What it might mean
- A slow leak, poor ventilation, or moisture getting in from outside. A soft or swollen cupboard base under a sink usually means a drip that has been going for a while.
- Who to call
- A licensed plumber for leaks under sinks or behind toilets. A licensed electrician can fit or fix exhaust fans if ventilation is the problem.
Gutters, from the ground, after rain
- What to look for
- Streaks or water marks down the outside face of the gutters, drips from the joins, sections that sag, and plants growing out of the top. After heavy rain, look for washed-out soil or splash marks on the wall below.
- What it might mean
- Overflow from a blockage, a gutter that has lost its fall, or a leaking join.
- Who to call
- A gutter cleaner or roof plumber. Our gutters and downpipes guide covers how often to clean them.
Downpipes, with a hose from the ground
- What to look for
- When it rains, water should come out the bottom of every downpipe. Where a downpipe runs into the ground, put a hose into the inlet at ground level and let it run for a minute.
- What it might mean
- A dry downpipe under an overflowing gutter is blocked higher up. If the hose water backs up at ground level, the underground stormwater pipe is blocked or broken.
- Who to call
- A gutter cleaner for blockages up top. A licensed plumber for underground stormwater.
Cracks in the walls
- What to look for
- Walk around the outside and the inside. Note cracks in brickwork, render and plaster, especially above doors and windows, and stepped cracks that follow the mortar lines in brick.
- What it might mean
- Fine hairline cracks are common and are often just the house moving with the seasons. Wider cracks, cracks that are getting longer or wider, or cracks that show up at the same time as doors start sticking, are worth getting looked at. To tell if a crack is growing, mark each end with a pencil, write the date beside it, and take a photo with a coin next to it for scale. Check it again in a few weeks.
- Who to call
- A builder for an opinion. A structural engineer if a crack is wide or growing. We are not engineers, and we will tell you if it needs one.
Doors and windows that stick
- What to look for
- Doors that suddenly rub or will not latch, windows that are hard to open, and gaps that open up at the top of a door frame.
- What it might mean
- Often timber swelling in humid weather, or hinges working loose. If it comes on suddenly, along with new cracks, it can be the house moving.
- Who to call
- A carpenter or handyman for hinges and adjustments. A builder or engineer if it comes with new cracks.
Rust on the roof, seen from the ground
- What to look for
- Stand back in the yard or across the street with binoculars. On a metal roof, look for orange or brown patches, rust streaks running down from the screws, and flaky edges along the overlaps. On a tile roof, look for tiles sitting out of line.
- What it might mean
- Surface rust can often be treated. Rust that has eaten through means sheets need replacing. Homes near the coast see it sooner, because salt air is hard on metal.
- Who to call
- A roofer or roof plumber. Our roof warning signs guide has more.
The safety switch test
- What to look for
- Safety switches sit in the switchboard and have a button marked T or Test. Press it. The switch should flick off and cut the power to the circuits it protects. Then switch it back on. The Electrical Safety Office recommends testing safety switches every three months.
- What it might mean
- If it does not flick off, or will not switch back on, it is faulty. If some lights or power points still have power when it trips, those circuits are not protected. Expect the clocks to reset and the fridge to go off for a moment.
- Who to call
- A licensed electrician. Pressing the test button is the only part of this that is a household job. Never take the cover off the switchboard.
Smoke alarms
- What to look for
- Press the test button on every alarm. A broom handle saves standing on a chair. Check the date printed on each alarm, and give them a dust.
- What it might mean
- No sound means a flat battery or a dead alarm. Queensland's smoke alarm laws require interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms in homes being sold or leased, and in all homes from 1 January 2027. Interconnected means that when one goes off, they all go off. The Queensland Fire Department explains exactly what is needed, including where the alarms have to go.
- Who to call
- A licensed electrician for hardwired alarms. If your alarms do not meet the standard yet, get it sorted before the deadline.
Keep it safe
Every check on this page is done from the ground or from inside. If something needs a closer look up high, or inside the switchboard, that is a job for someone with the training, the gear and the licence. Please leave it to them.
Found something?
Tell us what you found, and send a photo if you have one. We will work out which trade it needs, put the quote together, walk you through it and line up the right local trade to do the work. If the problem is on the roof, gutters or outside of the house, our Free Storm Ready Check is a good place to start.
Sources and further reading
General information only, shared from the sources below. It is not professional advice for your property. If something looks unsafe, stop and call a licensed professional, or 000 in an emergency.
- Queensland Government Leaks (opens in a new tab)The water meter test and the toilet cistern test for leaks.
- Unitywater Checking for water leaks (opens in a new tab)The meter test and the food colouring test for a leaking toilet.
- Urban Utilities (opens in a new tab)Water and sewerage for Brisbane, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim and Somerset.
- Electrical Safety Office Safety switches (opens in a new tab)How to test a safety switch, and how often.
- Queensland Government Smoke alarms (opens in a new tab)The smoke alarm law, including the 1 January 2027 deadline for every home.
- Queensland Fire Department Smoke alarms (opens in a new tab)What type of smoke alarms are needed and where they go.
- QBCC Maintain your home (opens in a new tab)Regular home maintenance, including checking the hot water relief valve.
From Linc Point. Free to print and share, just credit Linc Point with a link. lincpoint.com.au/guides/simple-home-checks · Call 0458 381 559 · Storm and flood help: SES 132 500 · Life-threatening emergencies: 000