Autumn damp prep: job types to promote now

Damp jobs are easy to sell in November, when the stain has appeared on the ceiling. By then you are busy, the weather is against you and the repair is bigger.

September is the better month. The work is dry, and the customer still has time to book it.

Your job this month is to tell people what to check before the weather does it for them.

• Gutters and downpipes: clear them, check the falls and the joints.
• Roof: slipped tiles, ridge and verge mortar, flashing.
• Walls: failed pointing and cracked render on the weather side.
• Openings: sealant round windows, doors and roof lights.
• Ventilation: extractor fans and loft vents working.

A blocked gutter overflows down the wall, and a wall that stays wet lets damp through.

It is the cheapest job on the list and the easiest to explain. Offer it as a set-price visit with photos of what you found.

While you are up there, look at the joints, the brackets and whether the gutter still falls towards the outlet. Small repairs agreed on the day can be worth more than the clear itself.

Where there are trees nearby, book a second clear for after the leaves have dropped.

From the ladder, or from the ground with a camera, check for slipped or cracked tiles, loose ridge and verge mortar, and flashing that has lifted round chimneys and abutments.

Send the customer photos. Most people have never seen their own roof, and a clear picture of a gap does the selling for you.

Sort faults into "do now" and "keep an eye on". Customers trust the trade who does not turn everything into an emergency.

Mortar and most sealants need mild, dry weather to cure. Once the nights turn frosty, these jobs become slow or impossible.

So pointing, render repairs and resealing round windows are September and October jobs. Say that to customers: it is a real deadline, not a sales line.

Start with the side of the house that takes the weather.

Not all damp comes from outside. A lot of winter mould is condensation: warm, wet air from kitchens and bathrooms with nowhere to go.

Check that extractor fans run and vent to the outside, and that loft vents and eaves are not blocked by insulation or stored boxes.

If that is not your trade, know someone to pass it to. Pointing the customer at the real cause wins you the next job.

• A message to past customers: "autumn roof and gutter check, with photos".
• One before-and-after photo of a blocked gutter on your Google Business Profile.
• A short checklist customers can do from the ground: stains under gutters, green streaks on walls, damp patches near chimney breasts.

Keep it helpful, not alarming. You are the one who told them early.

• Set a price for a gutter clear and roof check.
• List past customers with trees close by or older roofs.
• Send the message to twenty of them.
• Order sealant and mortar materials ahead of the rush.

Hi [name], [your name] here. Before the autumn rain I am doing gutter clears with a roof check and photos for £[amount]. It catches blocked gutters and loose tiles before they turn into damp. I have [day] or [day] free near you. Would you like one? Reply STOP if you would rather not get these.