Storm season checklist

Is your home ready for the first big storm?

The first big one often turns up before anyone has got around to the gutters. Twelve quick questions from our storm season checklist for SEQ homes: what is done, and what is worth sorting.

Start the checklist (3 minutes, free, no sign-up). Book Your Pre-Storm CheckPoint. Read the full guide.

The questions

Have the gutters been cleared of leaves and muck, the whole way around? Before the season, and again after heavy leaf drop if you have trees nearby. If not: Clear the gutters the whole way around.
Are the downpipes running clear? Run a hose into the top. Water should come straight out the bottom. If not: Check the downpipes run clear with a hose.
From the ground, is the roof free of cracked, slipped or missing tiles, rust, lifted sheets and loose screws? Stand back in the yard or across the street. Binoculars help. If not: Have the roof looked at. Replacing tiles or fixing sheets is a job for someone with the gear.
Have you checked the ceilings inside for new stains or damp patches, and found none? A new stain usually means water is already getting in somewhere. If not: Check the ceilings, and get any new stain or damp patch looked at.
Are branches trimmed back from the roof and gutters, with dead or hanging branches dealt with? Big limbs are a job for an arborist. Anything near powerlines, leave alone and call your electricity distributor. If not: Trim branches back from the roof and gutters, and deal with dead or hanging ones.
Is there a plan for the outdoor furniture, pot plants, bins, toys and trampoline? Know what gets tied down and what comes inside when a warning is issued. If not: Plan what gets tied down and what comes inside, and anchor the trampoline or get it ready to come down.
Do you know how to take the shade sails down, and where they will go? Answer yes if you have none. If not: Work out how the shade sails come down, and where they go.
Is your emergency kit packed? Torch, spare batteries, a battery radio, first aid kit, medicines, drinking water, a phone charger and a power bank. If not: Pack an emergency kit.
Are your insurance papers and ID together somewhere safe, with copies on your phone? And is the home and contents insurance current, and do you know roughly what it covers? If not: Put insurance papers and ID together, copy them to your phone and check the policy is current.
Do you have photos or a walk-around video of the house, inside and out? Handy if you ever need to make a claim. If not: Take photos or a walk-around video of the house, inside and out.
Is the SES number, 132 500, saved in your phone? If not: Save the SES number in your phone: 132 500.
Does everyone in the house know where the water main and switchboard are? If not: Show everyone in the house where the water main and switchboard are.

A self-check, not an inspection. General information only, not professional advice for your property. Do what you can from the ground: anything on the roof is a job for someone with the right gear. The full checklist has 32 items, including what to do when a severe storm warning is issued.

More free checks

Storm Ready Score: how ready is your home?: Ten quick yes or no questions about your home, a score out of 10 and what to sort before the storms. Free, two minutes.
Storm season checklist: is your home ready?: Twelve quick questions from the SEQ storm season checklist. See what is done and what to sort before the first big storm. Free, three minutes.
Storm damage? What to do first, in the right order: Pick what has happened and get the next safe step and who to call: 000, the SES on 132 500, your insurer or a licensed trade. Free, one minute.
Roof warning signs: is your roof warning you?: Twelve things to look for from the ground and inside, what each one means and when to get someone up there. Free, and you stay off the roof.
Roof repair in Brisbane: what moves the price?: Pick the repair and see what it involves, the six things that change the number and what a fair roof quote should show. Free, one minute.
Gutters and downpipes: the boring job that saves the house: Ten quick questions to tell if your gutters and downpipes need attention, how often to clean them in SEQ and when to leave the ladder in the shed.
Who should I call? Problem to trade, in plain English: Ceiling stain, power tripping, a gas smell, a sagging shade sail? See how urgent it is, what you can safely check and which trade to call.
Simple home checks: ten minutes, no ladder: A safe walk-around from the ground and inside. Hidden leaks, ceiling stains, cracks, gutters and the safety switch. What it might mean and who to call.
Could a flexi hose flood your house? Check it: Simple plumbing checks: flexi hoses, a leaking toilet, water pressure, the hot water relief valve and slow drains. What to look for and who to call.
Is your tradie licensed? Check it in two minutes: A free QBCC licence check, step by step. Is it current, does the class cover the job, and the red flags that mean walk away.
Is the cheapest quote missing half the job?: Twelve quick questions to check a quote: scope, exclusions, materials, payment terms, warranty and licence. Compare the quote, not just the number.
Why your quotes go cold: a two-minute self-check: A lot of quotes are not lost on price. Seven yes or no questions for trade businesses to find where quotes leak between the enquiry and the yes.
What are cold quotes costing your business?: Four sliders, two minutes, no sign-up. See what slips away a year when quotes go unanswered. Example only: revenue, not profit.
Property manager storm checklist: are you ready?: A storm hits every property on your list at once. Twelve quick questions for property managers and landlords: what is done, and what to sort first.

Linc Point

Linc Point (sometimes spelt Link Point), ABN 48 535 502 159. Call 0458 381 559 or email linc@lincpoint.com.au. Brisbane and South East Queensland, Bribie Island to Helensvale. Website: lincpoint.com.au. Tools for trade businesses: lincpoint.online.