Storm season

How storm ready is your home?

Ten quick questions about your place. A simple score, and a short list of what is worth sorting before the storms.

Get my score (2 minutes, free, no sign-up). Book Your Pre-Storm CheckPoint. Read the full guide.

The questions

1. Have your gutters been cleaned out in the last few months? If not: Clean out the gutters.
2. When it rains hard, does water run out the bottom of your downpipes? Rather than spilling over the gutters. If not: Check the downpipes are clear and running.
3. Are trees and branches clear of your roof and gutters? If not: Trim branches back from the roof and gutters.
4. From the ground, does the roof look right? No cracked, slipped or missing tiles and no lifted sheets. If not: Have the roof checked for cracked, slipped or missing tiles and lifted sheets.
5. Is the roof free of rust, loose screws, crumbling ridge capping and lifting flashings? As far as you can tell. If not: Have rust, loose screws, ridge capping and flashings looked at.
6. Are your ceilings free of water stains, damp patches and mould? If not: Find out what is causing the stains or damp in the ceiling.
7. Could you tie down or bring in the outdoor furniture, bins, trampoline and toys within half an hour? If a warning came through. If not: Plan where loose outdoor items go when a warning comes.
8. Are the shade sails, carport and pergola in good condition? Tight fixings, no rust or rot. Answer yes if you have none. If not: Check shade sail, carport and pergola fixings for rust, rot and looseness.
9. Do you have recent photos of your home and your insurance details somewhere easy to find? If not: Take photos of your home and keep the insurance details handy.
10. Do you have an emergency kit, and the SES number (132 500) saved in your phone? If not: Put an emergency kit together and save the SES number, 132 500.

A self-check, not an inspection. A good score does not mean your home cannot be damaged. Storms do not read checklists. Roof questions mostly "not sure"? That is normal: most people cannot see their roof properly from the ground.

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.