Why is my home doing that? A symptom finder for the ten common complaints

Houses speak in symptoms. The trick - and this page is the trick - is matching what you are seeing to the page that actually explains it, instead of guessing from a forum at midnight. Find your symptom below; each one links the desk's full diagnosis. General information throughout: if anything smells of gas, or electrics are scorching or buzzing, stop and call a professional now.

Find your symptom

A damp patch low on the wall, worse in winter: almost always condensation finding a cold corner - the three damp types and how to tell them apart are on which damp is it?

A damp patch high on the wall, or one spot that never dries: that pattern points to a leak or penetration, not lifestyle - how small leaks ripple explains why the stain is bigger than the drip.

A tap that drips: usually a worn washer or cartridge, and one of the cheapest honest fixes in the house - the dripping tap, fixed (and the cost logic in DIY or call someone).

The sink drains slowly: a forming blockage, not a mystery - clear it before it becomes a callout: the slow-draining sink.

The breaker keeps tripping: the circuit is protecting you; the page explains the three usual culprits and the point where you stop: the tripping breaker. Any scorch marks, buzzing or burning smell moves you to the warning signs page and a phone call.

A musty smell that cleaning never touches: hidden moisture, usually ventilation - the pattern and the fixes: ventilation that works.

One room that never gets warm: heat is leaving somewhere it should not - start with draught-proofing done right, then the glass maths in single glazing payback.

Radiator hot at the bottom, cold at the top: air in the system, and a bleed key's job - bleed a radiator.

The fridge runs but food is warm: usually the coils, the door seal, or the defrost - diagnose in order: fridge not cold.

The washing machine will not drain: almost always the filter or the pump path - washer won't drain.

When the symptom is bigger than the page

Some signs end the DIY conversation immediately: gas smell, repeated breaker trips with nothing plugged in, a ceiling bulging with water, cracks through brickwork, anything inside the fuse board or boiler. Those are professional calls - and part of owning a home is having the money ready for them, which is what the emergency repair fund is for. Everything else on this page is knowledge you can act on tonight.