The door that sticks, the crack in the plaster, the shelf that never went up. With Halloween coming, here are the small jobs that haunt a house.

The evenings are drawing in and the curtains are back in use. Here is why poles sag on plasterboard walls, and what John fits across Ayrshire.

The clocks go back on Sunday 25 October. A sensible week to check the locks on your doors and windows. When to change a lock, and what John fits.

A sticking door or a window that will not lock turns into a cold, draughty house in October. The repairs worth doing now, and how John handles them.

A squelching lawn or a puddle that will not shift has a cause. Surface water and water in the soil are two different problems with two different fixes.

Puddles, rocking slabs and open joints show up in October. The cause is nearly always under the patio. Here is what to look for and how John builds one.

October rain shows up a tired driveway: sunken blocks, crumbling tarmac, water with nowhere to go. In almost every case the problem is underneath.

Autumn gales find every weak post and loose panel. What John repairs, why you may not need a whole new fence, and what makes a repair stay up.

A slipped slate or failed flashing is far easier to deal with in October than in the middle of winter. The signs to look for on an Ayrshire roof.

The first cold snap shows where the house leaks heat. Where draughts get in, why DIY strips peel off, and how John seals doors, windows and letterboxes so it lasts.