It's summer, so there are a host of DIY jobs to do. And though decking, edging the lawn and wearing a ridiculous apron while getting stuck into a barbeque should be top of the list, look outside. Just look.

So, rainproofing your home: it's not as difficult as you'd think, and an afternoon spent pottering around in the drizzle making those vital checks could save a lot of property damage and the associated heartache later down the line. Especially since, as the Telegraph's go-to DIY man Jeff Howell notes, rain and electricity don't exactly mix.

"If your electrics are damaged, or you are worried about damage to them, then call out a qualified electrician," he notes. "Electricity is dangerous at the best of times and you put your family at risk if you go for a cheap and easy option."

And while you've got the electrician on the phone, ask him about raising all of your electrical components. It's a job that could save those in flood zones a lot of expensive rewiring as well as minimising the danger of wading around their home should an influx of water hit.

"If you live in an area at risk of flood, then have your sockets and fuse boxes raised by an electrician," Howell writes.

But rainproofing your home isn't just a case of putting those consumer units and switches and sockets closer to the ceiling. It's also important to get up on a ladder and ensure your gutters are clear and that water can flow easily down them, as well as your tiles and mortaring being solid enough to keep the water out.

"Mortar is a big issue," said Roofapedia.com's Nick Oldridge. "It's such a big issue that the NHBC, who are responsible for the building of new homes, have put a report out recently saying that they advise wherever possible that developers do not use mortar. Even with the best building skills in the world, mortar is a product which succumbs to building movement."