The gutter along the north side of the house still sags in three places.

I know this because I marked them with a wax pencil after the storm last October. I also wrote a list: replace the rusted screws, sort out the loose elbow, fit a second downpipe and get some proper leaf guards.

The list was very clear. The gutter wasn’t fixed.

We haven’t had much rain lately so it’s been easy to ignore. A gutter that doesn’t work is no trouble at all when there’s no water going through it. Then the first proper autumn storm arrives and every bad angle suddenly matters.

Last time that happened, water poured over one corner of the roof and the tank turned brown within minutes. The pump choked on whatever had made it through and we spent the rest of the evening moving barrels around and waiting for the grit to settle.

I don’t want to do that again.

We’ve started checking the AEMET weather warnings more often but a warning won’t clear the downpipe or stop dirty water reaching the tank. By the time heavy rain appears in the forecast, half the village seems to be looking for the same screws, sealant and bits of pipe.

So this week I got the ladder out.

The leaf guard I made from scrap mesh last year had folded in on itself. It had caught some leaves but it had also created a solid lump of dust, twigs and bits of old almond blossom. I pulled it out in one piece and threw it away.

The elbow at the end of the gutter was still loose. I’d pushed it back into place so many times that the plastic had worn around the joint. It looked fine until I touched it. Then it came away in my hand.

That explained where some of the water had gone.

Jamie helped me run water through the downpipe with the hose. At first nothing came out. Then a thick plug dropped into the barrel below it and covered both of us in black water. There was no point pretending that hadn’t been funny.

The long section of gutter is harder. The fall is wrong so water sits in the middle instead of running towards the downpipe. I can improve it by moving the brackets but the fascia behind them isn’t in great condition. Tightening one part too much could pull another part loose.

That’s where the half-finished-house problem usually starts. A small repair reaches something older and the job changes while you’re doing it.

For now, we’ve replaced the worst screws and lifted the lowest section slightly. The water runs better than it did. It’s still not right but at least it moves.

The tank needed looking at as well. We use a first-flush pipe to keep the dirtiest water out when rain begins. It works as long as somebody remembers to empty it and check that the valve hasn’t stuck.

It had stuck.

I cleaned it out and raised the draw point inside the tank so we’re less likely to pull sediment straight into the pump. We’ve also put two empty barrels beside the downpipe. If the first water comes off the roof looking like tea again, we can divert it until it clears.

None of this makes the house storm-proof. Water will still find the low places around the terrace and the road will probably wash more stones down towards the gate. We know where most of it goes now though.

There’s one damp mark inside that we’re watching. It’s below an old roof repair and it hasn’t changed during the dry weather. I’ve drawn a pencil line around it so we’ll be able to see if it spreads when the rain starts.

The gutter list is still on my phone. The second downpipe hasn’t been fitted and one bracket needs replacing rather than tightening again.

We’ve done enough to run the hose over the roof without the pump giving up.

The first real test will come when the rain does.