When a pipe bursts, a fitting blows off, or a tap fails badly, water can flood rooms in minutes. In that moment, the difference between knowing and not knowing where your main shut-off valve is can literally be thousands of litres.

If you know its location, you can run straight to it and cut off the supply, limiting the damage to a small area. If you don’t, you waste precious time searching or calling someone while water keeps pouring.

Even for planned work, like servicing a geyser or replacing a tap, shutting off the water safely is step one. You don’t want to rely on guesswork or flimsy local valves that may or may not hold.

So, as soon as you move into a place, ask or find out: where is the main valve? Is it easy to reach? Does it actually turn freely, or is it stuck? It’s one of the most important pieces of information about your home.