Make your property winter-ready
Prepare for the cold weather
Temperatures are starting to fall as we approach December, but is your home prepared for a cold snap?
Winter weather can cause all sorts of problems for property owners, ranging from frozen pipes to broken boilers and blocked drains.
Ryan Fulthorpe, home insurance expert at comparison site GoCompare, said: “We can all rejoice that this winter and Christmas will be a bit brighter than the last, as we are able to go out and about and see family and friends again. But that doesn’t mean we can forget the basics to get your house and home insurance ship shape ready for winter.
“Extreme weather conditions have become more commonplace in recent years, so knowing that you have the right cover in place if anything does go wrong can really put your mind at ease.”
Ryan Fulthorpe, home insurance expert at comparison site GoCompare, said: “We can all rejoice that this winter and Christmas will be a bit brighter than the last, as we are able to go out and about and see family and friends again. But that doesn’t mean we can forget the basics to get your house and home insurance ship shape ready for winter.
It’s also worth checking whether your home insurance policy includes home emergency cover, which as the name suggests provides you with protection if you have any urgent issues with your property that need sorting out immediately, such as your central heating conking out when you need it most.
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This type of cover can pay for the cost of call out fees which can quickly mount up, so if your policy doesn’t have it, you might want think about talking to your insurer about how much it would cost you to add it on.
Winter proof your home
It’s a good idea to take a few preventative measures to try to prevent weather-related problems at home too.
Andrew Elder, spokesman at digital home insurer Policy Expert, said: “The scale of potential damage caused by adverse weather conditions is enormous, but there are a number of simple steps that homeowners can take to safeguard their homes and minimise or avoid such damage altogether.” Mr Elder advised getting your boiler serviced before cold weather sets in, and identifying the optimal temperature to keep your house heated to in order to avoid frozen or burst pipes.
Making sure pipes and water tanks are properly lagged can help reduce the risk of them freezing. Pipe-lagging usually comes in foam strips and can be wrapped around vulnerable pipes to protect them.
You should also make sure your gutters are clear of debris to avoid water overflowing in the event of heavy rain or snowfall.
“As extreme weather events become more common, taking preventive action and putting comprehensive home insurance protection in place must become second nature to homeowners to safeguard their homes,” Mr Elder said.