If you don’t protect your property against the elements this winter, your home insurance claims could be rejected.
While the idea of carrying out some home maintenance may seem very unappealing at this time of year, this is exactly the time you need to deal with a few basic jobs.
If your guttering becomes blocked due to leaves, or if you fail to get your chimney swept, this could result in damage to your property from an overflow of water or a chimney fire.
Should this happen, you could find you’re not covered by your home insurance, as you have a duty of care to look after your property to a reasonable degree.
Here’s our guide to getting your home ready for the harsher weather: by taking a few simple precautions now, you can save both time and money in the long-run.
Check the roof and clear the gutters
Claims due to poor or damaged roofs or guttering are unlikely to be covered by your buildings insurance policy, as they are considered general wear and tear.
For this reason, it’s crucial to check the roof and chimney for unsafe tiles and cracks, and check the gutters and drains for leaks and blockages such as leaves.
You also need to check that downpipes and supporting brackets are secure, and keep an eye on flat roof areas for any puddles that could potentially cause leaking.
“If you suffer leaks and do not take steps to get the problem rectified before the leak causes damage, you may find you are not covered,” warns Nick Dear from insurer More Than.
You also need to get your chimney swept once a year. This will reduce the risk of fire in the flue, and stop poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide from entering the home.
Reduce the risk of burst pipes
When pipes freeze, they can crack and burst, allowing water to escape through the house.
Water can cause a huge amount of damage to ceilings and walls, as well as furniture and carpets, and the cost of repairs can run into tens of thousands of pounds.
Ensure pipes and tanks are in a good state of repair and turn off the water supply to outside taps to prevent them from freezing. Check the insulation on your water pipes and the lagging on your cold water tank.
“If pipes are in the loft, open up the loft hatch to let warmer air circulate,” says John O’Roarke from insurer LV=. “Know where your stop tap is and check you can turn it off easily in an emergency.”
Also repair any dripping taps and faulty ball valves.
“Leave the central heating system on for short periods of time throughout the day,” says Asia Yasir from insurer Esure. “This will prevent water in your pipes from freezing.”
If your property is likely to be empty for a while over the winter, consider draining the heating and water system; also leave contact details with a neighbour.
Service your boiler
Make sure you get your boiler serviced annually to reduce the likelihood of a breakdown, but check that your engineer is on the gas safety register.
You might want to consider boiler insurance from a provider such as British Gas, HomeServe, the AA and Npower.
This usually includes free repairs, and sometimes an annual service, but cover does wary widely so read the small print or read our article ‘Is boiler and heating cover worth it?’
Home emergency cover
Check your home insurance is up to date, and that you are covered for the full value of your contents.
Also be aware that as not all standard home policies cover you for domestic disasters, you may want to take out home emergency cover.
This generally covers boiler breakdown, along with emergencies relating to the main heating system, plumbing and drainage, roof damage, as well as domestic power supplies.
Once again, wording will vary between policies, so you need to scour the small print; premiums also vary, so make sure you shop around.
