subject: Unoccupied Property Insurance – How to Prepare Your House for Winter [print this page] Unoccupied Property Insurance How to Prepare Your House for Winter
Okay, so most sensible landlords are covered by unoccupied property insurance, but who wants the bother of an empty property being damaged by the elements. So, to help not having to use the unoccupied property insurance, landlords can help themselves by getting their house ready for winter. Unoccupied property lies at the mercy of a cold winter, but there are a number of things that can help mitigate against the worst of the elements. Firstly, it's all about insulation. If your house is not insulated to the required standard, a. you won't attract the best tenants and b. your house is vulnerable during the cold months. So, create a checklist for yourself and get your property snug. For example, is the loft insulation to the required depth and of the right kind? Would your property benefit from good wall insulation? Is double-glazing fitted and if so, is it modern? Advances are being made in glazing all the time, so don't rely on old windows. Next, and this is another important point when trying to keep claims down against your unoccupied home insurance, take a walk around your property and give it a critical eye. Look at the roof, are there slates missing? If so, replace these immediately, as water from rain, or snow, will quickly render insulation worthless. Check-out the gutters; if blocked, then water could be damaging rendering and brickwork, so
these need to be regularly cleaned out. And don't forget the doors. Houses which boast double glazing, but have ill-fitting doors, are still seriously prone to the wintry conditions. And don't forget your foundations? Is there any water pooling around the start of the walls? If so, if it's not removed, then it could result in rising damp. Another big thing to check is the boiler and central heating system. Before shutting it down properly and if needed, draining the boiler and system, get a Gas Safe Registered engineer in to give it the once over. Remember that you can't check, or indeed fix, a boiler yourself. That's illegal. Only registered engineers can do that. So get a professional in and get them to check out the whole system while they are there. Basically, check the system for leaks, funny noises, radiators which don't warm properly and anything else that will cause problems when a property is empty and cold. The more thorough you are in getting this done, the easier it will be for your tenants when they arrive and the whole system is switched back on again. And that's a good start. Okay, it does take time and okay, you might have to spend a little money, but precautions like these should mean that you don't have to call upon your unoccupied property insurance policy too many times.
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