How winter could cost you £28,000
Failing to prepare your home for winter could leave you with a large hole in your wallet. But fear not, there are a number of simple actions you can take to prevent this from happening.
Although the weather has been relatively warm recently, temperatures are sure to drop over the coming months, perhaps bringing heavy rain and snow.
The £25,000 threat to your home
Freezing temperatures can cause all sorts of trouble for homeowners, with one of the main problems being frozen pipes.
According to insurance company AXA, the cost of the average insurance claim for a burst pipe is £25,000.
With the number of ‘escaped water’ claims increasing by 50% in the last two years, thousands of homes have been damaged due to pipe problems.
What every homeowner needs to know
There are many ways in which you can prevent your pipes from bursting while you are away from home, even if you are only gone for a few days.
Keep your heating on at a low level so that warm water is continuously flowing through the pipes, preventing them from freezing.
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You may worry about your energy bills increasing, but doing this can ensure that the pipes don’t freeze and burst, which could cause thousands of pounds worth of damage.
Head up into your attic and make sure that the pipes there, and in your property’s crawl spaces, are insulated, as these pipes are the most likely to freeze.
It can also be a good idea to leave cupboard doors under kitchen and bathroom sinks open so that warmer air can circulate around the pipes.
Before you go away, turn off the mains water supply at the stopcock. However, don’t do this if you have a combi boiler that requires constant mains pressure.
If you’re going away for a long time, drain your cold water system so that there is nothing in the pipes to freeze.
Deter thieves
Burglaries increase over the winter months as thieves take advantage of the cover of darkness. If your home is targeted, you could be left severely out of pocket.
According to research from Churchill, when a home is burgled, the average amount stolen is £3,288.
You can deter thieves by putting some lights in your home on timers, so that they come on for a few hours in the evening and then turn off again.
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Make sure that all of your windows and doors are locked before leaving the house, even if you only do so for a few minutes.
Remember not to leave valuables on show and, if you can afford to do so, fit a burglar alarm. If you already have one, make sure you turn it on when you leave the house.
Make sure you’re covered
Even if you take all of these steps, there is still a chance that the worst could happen, so it is important that you have the right form of cover in place.
Home insurance can ensure that, if your home is damaged by escaped water or you are targeted by burglars, your belongings can be replaced and your property repaired.
Now could be a good time to reassess your sum insured. Go from room to room in your house adding up how much it would cost to replace all of your belongings, the total is the number you need to submit to your insurance company as the sum insured.
If your current home insurance policy is set to come to an end relatively soon, don’t just accept the renewal quote from your insurer. Shop around and make sure you get the best policy for you, at the lowest price.
**This material is for information purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. We strongly encourage our readers not to rely solely on this content, but to seek independent advice when making financial decisions.**
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