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14th October 2011

The Big Chill is on its way

Long-term UK weather forecasts predict a cold few months ahead, with heavy snowfalls likely for November and December.  With this in mind, it is vital for landlords to ensure their properties are properly weatherproofed and ready to take on the elements.

Steena Lelliott, Property Manager at Martin & Co Folkestone, provides some useful tips on how to prepare your home for the colder months ahead, and some of the warning signs to look out for:

• Make sure you properly insulate your property, from lofts to cavity fillings to exclude draft, prevent heat lost and conserve energy. This should include draft- proofing all windows, doors and letterboxes.
• Check your pipes are insulated to protect from frost and to prevent heat loss. 
• Check your roof for missing tiles, and make sure the flashings to the chimney and around any skylight windows also look intact. 
• Unblock your drains and clear your guttering of any leaves, moss and vegetation. 
• You should have your boiler serviced once every year. When you have this done, it is a good idea to also consider having a powerflush undertaken as this will revitalise the system and increase the longevity of operation. It will allow the system to reach temperature far more quickly, thereby reducing fuel costs and putting less strain on the boiler. 
• Make sure all windowsills and door frames are properly coated and protected, with no rotting wood. Get any painting completed as soon as possible, once the wet and cold weather set in, they won’t dry as quickly.

Steena adds: “Preparing your home for the wetter and colder weather is critical, and property owners should not underestimate the work that needs to be undertaken. However, by keeping on top of this year after year, the tasks are unlikely to mount into bigger jobs and larger repair bills.

“Around this time of year, we begin to experience a huge spike in homeowners requesting estimates for maintenance and refurbishment work. This is all very encouraging and highlights the fact that property owners are seeking to protect their homes for the winter ahead.”