Preparing Your Home for Winter

Outside

1. Roof
   Make a visual check of your roof to make sure there are no slipped tiles. A gale could turn this into this into a hail of falling roof tiles. Check that your chimney pots aren't cracked or wonky and that the TV ariel is still firmly in place and not tilted at an angle.
2. Gutters and pipes
   Has leaf fall clogged your gutters – especially if there are trees close to your house? Blocked drain pipes and silted gutters can cause water to enter the roof space with consequent damage to ceiling and walls. Check out your local DIY store for gutter leaf guards especially if there are tall trees close to your home. If there is a freeze, the weight of ice and icicles can bring the gutters crashing down. Make sure your outside tap is turned off from inside the house, too, and the pipe drained to avoid a burst if it freezes.
3. Walls
   Make sure your damp proof course (a black line in the mortar two or three courses above ground level) isn't bridged with debris or soil. Trim any small trees or bushes that could break windows in a gale. Beware of trees close to the house – if they are getting out of hand, their roots could eventually cause subsidence. Have branches that are close to the house lopped, especially if they are dead.
4. Security
   Check that your security lighting and alarm are in full working order – that the sensors are working properly.
5. Garage / shed
   Make sure the locks on your garden shed and garage are in good working order and use them – especially if you are storing valuable items such as golf clubs, bikes and garden equipment.

Inside

1. Water
   Check your stop cock – you will probably find it under your kitchen sink, in the cloakroom or under the stairs. A poll by AA Insurance showed that more than a third of respondents didn't actually know where their stop-cock is! You might be surprised to learn that 'escape of water' inside the home is the single biggest cause of insurance claims – not floods entering your home from outside! If your hot water and bathroom taps are supplied from a roof tank, look in your airing cupboard or next to the tank in the roof for the shut off valves. Check the insulation of the pipes and tank in your roof – a really cold snap could cause the tank to freeze. Get your central heating boiler serviced.
2. Electrics
   Check plugs and sockets for cracks and damage. Have them replaced if necessary. Familiarise yourself with your 'consumer unit' (fusebox) too – make sure you have spare fuses to hand (if fitted) and that you know how to switch off the mains supply if necessary.
3. Alarms
   Change the batteries in your smoke alarms and check that they are working – or fit them if you don't have them. Fit one upstairs as well as downstairs – they are inexpensive and save lives. If you have an intruder alarm, have it serviced.
4. Windows and doors: Fit window locks if you don't have them – and use them! They should have removable keys. Check your door locks, too – including your patio doors. Some insurance policies insist on a five-lever mortice lock to BS 3621 on your main door, even if they don't, it's a good idea to have one fitted.
5. Insurance
   Make sure you are properly covered and any valuables or additions are included in your policy (for example, have you had a conservatory built?). When you need to make a claim is the wrong time to find you've forgotten to renew your policy!