COMMENT
Twelve Tips To Protect Your Home

By Alison Hunt (TMFAlly)
October 11, 2005

The Met Office is predicting a colder-than-average winter this year for much of Europe. And, as the UK has experienced relatively mild winters over the last ten years, it seems we can look forward to "a winter colder than those experienced since 1995/6".

Although this is good news for those who love the cold, spare a thought for your house (and your wallet, too!). Many of us have discovered the hard way just how expensive winter months can be. Broken pipes, fallen trees and damaged roofs are just a few of the problems you can encounter, which create stress and expense for all involved.

Of course, we all know that "prevention is better than cure", and a few hours spent preparing for colder weather could save us a fortune. But how many of us actually do anything? Halifax Home Insurance has pointed out while motorists must pay almost £45 each year for an MOT for their cars, few of us would think to do the same for our homes.

As a result, Halifax Home Insurance has come up with a twelve-point MOT checklist for houses. It believes that, by following these tips, homeowners could save thousands of pounds in the long run. Essentially, this exercise involves an annual test of your home to make sure that your property is ready for harsher weather during the autumn and winter months.

Halifax Home Insurance's MOT Checklist

1. Roof Check for and secure any loose tiles.

2. Garden and outbuildings Fasten doors and gates and secure all loose items.

3. Guttering Check for blockages and ensure a firm fit to your house.

4. Trees Check for low-hanging branches or unstable root structures.

5. Heating Set to at least 10°C to prevent pipes from freezing.

6. Heating appliances Get an expert to check that gas fires, boilers and central heating are in full working order.

7. Loft Check that the loft is properly insulated, but there is adequate ventilation.

8. Chimney Check that the chimney is free from a build-up of soot - if necessary, have it professionally swept.

9. Curtains Check the thickness of your curtains thicker curtains keep more heat in.

10. Emergency kit Be prepared for an emergency. A basic emergency kit should include items such as a torch or candles, matches, bag of salt/grit, important documents, shovel, back-up heating appliance, etc.

11. Insurance Check that your insurance covers home emergencies and keep the number of your provider to hand.

12. Communication Use the local radio service for up-to-date weather forecasts.

It's also a good idea to check that your central heating is working properly, if you haven't already. Trying to call out an engineer in a few weeks' time (when everyone else is also having problems with their heating) will be much harder! And remember to follow these energy-saving tips around the home to keep your energy bills as low as possible, too.

Go on, get that ladder out and spend a bit of time giving your home an MOT. You'll be glad you did!

More: Find a cheaper energy supplier with uSwitch in our Get Out Of Debt Centre.