MoneyMagpie Editor and financial expert Vicky Parry warns of essential winter maintenance to do now before an expensive problem develops.
Whether you’re a homeowner or tenant, there are things you can do to reduce the risk of expensive emergency repairs during the winter period.
Following the MoneyMagpie checklist now will help you spot potential issues that are easily fixed, before they become large and expensive problems.
Walk around your property inside and out
Take a couple of hours to walk around your home. Start with inside, studying all the corners and been-meaning-to-do jobs in each room. Take note of things like discolouration or bulging walls (which could indicate damp), mouldy patches, and draughty zones.
Outside, make sure you check pathways, external pipes, gutters, roof, and brickwork for signs of disrepair. Tenants should alert their landlord as soon as they spot a problem. Look for cracked pathways or bricks, slipped roof tiles, overflowing or cracked gutters, and external pipes that are not suitably protected against the cold.
If pipes are exposed
When the temperature drops and we’re facing freezing temperatures, it’s essential to make sure your pipes aren’t going to freeze. If they do, this causes the pipe to expand and can then crack, leading to leaks. The good news is that it’s a very cheap fix to avoid a potentially hugely expensive problem. Wrap with lagging foam or tape, which costs a few pounds from most hardware shops and online.
Call a chimney sweep
Practice fire safety in the home if you have an open fire or a log burner. Make sure you’re using suitable kindling and burn material, and don’t be tempted to burn your Christmas tree trimmings or pine cones. The sap can build up and cause sparks.
Similarly, if you have open fires in your home, call a chimney sweep. Keeping your chimney clean doesn’t just make having open fires more pleasant and less sooty, it’s a safety issue. Soot can build up and become a fire hazard – and sometimes, fires can start behind the wall without you noticing until it’s too late. Spend a little to remain safe and avoid disaster.
Stock up on rock salt
This tip is as much about protecting yourself against liability as it is against your own injury. Keep a tub of rock salt by your front or back door and when temperatures are dropping, be sure to sprinkle some on pathways to your home.
Falls on ice can cause nasty injuries that cause people to miss months of work – broken legs and hips can leave you laid up for a long time. Prevention is cheap, a 350g tub of rock salt starts from £1.25 at Sainsbury’s, and could save you a lot of financial and physical pain.
With many of us relying on deliveries more in winter months too, protecting yourself against liabilities is also important, and sprinkling salt before the ice hits will help couriers and other visitors safely navigate their way to your home.
Take your car for a free winter check
Make sure your car is running safely before you take it out in adverse weather. Halfords offer a free five-point winter check (15-point for Halfords Club Members) which makes sure the essentials on your car are in working order, such as your tyres.
Remember also to make sure your lights are all in working order, your screenwash is topped up, and you have de icer available in your car to use at short notice. Keep a dustpan brush or similar soft bristled brush (not wire) in the boot for snowy days, to brush snow from your car roof before you drive off.
Reduce energy bills
Finally, reduce your rising energy bills this winter with proper draught proofing. Draught excluders by your doors, draught tape around doors and windows, and using thermal curtains can all make a huge difference.
Some of the brands and websites we mention may be, or may have been, a partner of MoneyMagpie.com. However, we only ever mention brands we believe in and trust, so it never influences who we prioritise and link to.
