Homeowners urged to prepare for the "coldest winter"

11th October, 2005

With the Met office predicting the coldest winter in years, homeowners are being told to make sure they have a good buildings insurance policy on their property.

However, Halifax Insurance says that homeowners can avoid cashing in on their buildings insurance policy just yet, by simply taking its home MOT test.

It claims that taking simple precautions, such as checking the roof for loose tiles, making sure all doors and gates are fastened, and checking that all guttering is unblocked and securely fitted to the house, can save homeowners thousands of pounds.

Vicky Emmott, senior underwriting manager at Halifax Home Insurance, commented: 'Whilst it's the big weather events, such as the Carlisle floods and the tornado in Birmingham which make the headlines, frozen pipes, fallen trees and damaged roofs all torment UK households throughout the winter.'

She added: 'With home emergencies, prevention is certainly better than cure and many claims could be avoided if householders spent a small amount of time preparing their homes for the winter.'

Homeowners are also advised to look out for any nearby trees that may pose a danger to their property and that all heating systems are working properly, and are maintained at the correct heat.

They are also advised to take out a buildings insurance policy that offers them cover against all disasters, and to always keep the contact details of their buildings insurance provider close at hand.

 

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