How to guard buy to let property against winter weather

14 December 2009

Written by Jeni Browne

As temperatures are expected to drop this week, buy to let property owners may be interested to know how to keep houses safe and warm.

Freezing conditions can lead to burst pipes and strong winds can damage buildings and roofs, according to Confused.com.

Darren Black, head of home insurance at the company, said: "Prevention is certainly better than cure when it comes to an emergency".

He advised wrapping up any outside taps, lagging pipes and clearing out guttering to minimise disasters.

Cutting back trees or hedges could avoid damage to buy to let property from strong wind.

Boilers should be checked to ensure they are in good working order and heating should be left on if a property is going to be vacant, Confused.com recommended.

The Met Office predicts that it will feel bitterly cold, with temperatures in England between 0 and 4 degrees Celsuis towards the end of this week.

If pipes do freeze and burst, all property occupants should know the location of the water mains so that water can be quickly switched off, advised Confused.com.

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