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Home Maintenance - what to do and what
to avoid!
Below are some helpful tips and advice to get you through the changing seasons and, fingers crossed, to help you avoid any unnecessary household bills.
Inside the home
It's important not to forget about making sure the inside of your home is secure and ready for any cold snaps that might come our way.
- Check all draught proofing around windows and doors is in good condition and replace any that is inefficient or missing.
- If you can afford to or have a maintenance contract, have the heating system serviced prior to the winter season.
- Bleed all the radiators around the home so they are working efficiently. A handy tip for keeping your heating working efficiently is to have all your radiators on at a low setting rather than switching off any in rooms you don't use. Switching off radiators can make your heating system work harder and in the long term will cost you more money on your energy bills.
- Take precautions if you are using portable electric or gas heaters, making sure they have sufficient clearance from surrounding surfaces and objects.
- Replace smoke alarm batteries and, if you don't already have one, install a carbon monoxide alarm.
- Make sure all capable adults in the household know where to turn off the water and gas supplies in the event of an emergency.
Don't forget, Diamond Home Insurance offers comprehensive cover with different levels of cover for you to choose from. Click here to find out more or to get a quote.
Diamond Home Insurance offers a number of key benefits that will give you the peace of mind that your home is protected.
Diamond Home Insurance policies come with all these benefits as standard:
- Family Legal Expenses Cover, up to £50,000
- Home Emergency Cover for the life of your policy
- Up to £1,000 cover for replacement locks if your keys are lost or stolen
- Up to £200 cover for your handbag
- Interest free instalments
You also have the option to choose the level of cover that is right for you from buildings insurance, content insurance or combined building and content insurance.
To find out more about Diamond Home Insurance and to get a quote, click here.
Outside the home
- Remove all debris and leaves from gutters, downspouts and grids. This will avoid heavy rain causing blockages and your guttering breaking off and needing replacing.
- Check paving and driveways for any cracks and repair them as they are spotted. If frost, ice or snow get in you'll end up with a much larger repair bill.
- Check any fencing panels and posts are in good condition and have been treated with a wood preserve. Again any heavy rain or frost can cause serious damage and could end with your whole fence needing replacing.
- Repair any loose or missing pointing and rendering on walls as this will allow water in the joints which can cause a lot of damage if it freezes.
- Give all padlocks and locks on sheds, etc a spray of WD40 or light oil to prevent them from seizing up.
- Check all pipes have sufficient protection against cold weather to prevent them from freezing; you can also use pipe insulation if necessary. This is a key area that people don't think about during the winter months and can cause large claims on your home insurance if pipes burst and flood your home.
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