Home and Contents Insurance. Keep your home in shape for insurance's sake
Home Your claim on home and contents insurance could be rejected if your insurer thinks it's a maintenance issue - this article tells you what to do to keep your home in shape.
Author: Emma
If you're a homeowner, then you
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We've put together a list of 10 top tips to help you keep your home at a good standard. They're easy to follow and you only have to do it once a year. We recommend springtime as the best because the winter weather causes most damage to properties with the constant wind, cold, rain and sleet/snow. Once the weather starts to get better, probably around Easter time, set aside a few hours to give your home its annual MoT. It could save you a lot of money if a problem has just occurred, and save you even more if insurance becomes an issue.
These ten tips will hold you in good stead:
• Inspect your gutters for blockages from leaves and other debris. In the autumn and winter your gutters are in constant use and it doesn't take long for them to fill up. If this does happen then water could start to penetrate the walls, resulting in costly decorating and other damp proof measures. Rather than do it yourself, as it can be quite dangerous, ask your window cleaner if he'll check them out.
• Walk around the house and, using binoculars if you have them, see if you can see any loose, cracked, or slipped tiles. If water starts to get into the roof space then it's only a matter of time before damp or rot sets in, ( medical insurance ) and don't forget you'll need to redecorate too. There's also the possibility that a loose tile could fall from the roof and cause an injury to you or a passer-by - definitely something to be avoided!
• Exterior paintwork shows the strain of the weather quite quickly, and you need to keep an ( car insurance cover ) eye on it to ensure the elements aren't finding a way into the woodwork. In summer, the heat causes woodwork to expand which makes the paint crack, in winter, the woodwork contracts again leaving gaping cracks open to the wind and rain. So if you see cracking, peeling or blistering then cover the areas up with a lick of paint.
• If you have an open fire and use it regularly then you need to have the chimney swept out ( cheap mortgages ) every year. Soot can build up and if it gets too severe, it could catch fire. In summer, soot absorbs damp, which won't do the brickwork in your chimney any good.
• Inspect the damp course to check it's still intact, and make sure you haven't got garden ( life insurance ) rubbish leaning against it. Grass clippings etc do not do your damp course any good, and over time it could fail, leaving your property open to damp and rot.