Lack of maintenance may mean your insurance is invalid

Now is a good time to check your property's condition indoors and out to make sure it's in good order, and that you don't end up with any unforeseen costs, or worse still, problems which insurers won't pay out on due to lack of maintenance.

Related topics:  Finance
Warren Lewis
18th June 2014
Finance

Not everyone is adept at DIY, and some jobs, by law, need a qualified professional. Propertychecklists.co.uk has joined forces with aspect.co.uk to offer a free checklist on maintaining a home so that you can clearly identify what work your home may require.

Will Davies of aspect.co.uk says

“At aspect.co.uk, we know there are cowboys and rogues out there that will suggest jobs which don't need doing, and overcharge for jobs which do. We've worked with Propertychecklists.co.uk to make sure homeowners and landlords can seek independent help to quickly work out what work is required.”

Kate Faulkner, who runs the independent property advice site Propertychecklists.co.uk, says:

“We are thrilled that aspect.co.uk is supporting our 'maintaining a home' checklist. Many homeowners don't realise that not maintaining their property properly can give insurance companies a reason for not paying out for disasters which could have been avoided. Once or twice a year, I check my properties to make sure there aren't any problems which could lead to damp, leaks, chimney fires or more serious consequences, such as carbon monoxide poisoning. Using our checklist means you can, in just 15 minutes, check your property from top to bottom.”

Top five maintenance checks to make on a property

Watch out for water! --- Water left on wood causes rotting which can be difficult to repair. Also keep an eye on your ventilation. High humidity causes mould and mould produces spores which lead to respiratory problems and ill health.

Bleeding your radiators --- if the top of your radiators feels a bit cold then there's a strong chance there's air in the system.  Bleeding your radiators is something you can do yourself or if you want to completely sort out your radiators you can have them power flushed by an engineer.

Keep an eye on your gas boiler pressure --- if it's frequently losing pressure get a qualified Gas Safe engineer to take a look.

Keep spare fuses --- if a portable appliance stops working it may be a blown fuse. You can replace these yourself with a small screwdriver. If there's something very wrong with your fusebox then get a registered NAPIT or NICEIC electrician out.

Check your gutters --- There was  a big uplift in leaking roofs after the storms this year. Sometimes the problem can be gutters filled with leaves and other rubbish that overflow with rain water.

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