How to Winterproof Your Chorley Property

Looking after your property asset in Chorley, Preston or Leyland and looking after your tenants goes hand-in-hand. Completing these maintenance jobs will not only protect your property from whatever weather Winter will throw at it but will also make it more pleasant to live in for your tenants. Remember: happy tenants become long-term tenants. 

🏠 Boilers

You don’t want to discover that your boiler has packed in on the day your tenants go to turn the heating on.  Ask your tenants to test the heating in advance, before the cold sets in, to ensure there are no faults with the boiler.  The heating function has most likely been switched off all summer and most faults occur when the heating is switched back on for the first time, usually when the temperature really drops.  Give yourself time to sort out any problems by having it serviced now before it has to start working hard throughout the Winter.

🏠 Radiators

To ensure that your property’s central heating system is working as efficiently as possible make sure that you bleed your radiators. Check your tenants know how to do this. It's worth bearing in mind that bleeding radiators can drop the pressure in the boiler, if it drops too far it can stop the boiler working and produce an error code.  This can often be rectified by topping up the water in the system.  Therefore if your boiler has a top-up tap it's worth making sure your tenants know about this and know how to use it properly.

🏠 Pipes

Using lagging to protect your pipes from freezing and bursting can save you from a nasty headache on a cold Winter morning. Make sure your tenants know where the water stop tap is in the property in case of an emergency.

🏠 Insulation

This is one of the best ways to help your tenants reduce their energy bills this Winter and improve your property’s EPC rating. Ensuring that your loft is well insulated helps to keep the heat in your property. 

🏠 Draft

Use insulating strips or re-apply caulk around your windows if you can feel a draft.

🏠 Gutters

Blocked gutters can cause a lot of damage to your property so make sure that you clean them out regularly, especially during the next few weeks while the leaves are falling.

🏠 Fence

Make sure you fix your rickety fence before the Winter winds blow it down. 

🏠 Roof

Make sure that you replace any cracked or missing roof tiles to make sure that your property stays watertight even in the harshest Winter storms. 

🏠 Chimney

Check that your lead flashing or pointing and mortar is in good condition. Heavy rain and a poorly looked after chimney can result in water dripping into your property damaging your walls, paint and wallpaper. 

🏠 Insurance

The most common insurance claims during Winter are claims for water damage from burst pipes, storm and flood damage claims and burglary claims. Take some time to ensure that your insurance policy covers damage from extreme weather to make sure that your property is covered no matter what happens. 

If you would like to know more about how we can help you to manage your property in Chorley, Preston, Leyland and the surrounding areas then please do give us a call on 01772 284606 and we will be delighted to help you.