Protecting your holiday home from storm damage

Last Updated on February 1, 2016 by admin

It’s turning into a very British winter; rain has battered the country in recent weeks with an estimated £1.3 billion of storm damage and flood damage already caused to domestic properties and businesses.

If you’ve been lucky enough to escape storm damage to your holiday home, now is the time to increase the chances of that luck continuing by being proactive in taking preventative measures and hopefully avoid a holiday home insurance claim.

We explain a few things you should be doing in order to minimise the risk of your property becoming a victim of the inclement weather…

Flooding – sign up for warnings from the Environment Agency

Flooding can happen quickly, so it’s essential that you’re prepared. The first thing you should do is, find out if you can receive flood warnings. In areas of high flood risk, the Environment Agency offers a service called Floodline Warnings Direct. This is a free, 24 hour service that sends automated flood warnings by telephone, SMS text, email, fax or pager.

If you live away from your holiday home it’s essential you are familiar with the weather conditions, and any potential threat of flooding.

Conduct visual checks of your property

The forestry commission estimates that up to 30 million trees across the UK may have been blown down during last year’s storms.

They may be sturdy; they may even have been there for years and years, but nearby trees are vulnerable and can do significant damage to your holiday home and anything that stands in their way.

Check nearby trees for any damage, and clear away any fallen branches.  If you do suspect that a tree is damaged or rotten, ensure you consult a professional tree surgeon.

Visitor parking

If there is a potential issue ensure guests park in an alternative position until the issue can be examined by a tree surgeon / contact a tree surgeon to prune back any loose or dead branches from trees.

Loose slates

Aside from tree branches, falling roof tiles account for the highest number of insurance claims caused by storm damage across the UK.

If there is visible damage to the slates on your holiday home roof you should speak with a professional as soon as possible.

Address Guttering and Drain Pipes

Problems arise when water can no longer escape.  Drains and guttering can become obstructed during periods of heavy and prolonged rain so ensure you’ve checked that all of your drains are free from debris (particularly leaves at this time of year) and that water can pass freely through them.

Garden furniture and ornaments

Whilst most people will have stored their garden furniture and trampoline away for the winter (if you haven’t then now is the time to do so!), it may be less obvious to move flowerpots or even garden gnomes if you have them!

Smaller items such as this, along with bird tables and feeders can smash windows if caught by the wind so ensure these are placed somewhere that they can’t do any damage.

Water features and outside taps 

We’ve recently seen temperatures as low as -10C across the UK.  Empty any water features you have so that any potential ice can’t crack the pipes or containers. Isolate the water supply to outside taps until Spring arrives.

In the garden shed

If your BBQ or any aluminium furniture is stored in a shed ensure that they are covered to protect them from corrosion and ensure the doors and windows are securely fastened to avoid them blowing open.

Do you have guests in your property?

If guests are staying in your holiday property during stormy weather ensure they know who to call should there be any damage.  Also take sensible measures such as advising them to use alternative parking if necessary (for example if a nearby tree is causing issues, or slates have fallen from the roof in that area).

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. For more information on how a specialist insurer can help and support your holiday home business, please give us a call on 01237 429444.