Interior winter maintenance tips for homeowners & landlords
Marie, Maintenance Manager at CPS Homes, offers a handful of useful maintenance tips to help homeowners and landlords better protect their property this winter...
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
We recently offered a few tips to help homeowners and landlords with important property winter maintenance checks that could offer protection to the exterior during the wet and windy wintry season, but of course, potential maintenance issues aren’t limited to just the outside of a home.
Issues can also arise inside the property, so this time we’re offering some winter maintenance tips that focuses on the interior of your property.
Doing all you can to either prevent issues from even happening in the first place, or by noticing them at an early stage and nipping them in the bud as soon as possible can help property owners save a lot of money and stress in the long run.
Maintenance inside the property
So, without further ado, let’s go ahead and take a look at a few things you should really keep on top of within the property:
The heating system
We’re sure the thought of having to spend time without a heating system in the depths of winter isn’t the very appealing, so ensuring the property’s boiler is in good working order before the winter fully hits is really important.
Carrying out annual boiler checks with a certified professional is important to ensure it’s in good condition, but it’s important to also be aware that should winter temperatures drop considerably, the boiler is at risk of freezing.
To avoid (or at least minimise) the risk of your boiler freezing, you should:
- Run the heating regularly (even if at a low temperature), or if you’re a landlord, remind your tenants to do so.
- Regularly bleed hot water radiators to prevent pockets of air entering and affecting the hot water from circulating properly.
- Service the boiler at least once per year with a gas safe registered engineer - ideally before winter really grips.
Security
Winter brings not only colder, windier weather, but also far less daylight hours. This brings a general increase in the level of property related crime, so it’s a good idea to do all you can to detract opportunists from taking a chance on your home. If you’re a landlord, this can be particularly important if you happen to be going through a void period. Even if there’s nothing of value inside the property, a theft attempt could still result in broken windows or doors.
Two of the best ways to reduce the risk of opportunistic property crime is by installing a CCTV system and/or making use of timed lighting systems. So, if you’re heading away on a skiing trip, spending Christmas elsewhere, or simply don’t get home until late, set the lights to turn on and off at certain times to at least make it appear as though someone may be home - as we all know, it’s pitch black by 4pm in the depths of winter!
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
It’s a great time to check your alarms are in good working order as the winter approaches. You should really be checking alarms regularly, monthly or ideally weekly, but it’s especially important during winter as people generally use heaters, electric blankets etc. a lot more which brings a greater risk of house fires. Many people also tend to spend more time at home during winter months so are typically using appliances more than during other times of the year.
For those who let out property, it’s actually a legal requirement for landlords to ensure working smoke detectors are installed on each floor of a property, and that a working carbon monoxide detector is present in any room that has gas, oil, or a solid fuel-burning appliance.
Read: Protect your rental property against the winter
List of emergency contacts
Perhaps the easiest thing we can do, but something that’s often overlooked, is putting together a list of emergency contact numbers that we can refer to when needed. Whether it’s a crisis or something you need checking or fixing, a list of local experts will always be handy!
When it comes to reputable local tradesmen it can be a good idea to get several numbers written down just in case the first or second you try are unable to offer help in time.
Emergency numbers you want to hand could include:
- Electricians
- Plumbers
- Builders
- Handymen
- Any property maintenance providers
- Locksmiths
- Letting agent (if a renter or landlord)
Here at CPS Homes, our knowledgeable team of real estate experts help buyers, sellers, renters, and landlords alike with their property or investment journey in Cardiff. To learn more about how we can help you with your journey, don’t hesitate to get in touch by calling 02920 668585, e-mailing enquiries@cpshomes.co.uk or by popping into one of our three Cardiff based branches.
