Five top tips to keep your home safe during scorching heatwave – here’s how to avoid having to fork out thousands
AS TEMPERATURES across the UK are set to reach near record highs this coming week, here’s what you can do to help keep your home safe.
Lovely weather can be a perfect storm for household damage, so here are five of the hottest tips you need to keep your home secure and avoid spending thousands down the line.
The Met Office has issued an Amber Warning for next Sunday (17th July) and Monday (18th July) as the latest forecasts show a heatwave will hit the country.
In the South East of England, temperatures may exceed 35°C and while the rest of the country may be slightly cooler, temperatures of over 30°C should still be expected.
“It’s often a cold snap or the first storms of the year that bring issues for homeowners,” says Alex Cross, insurance director at Tesco Bank, “but winter isn’t the only time of the year that tenants and homeowners need to be careful.
“Hot weather can be an opportunistic burglar’s dream, so while we all get out and enjoy the summer sun, these are the key things to remember.”
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Ensure you’re covered with home insurance
It’s important to protect your home and what’s inside it by getting home insurance. As a homeowner, the biggest asset you have is probably your home, so you want to make sure you’re covered for any repairs or rebuilds that are required. Equally, having contents insurance means you’re covered if something goes wrong with your valuables, both in your home and garden.
Keep a close eye on any cracks
Cracks around your windows, doors or ceiling joints can be a tell-tale sign of subsidence. This is when the ground which supports your home starts to move, slide, or collapse and this tends to be more common after a spell of hot weather. Take a picture of any existing cracks around your home and use this to compare how they have might have changed over months or years. If you think that your home might be being impacted by subsidence, get on to your insurer to ask about the help you might need.
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Lock up your windows and doors
On a sweltering day, it’s tempting to leave your windows wide open to get a breeze through your home when you are out. However, if someone decides to take advantage of this, you might not be covered by your home or contents insurance for any damage or theft. Instead of leaving your windows and doors open when you’re out, close your curtains to block out the sun.
Pop your valuables under lock and key
A door or window left open while you are out in the garden can be all it takes for someone to swipe your valuables from the sideboard. And they might be able to nab your phone, wallet and keys in one take too. Lock away your valuables if you can, or at the very least place them away out of sight.
Keep your garden furniture safe
The sun starts shining and out comes our best garden furniture as we enjoy time with friends and family in the garden, but it can be worth thousands of pounds and needs to be safely stored. Lock away what you can at the end of the day and make sure that things like garden sofas, seats and BBQs are bolted down to prevent anyone making off with them.
Be BBQ safe
We all love a BBQ when the sun starts shining. But it’s important you know how to operate them safely to protect yourselves, your loved, friends, and of course, your home. The Fire Service has a full guide with BBQ Safety Advice which can be found here: https://www.fireservice.co.uk/safety/barbecue/