Preparing For The Winter with Unoccupied Property Insurance

Unoccupied property insurance isn’t just a nice to have: it’s very much a must. Any property that’s standing empty faces a whole host of risks and the last thing that you want is for damage to be caused and you to be out of pocket.

While unoccupied property insurance matters the whole year through, winter brings its own set of challenges and risks. It’s this time of the year when it’s vital to get the appropriate cover in place and to protect your assets. Whether you have a second home, a holiday property or a buy-to-let that’s currently experiencing a void, we’re going to explore just why unoccupied property insurance is a must.

The risks posed by winter to your unoccupied property

Unoccupied property insurance really does come into its own as we enter the winter months. Yes, there are risks faced by mothy properties 12 months of the year but the reality is that winter tends to make things that little bit worse. Let’s take a look at some of the increased risk factors that your empty property could be facing:

Flood damage

The UK weather has always had a reputation for being a little unpredictable, to say the least, but winter months have become a whole new beast over recent years. Floods have become commonplace and, if you’re in an area where you’re at an increased risk, unoccupied property insurance really is a must. Imagine the floods coming during the winter months, you discover that your property has been flooded and you realise that you have no cover. That’s not a position that anyone wants to find themselves in.

Burst pipes

Flood and water damage isn’t caused exclusively by high levels of rain. The freezing temperatures also come into play and cause havoc with water pipes. As these pipes freeze and thaw repeatedly, the end result is often that the pipe bursts and your empty property is damaged.

Without unoccupied property insurance in place, any damage caused by these burst pipes becomes a major problem for you. You face the expense of any repairs to your own property as well as the potential to foot the bill for damage caused to neighbouring properties.

Vandalism

With winter we also get those longer nights. As the hours of darkness increase the risk of damage being caused to an empty property increases. There are those who use the lack of daylight to try and hide their actions. Things that they wouldn’t have done in broad daylight seem that more appealing when their identities are hidden.

The costs of vandalism can vary hugely. It could be that you’re just left with a broken window to deal with and maybe a spot of graffiti. It could, however, lead to gas pipes being damaged and even an explosion. The lack of unoccupied property insurance in this scenario would be nothing short of devastating.

The impact of high winds

Okay, so high winds aren’t confined to the winter months but everything seems to be worse during this time. With the winds blowing a gale there’s always the risk that a roof tile could fall. This may break a car window or it could cause someone a significant injury.

Getting the right unoccupied property insurance in place can protect you here. You can take out public liability insurance as part of your policy and find yourself covered for these kinds of mishaps and more.

Steps to protect your unoccupied property

While unoccupied property insurance is a must, there are still steps that you can take to minimise the risk of any problems occurring during the winter. These simple steps can make a significant difference:

Check - If your property is unoccupied then, come winter, you need to be checking for any leaking pipes. This should be a regular check that’s made and if you can’t do it yourself you need to find someone else who you can trust

Heating - With the energy crisis in full flow the last thing that anyone wants to be doing is leaving the heating on in an empty property. However, having the heating on at a low level is the best protection against frozen pipes. Having this on a timer can offer your property a great level of protection

Insulate - Any steps that you can take to insulate pipes will be time well spent. Insulating these pipes is one of the cheapest steps that you can take to add a degree of protection to your empty property

Consider an alarm - Having an alarm at your unoccupied property doesn’t just disturb any would-be vandals. Seeing an alarm box on the outside of a property can also prove to be a great deterrent

Who needs unoccupied property insurance?

As the winter approaches, now is the time to consider whether unoccupied property insurance is something that you need. Just some of the situations where this cover could be right for you include:

Your buy-let is currently experiencing a void period

You own a holiday home

You’ve bought a new home but don’t plan to move in just yet

You’re waiting for probate

You travel for long periods of time

Your home is being renovated and you’re unable to live there just now

Many people will assume that unoccupied property insurance is just aimed at landlords but, as you can see, there are a variety of situations where this cover is a must.

Don’t get caught short

You may have a standard insurance policy in place and think that it has you covered. However, with most of these policies if your property is vacant for more than 30 days then they are invalidated. That simply means that you’re not covered and your provider won’t pay out.

There is no reason to leave yourself in a position facing such a risk. Simply get in touch with us at Highworth Insurance and let us talk you through the options that exist. with the appropriate unoccupied property insurance in place, you’ll have added peace of mind this winter.