With the weather being more unpredictable than ever, is your guest house ready for winter?

Protecting your property can offer peace of mind and following our tips below can help reduce the risk of things going wrong.

Yes, prevention is the best cure.

Proactive measures that reduce the risk of claims on guest houses:

Lag pipes to prevent freezing and therefore bursting (escape of water is the most common household claim)

• Clear your gutters to reduce the risk of water damage and ice dams
• Check your roof (safely or through a professional) for loose tiles, gaps or holes
• Trim back trees near your property to reduce the risk of storm damage
• If you’ve got a log burner: is it time for a chimney sweep? Most insurers require this to be done annually
• Do you know where your stopcock is located if you need to turn off your water as an emergency?
• If you take a winter holiday, keep the heating on low, or drain the water.
• Save your insurance claims numbers

Taking these small actions can help reduce the likelihood of things going wrong and you needing to claim.