Homeowners should prepare for winter

With some much of the UK's wealth held in property, homeowners have been urged to make sure they prepare their houses for the winter.

Sainsbury's Bank estimates that 56 per cent of the nation's wealth is tied-up in houses, yet many people may not be aware that damage caused to the property may not be covered by their existing home insurance policies .

According to Sainsbury's Home Insurance, 20 per cent residential property roofs are in need of repair or maintenance, particularly as the winter months tend to see the worst weather.

Steve Johnson, head of the firm said: With Winter approaching, the risk to homes from bad weather increases, but there is a lot that homeowners can do to reduce losses through the maintenance of their properties .

The home insurance provider advised homeowners to replace missing roof tiles, check drains and gutters, ensure that their chimneys are well maintained and to check the condition of insulation .

Vicky Emmott from Halifax Home Insurance recently said that prevention is certainly better than the cure when it comes to home emergencies.

According to the expert, many insurance claims are avoidable if households take time to prepare for winter conditions.