Homeowners issued warning to check these six key things before winter

With autumn fast approaching Tarquin Purdie, founder and CEO of HaMuch has revealed the six things homeowners should check before temperatures plunge even lower as we head towards the cold winter months.

He said: “It can be easy to neglect our homes during the warmer summer months, but September is certainly the time to act whilst the days remain fairly long and the temperature is yet to drop.

“Prevention is always better than cure when it comes to maintaining a property and money aside, the last thing you want is for your boiler to pack up mid-winter.

“One task in particular could save you thousands of pounds and that’s checking for Japanese Knotweed. During the winter months, it tends to die off like most plant life, which can make it hard to detect and give the impression that you’re knotweed-free.

“This simply isn’t the case as it continues to spread below the surface and so neglecting it until the following spring could devalue your home substantially.”

The six key things all homeowners should check this autumn

Boiler and radiator health

Now is the ideal time to check on the health of your boiler and radiators, as waiting till the cold winter months sweep in could leave you without heat during these freezing temperatures.

To start your boiler and radiator check-up you should begin by going around your house and bleeding all the radiators to ensure they’re functioning properly and efficiently.

Following this it’s time to book your boiler in for a health check, which usually costs around £100, and if an issue is found, repairs can cost a further £100-£800 depending on the severity.

This may seem like an unnecessary expense but it’s nothing compared to the costs you’ll endure if unchecked issues are allowed to worsen, with replacement boilers costing around £2,750 and faulty boilers thought to reduce a home’s value by an average of -1.9%.

Insulation, windows and doors

Alongside your boiler check, it’s also time to cast a careful eye over your home’s insulation, checking your loft and wall insulation and making sure your windows and doors are secure, as this will vastly improve our property’s energy efficiency and, therefore, household bills.

For the windows, you’ll need to keep an eye out for cracks and general wear and tear in the frames, especially if they’re wooden. Trickle vents should also be checked for proper function with newer windows.

Tarquin has also stressed the importance of checking your water pipe and boiler insulation as well to ensure valuable heat isn;t being lost at the source.

You may need to spend around £200-£300 to get all of these things professionally checked and repaired, but this is just a fraction of what you’ll pay in energy and repair costs if these are allowed to worsen.

Damp and mould

Damp and mould are serious issues in the home. Not only do they pose potential structural problems if left unattended, but they’re also terrible for your health, and the longer they’re left the more it’ll cost to solve this problem.

To repair minor damp and mould problems, you’re looking at a cost of around £175 for damp treatment, and £300 per room for mould repair. If you fail to address these issues, dampness and mould are known to reduce the price a buyer is willing to pay for a home by an average of -7.5%. Based on the average house price, this is a cash loss of -£21,594.

Brickwork and gutters

Before the winter rain sets in it’s important to check the pointing on your home’s external brickwork, if this is inadequate or incomplete it can let water in and become a series problem. Tarquin suggests that if there are any problems then it’s well worth paying for a professional repointing, which should cost £55 per square metre.

And while you’re outside, take a moment to check that your gutters and drains are all clear of leaves and other debris that might cause a clog, replacing any cracked pipes along the way.

The roof

Cracked or missing tiles can cause big issues for a home, from water ingress, to heating loss, and even unsafe structural issues. An inspection should cost you about £250, but it’s money incredibly well spent.

Japanese knotweed

Knotweed is one of the UK’s most invasive and destructive plants and is the stuff of nightmares for homeowners, especially those planning to sell their home in the next few years.

Acting fast to remove Japanese Knotweed is pivotal as the longer it’s left, the more destructive and expensive it becomes. It typically costs around £1,000-£2,000 to remove this invasive plant but this is far better than leaving it be.

During the winter months, Japanese Knotweed goes dormant, with the plant itself dying back to ground level and turning brown. But don’t be fooled into thinking it’s gone, the underground rhizomes remain active and continue to spread, meaning it’s a vital task to remove it before winter, rather than waiting until next spring or summer.