Your home has to be protected.  Unfortunately things like burst pipes can happen to any of us and dealing with the consequences can be very distressing and costly.

Prevention is better than cure and you can take some simple measures to ensure that the risk of damage to your property is minimised.  Any damage to your house, close or garden must be reported to us without delay.

You can prevent frost damage and burst pipes by:

• Setting the thermostat on your heating to at least 10 degrees centigrade
• Leaving internal doors open to allow air to circulate
• Contacting us if you are going away for a long time and intend to leave the house unheated

If you do have a burst or frozen pipe:

• Turn off the water at the stopcock
• Switch off the electricity at the mains in case water comes into contact with electrical fittings or wiring
• Turn off all the taps and make sure plug holes are not blocked
• Let us know by contacting the office or the out of hours emergency numbers
• Let your neighbours who maybe affected know

Condensation is a common problem and usually appears on cold, outside walls and in areas where air does not circulate well.  You can help to reduce condensation by:

• Using your heating system efficiently
• Open wall and window vents
• Using extractor fans
• Making sure that cupboard, or wardrobes are not overfilled to allow air to circulate
• Drying clothes out of doors whenever possible
• Making sure your tumble dryer is connected to an outside vent or has a condenser
• Keeping your kitchen and bathroom doors closed to prevent steam from spreading through the house.

If condensation is a problem, please do not hesitate to contact our office, where our staff will be able to give your advice.

When you sign your tenancy agreement for your property, our Housing Services Officer will advise you that it would be in your best interests to insure your personal belongings, including decoration and floor coverings.

Details of a Home Contents Policys are available at out office.  Please contact us on 01389 721216 or by clicking here to request a copy of the SFHA Diamond Insurance Home Content form.