With Dylan hitting us on new year’s eve and Eleanor reaching the UK mainland on 3rd January, we’ve had a stormy end to the festive season. Wind is one of the most damaging elements as far as properties are concerned, so it’s important that, as the bad weather passes, you check your buy to lets to make sure they are intact and watertight – especially as we still have notoriously windy March to come.
Importantly, when you go to visit any property after a storm, take a camera so that you can photograph any damage in case you need to make an insurance claim. You should also pay attention to whether damage was unavoidable or whether it might have been caused by your tenant’s negligence, such as their failing to secure doors and windows, in which case, you may be able to make a case for asking them to pay for repairs.
So allow a good amount of time to inspect the property for storm damage, making sure you:
Clear guttering and drains
The wind will have brought down leaves, small branches and other debris from trees near the property, which will have landed on the roof. Rain will then have washed it all into the guttering and drains, preventing water from escaping as it should and if you let blockages build up, rainwater will find another way to escape. That usually means torrents forming in corners and gushing down the brickwork, which can soak through, causing penetrating damp on the inside walls as well as loosening pointing and pooling at the base of the building – again, a damp and leak hazard.
So, have your guttering cleared and repair any damage to joints, even if it looks minor. Clear all drains near the property and if you find standing pools of water, take advice from a builder about how the problem can be rectified through installing additional drainage.
Check the roof
While you (or your handy person!) are up the ladder clearing the guttering, also check the roof for any slipped, cracked or missing tiles. It’s not always easy to see minor damage from outside, so go into the loft space as well and make sure you can’t see any light coming in. If there are any gaps, it is advisable to instruct a contractor to make a full inspection.
Cut back any damaged trees
Make sure you remove all broken branches on trees so they don’t endanger either the property or your tenants and take the opportunity to cut back any overhanging foliage to help minimise the risk of future damage.
Look at door and window seals and closures
The recent driving wind and rain will have uncovered any gaps you might have missed in your pre-winter inspection, so do ask your tenant whether they have had to mop up any water on window sills or around doorways. If there has been seepage, it indicates the seals might need replacing and/or the locking mechanism has worn and is not pulling the door or window tightly shut. As well as causing potential water damage, this is also a security risk, which may affect your building insurance.
Always bear in mind that although you will periodically have to spend extra money on repairs and maintenance, it is money well spent, as it keeps your tenants happy. From your perspective, it helps protect the capital value of the property as well as help ensure your insurance company has no reason to not pay out for any damage caused by a storm.
Important information
There is no guarantee that it will be possible to arrange continuous letting of the property, nor that rental income will be sufficient to meet the cost of the mortgage.
Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
There may be a fee for mortgage advice. The actual amount you pay will depend upon your circumstances. The fee is up to 1% but a typical fee is 0.3% of the amount borrowed.