Winter maintenance 'essential'

Now is the time to carry out any repairs necessary to make a property stand up to the winter weather, one insurer has advised homeowners.

People who live in rural or isolated areas are more at risk from the cold weather and are being urged by NFU Mutual to start maintenance work if needs be.

Those whose house is found to be in a state of disrepair can risk the possibility of having any home insurance claim they may have to make turned down.

"This year’s weather has been totally unpredictable. We had severe storms in January, heavy snow in February, followed by a warm and sunny Easter and then rain and floods all summer. What this winter will hold is anyone’s guess," said NFU Mutual’s Laura Wood.

"However, sometimes the worst can happen so it is vital that homeowners review their level of buildings and contents cover," she continued.

Figures from NFU Mutual show 23 per cent of people have never reviewed their level of home contents cover.