It’s wonderful how a few days of sunshine and the prospect of a couple of weeks on holiday can lift your mood and make you feel like you haven’t a care in the world, isn’t it?

But if you own a property, there are always potential issues that could result in damage to your property – and the summer months are no exception.

Summer weather can often be a cause of property damage

If you happen to be away when something goes wrong, the damage could be significant by the time you return.

Even if you’ve opted for a staycation this year, summer brings specific risk factors and it’s important to know where the hazards lie so that you can prevent damage to your home if possible.

If the worst does happen, as property insurance repair specialists, here at Sarrani we’re on hand to help all year round, whenever and wherever you need us. From our 24-hour emergency fire, flood and drying services through to our emergency plumbing and reinstatement services, we’re committed to making sure your property repairs are as painless as possible.

In this blog, we’ll discuss  

• common causes of property damage during the summer months
• where the hazards lie
• top tips for how to avoid damage to your home this summer

Summer Holiday Property Damage Hazards

So you’ve packed the sun cream, the neighbour’s all booked in to feed the cat and you’ve gleefully set your email to ‘out of office’ for the next two weeks. This is it, the countdown to your summer break has finally reached zero and you’ve ticked everything off your list ready to head for the airport and jet off to sunnier climes.

The question is, does your list include ensuring that you’ve done everything possible to avoid damage to your property happening while you’re away?

Make a list of property safety checks to carry out before you go.

We know that going on holiday is an exciting time. For many it’s an anxious time too. Some people happily shut the door on their home and don’t give it a second thought until they return; others check and double-check that they’ve unplugged the iron and locked all the windows several times before they leave the house, and struggle to relax until they’ve reached their destination.

Whichever category you fall into, it’s a good idea to make a list of the things you need to switch off, lock or unplug before you go. In this way you can minimise the risk of coming home to find damage that will require an insurance claim and potential costly repairs to your property.

Here are some of the things we suggest you put on your list and spend a few minutes checking before you leave for your summer holiday:

To Protect Against Fire

• Unplug appliances – More than half of accidental domestic property fires in the UK each year are caused by electricity, so it makes sense to switch off all non-essential appliances. This not only includes obvious hazards such as irons and hair straighteners, but also apparently innocuous appliances such as kettles, TVs and microwaves. A surge in current, a faulty socket or a fault with the appliance itself could lead to an electrical fire. And if there is no-one home to hear the smoke alarm, this could quickly get out of hand, causing significant damage.
• Switch off sockets – Just to be certain that there is no residual current, it’s worth switching off sockets, even if there is nothing plugged in. This includes switching off the current to extension leads, adapters and chargers.
• Plug in an RCD adaptor where required – most modern homes have an RCD (Residual Current Device) within the fuse box, which will trip the system to switch off the current in the event of a surge. If this is not the case, consider fitting an RCD adaptor for any locations where the electrical appliance must be left plugged in while you’re away – such as a fridge or freezer for example. This simple step will cut power to the appliance in the event a surge. After all, it’s better to return home to a freezer full of defrosted food than to a fire-damaged home!
• Check for naked flames – if you have a gas hob, an open fire or use candles in your home, you should double check that these have all been extinguished before you leave the house for any reason and this is particularly important when you’re going on holiday.

 To Protect Against Flooding:

• Switch off the taps – Check that all taps are switched off firmly and that sink and bath plugs are removed. Even a small trickle could result in serious flood damage if the plug is left in the sink and the tap is left dripping over a two-week holiday period
• Switch off the supply – If you want to be doubly sure that your water system won’t leak while you’re away, switch off the water at the stopcock then run all the taps and flush all the toilets until you’re sure the system is completely drained.

 To Ensure a Fast Response

• Let a friend, neighbour or family member know you’re away – if someone living nearby knows your property is empty, ask them if they can check up on it while you’re away. It’s particularly useful to have someone to check in on your property if there are storms or heavy downpours while you’re gone, to be sure no damage has been caused by water, wind or even lightening.
• Provide them with contact details – let them know how they can get in touch with you in your absence, so that you can get your insurance claim moving straight away
• Keep our number on speed dial – so you can contact us to assist with your insurance claim and organise any emergency work needed to minimise the damage before you get back

What About Summer Staycation Property Risks?

Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen the impact of global warming on our climate, here in the UK and around the world with:

• increased rainfall
• hotter summer temperatures
• more frequent extreme weather events

Summer Flood Risk

For example, in June this year, heavy, unseasonal rainfall caused flooding in Lincolnshire and just a few days later this was followed by flash floods in Edinburgh, thanks to torrential downpours.

Those who live in areas prone to flooding are constantly vigilant and mindful of the risk, but the reality is that flooding can happen anywhere if a deluge of rain falls onto saturated ground or ground that is too dry to absorb water quickly.

Summer storms can also result in high winds and the threat of lightning strikes, so flooding is not the only weather hazard to be concerned about.

Summer Fire Risk

Meanwhile, periods of hot, dry weather have caused other issues over the past couple of years, with wildfires raging for weeks last summer, threatening homes.

This year, the UK had been hit by nearly a hundred large wildfires as early as April, making it the worst year on record already.

And, as the temperatures soar, there’s nothing that staycationers love more than some al-fresco dining around the barbecue, which is another common summer fire risk.

Summer Subsidence Risk

If your property is built on clay soil, prolonged periods of dry weather during the summer months can also be a potential cause of subsidence. This is because the moisture-deprived clay shrinks, creating a risk of structural movement.

Trees located close to your property can exacerbate this issue by taking water from the soil and drying it out even further.

Subsidence can be a very serious problem and should be tackled quickly. The warning signs, such as cracks in walls, floors and ceilings are easy to spot and you should be particularly concerned if cracks appear in wall or door lintels and if doors or windows become difficult to close, because these are signs that the property is collapsing or sinking lower.

A Common Sense Approach

Whether you’re going away or staying at home this summer, a common sense approach to managing risk will help you, your family and your property stay safe. But part of that approach is being prepared for how you’ll get things sorted as quickly as possible if your property is damaged by:

• flood
• fire
• leaks
• storm

At Sarrani, we’re committed to ensuring we provide a fast response, treat your property with respect and deliver high standards on all aspects of our service, backed by a one-year guarantee on workmanship.