As the winter is starting to creep up on us, it’s important that you keep your home safe and secure, especially if you are going away or visiting family.

Here are some useful tips to keep safe.

Check on your insurance policy how long you can be away from your home for without affecting the cover and having to inform your insurer.

If you are going to leave your home unattended, make sure you keep the heating on a low temperature, around 15°C. By doing this you can reduce the risk of any pipes freezing and causing damage to your property.

Plastic plumbing joints are more likely to degrade faster than metal ones so keep an eye on then and act quickly if you even the slightest hint of water.

Make sure you check the condition of the tiles on your roof (this can be done at ground level) especially on garages, sheds and any flat roofs. This is particularly important as the weather last year was really bad so try and be prepared for this year.

Keep all guttering and gullies clear so that water can flow freely through them.

Consider cutting low hanging tree branches as this could damage in high winds.