The downturn in the economy has led many homeowners to consider letting as a viable alternative to selling. Landlords who are new to the lettings market may not fully realise what work needs to be undertaken prior to winter – although if they have chosen house professional property managers, these critical steps will be taken care of.

For those who haven’t, David Clayton of Claytons Estate Agents provides this checklist of jobs which should be taken into consideration:
Guttering
All guttering, downpipes and outside soaks or drains need to be cleared in order to prevent flooding and blocked drains. Depending on the amount of foliage nearby, this may need to be done more than once during autumn.

Windows
Any broken panes of glass should be attended to as soon as possible. This will help keep the property warm and will keep energy bills down.

Heating
Heating engineers are busiest at this time of year and the waiting time to get hold of one is anything between a week and a fortnight. Heating should be checked to make sure it is working properly before the first cold snap arrives.

If a property is likely to be vacant during the winter, heating will need to be set at minimum in order to avoid pipes freezing and bursting. For the same reason, landlords will need to ensure that any pipes are sufficiently lagged.

Fireplaces
In properties with an open fireplace, wood burning stove or gas fire, the chimney requires sweeping annually and before the fire is used regularly during the winter. If you do not have a regular chimney sweep and your property is managed through Claytons, we can recommend a chimney sweep for you.

Storing combustibles Where fires are being used or the central heating is turned on, any combustibles including wood, coal firelighters and gas bottles for gas heaters, need to be stored in a safe area to avoid fire hazards.

Smoke alarms
Once again, with fires being used more frequently, all smoke alarms should be tested and all batteries replaced when necessary.

David Clayton says: “Aside from maintaining the property these steps will assist a landlord in letting a property out – a warm property feels much more welcoming than a cold one. Additionally, it may help a property score a lower EPC rating, the undertaking of which became compulsory for letting properties on October 2.

“It can be hugely stressful trying to arrange for these jobs to be undertaken, but all of this can be alleviated through the instruction of a professional property management team.”

For further information, call David Clayton of Claytons Estate Agents on 01923 677755.