Todays to do list

Maintaining a house is no easy matter – no matter what the season there ae always jobs to be done – although we have officially moved into autumn – whilst for some it seems like summer is lingering others have already felt those first winter chills. The one thing we all have in common is that for all of us the days are getting shorter and the nights longer – that which could be considered an “evening task” is rapidly losing appeal.

If you want to spend the winter with an easy mind knowing that at least you tried to do some of the essential jobs here are a few you may want to put on todays to do list

The great outdoors – if you have a garden this applies to you – if it’s not nailed down and the wind can blow it around it can cause damage to either yours or your neighbour’s property if in doubt move whatever may be a cause for concern, garden furniture, BBQ’s kids toys into a safe place a garage or a shed – at least that way if you hear the sound of breaking glass on an especially windy night you will know that it is not one of your possessions that is responsible.

As for that shed its always a good idea to check it’s still waterproof a coat of waterproof paint and a bit of roofing felt can work wonders at this time of year and as you are unlikely to venture into your shed until next year a sturdy well-oiled padlock that will open come the spring – rather than requiring brute force to remove it – is also a good idea.

And for the gardeners among us if you value your trees and shrubs now is normally a good time to prune of cut them back and remember to sensibly dispose of the dead and rotting material. The opportunist burglar just loves gardens with lots of overgrown bushes as they provide more places to hide- take a look at the photograph below and you decide which property is the most appealing for a burglar –

A little more on Security – unless you want to see your home freshly decorated so lovingly by the Police and it is certainly not a look we would recommend there are a few more precautions you can take –

Statistics indicate that the rate of burglaries increases by some 60% during winter months and the reason is pretty obvious – as we stated above give a burglar somewhere to hide in your garden and you will be open to temptation. The average burglar does not like the light so if you’re out leave some lights on or better still if you do not already have them get down to your local DIY Store and invest in a couple of PIR lights (the sort with sensors that come on when the neighbour’s cat goes by) it’s surprising how many burglars have been put off by an automatic light suddenly illuminating the garden.

If your budget can stretch to it getting a reputable company to install a “security alarm” they come in many shapes and sizes and the burglar will never know whether they are connected and operating until he attempts to break in (not a risk normally worth taking) – stretching your budget a little bit more you could install strategically placed surveillance camera’s so that you know who is outside without opening the door and if you have them linked to a video capture facility you will have a record of your intruder- more sophisticated systems even allow you to view the cameras on your property from your smart phone while you may be miles away

Doors and Windows – if you are unfortunate enough to be burgled they are going to come in through one or the other of these so it’s important at this time of year to give them a thorough inspection –

– frames make sure they are still firmly fixed and have not moved through the summer

– if you have timber doors/windows check out the condition of the wood if its showing signs of rot or decay – consider replacing

– UPVC and composite doors do not have the decay problem but frames and fixings can still work loose

Glass/ Glazing – repair or replace cracked or broken glass or damaged draught sealing

Locks and Hinges – check the moving parts to ensure they are functioning correctly – as a precaution a quick spray with any one of a number of proprietary lubricating oils could save you the embarrassment of locking yourself out because your lock was sticking.

If you do not have locks on your windows or bolts on your doors now may be a good time for a second visit to your local DIY shop –

And finally the one we all forget – that is all except the burglar – the garage door ensure that it is working and locking correctly particularly if you have an adjoining door to your property from inside your garage.

Todays to do list just keeps on growing but won’t you feel better knowing that all the above tasks have been completed before the darkest days of winter are upon us.

The Shopping – unless you live in one of the remote parts of these islands you are unlikely to be cut off from civilisation for any great length of time – but even short disruptions to power supplies can create major problems so be sure to make sure your freezer is stocked and that you have a n emergency supply of tinned food, candles and matches never come amiss and if TV and your tablet / phone should stop transmitting due to weather conditions a good radio will keep you in touch with the world.

The legal bits – Household insurance do you have it? Do you know what it covers? Do you even know where the policy is – now is a good time to check.

It’s probably too much to put all of the above on todays to do list – probably as well that it is still the early days of autumn

PS if the worst should happen and you suffer a burglary or structural damage to your property our blog – “for when the intruder wins” may be of interest.