Homeowners urged to check 5 things to avoid a Christmas disaster

The latest advice from London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has highlighted five simple but vital checks all homeowners should make ahead of the Christmas break, to ensure Father Christmas can make his deliveries without disaster striking.

Check the roof

If you expect Santa and his reindeer to land on your roof this Christmas Eve, the least you can do is make sure they’re not going to come crashing through your bedroom ceiling. While strong and waterproof when properly maintained, it doesn’t take much for the function and structural integrity of a roof to be compromised, so you need to get up there and inspect for any cracked or missing tiles, as well as damaged or misaligned facias or soffits. This can be hazardous work, so it’s best to hire a professional.

Clear gutters and drains

Picture the scene: Santa steps off his sleigh and onto your roof, but due to all of the dead leaves and detritus amassed and spilling out of your gutters, he slips and tumbles to the floor! You don’t want to be the family that stopped Santa from delivering presents to the world, so make sure your gutters are clean, and then pour a bucket of water through the downpipes to ensure they’re flowing smoothly.

Inspect and clean the chimney

Santa’s preferred route into the home is the chimney, and if yours isn’t clean, he’s going to have a tough and dirty time delivering your presents. Let’s also not forget that a blocked and unclean chimney is a serious health risk to all who live in the home.

Make sure outdoor lights are working

Rudolph may be a magic, flying reindeer, but he still needs some guidance on where to land, so make sure your outdoor lights are clean and bright to give him and his buddies a clear runway. Whilst they might not be everyone’s cup of tea, Christmas lights also bring some festive joy to the street, and offer some illumination on dark, winter nights, but only if they’re fully functional.

Check all windows, external doors and security systems

Whilst you want to help Father Christmas gain access to your home, you don’t want to provide the Grinch with an opportunity to do the same and steal all those hard-earned presents. At the very least you should carry out a full check of your windows and doors to ensure they are in full working order and can be closed and locked securely. This also helps to keep the heat in over the colder months and helps prevent you from paying more than you should in energy bills.

It’s also important to make sure any security systems are in working order. As we know from the plight of poor Kevin McAllister, the festive period can be an active period for burglaries as many of us leave our homes unattended for prolonged periods of time.

Director of Benham and Reeves, Marc von Grundherr, commented:

“Christmas is a time of joy and celebration, but can also be a stressful period, especially if you’re hosting a big family get together in your home.

So the last thing you want is for a home maintenance problem to crop up and cause a disaster on the big day, whether it’s a busted boiler or leaking roof, it’s only going to dampen spirits.

But there is still time left to start going around the house and ticking off this festive checklist to ensure that everything is in order and the home is well positioned to provide a warm, cosy, and secure focal point for your festive celebrations.”