VPS, the UK’s leading vacant property specialist, has issued a timely guide to help landlords and owners of both vacant commercial properties and empty homes plan for the winter ahead.
“Damage caused by winter weather can cost thousands to repair.” Warns Anthony Owen, Managing Director of VPS. “Flooding from a burst pipe in an unattended property can go unnoticed for days, and the repair to a roof which has collapsed from heavy snow can run into five figures quite easily. These costs can often be claimed from an insurance policy, but not all claims will be met if a property has not been maintained properly.”
The ‘VPS Cold Weather Plan’ white paper has extracted the expertise of VPS’ very own property inspectors and site risk assessors – who make over 100,000 visits to properties annually – to distil their knowledge and pass it on to owners, landlords, facilities and estate managers.
“Although the UK and Northern Ireland have had relatively mild winters in the recent past, last year many parts of England experienced 63 days of air frost or more” explains Mr Owen. “In addition, the year before was the second wettest year on record.”
The VPS Cold Weather Plan outlines cases where the lack of adequate property maintenance has meant a failure in compliance with the insurance terms for a vacant property, leaving owners thousands of pounds out of pocket.
“I urge you to follow this guide, it’s free from the VPS website, and it could save you thousands.” Mr Owen concludes.
