Insurance experts issue warning to homeowners as Storm Claudia hits the UK
With Storm Claudia on the way, the met office has issued a number of amber and yellow weather warnings across the UK for the next 48 hours, so experts at Go.Compare Home Insurance are warning homeowners to make sure their properties are secure and well-maintained before bad weather arrives.
Nathan Blackler, expert at Go.Compare Home Insurance said, “With Storm Claudia approaching, homeowners should think about taking a few practical steps to safeguard their property. If it is safe to do so, simple tasks like checking your roof, clearing out gutters, and inspecting window and door seals may seem minor, but they can prevent serious damage during bad weather and ensure your insurance cover remains valid.
“Neglecting these jobs could not only result in costly repairs should your home get damaged during the storm, but could also lead to an insurance claim being denied, as insurers expect homeowners to maintain their properties responsibly.”
Nathan added: “It’s also important to know your DIY maintenance limits. While tasks such as bleeding radiators or testing smoke alarms are easy to do yourself, larger jobs like roof repairs or structural work should always be carried out by a professional. Doing it yourself or cutting corners could leave your home exposed to further damage and potential insurance issues - as your insurer might want proof that any work was carried out by a professional before paying out on a claim. Doing small maintenance jobs to prepare your home now and getting the experts in for the bigger ones is the best way to avoid stress and unexpected costs later.”
Neglecting home maintenance is more common than you would think, according to recent research from Go.Compare. It found that almost a quarter (23%)* of Brits have never checked or repaired their roof, while over half (51%) haven’t cleared their gutters in more than a year**
The findings also revealed that just over a fifth (22%) of people have never checked or repaired the seals on their doors and windows, and almost one in four have never insulated outdoor pipes or taps (24%) - jobs which could help protect against draughts, leaks and burst pipes.
The top 10 neglected home maintenance tasks
|
Tasks |
% of Brits who haven’t done this in over a year** |
|
|
1 |
Checking/repairing the roof |
60% |
|
2 |
Inspecting/repairing window and door seals |
58% |
|
3 |
Insulating outdoor pipes and taps |
58% |
|
4 |
Cleaning out guttering |
51% |
|
5 |
Bleeding your radiators |
48% |
|
6 |
Checking/repairing outbuildings |
47% |
|
7 |
Securing or putting away outdoor furniture and other items |
37% |
|
8 |
Getting the boiler serviced |
37% |
|
9 |
Testing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors |
35% |
|
10 |
Trimming back trees and shrubbery |
32% |
For more information on storm-proofing your home, visit: https://www.gocompare.com/household-tips/storm-proofing-your-home
Contact Information
Alex McCormick
Notes to editors
*Research conducted by Censuswide with 2,002 nationally representative UK adults between 22–24 September 2025. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.
**’1-2 years ago’, ‘3+ years ago’, and ‘This has never been done’ responses combined.
***According to the 2021 ONS Census, 8.1 million people owned the accommodation they lived in outright, and 7.4 million owned their accommodation with a mortgage, loan or shared ownership, totalling 15.5 million. 36.51% respondents said that they had not had their boiler serviced in the last year (’1-2 years ago’, ‘3+ years ago’, and ‘This has never been done’ responses combined). 15.5 million * 36.51% = 5.65 million
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About Go.Compare
Go.Compare is a comparison website that enables people to compare the costs and features of a wide variety of insurance policies, financial products and energy tariffs.
It does not charge people to use its services and does not accept advertising or sponsored listings, so all product comparisons are unbiased. Go.Compare makes its money through fees paid by the providers of products that appear on its various comparison services when a customer buys through the site.
When it launched in 2006, it was the first comparison site to focus on displaying policy details rather than just listing prices, with the aim of helping people to make better-informed decisions when buying their insurance. It is this approach to comparing products that secured the company an invitation to join the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) in 2008, and it is still the only comparison site to be a member of this organisation.
Go.Compare has remained dedicated to helping people choose the most appropriate products rather than just the cheapest and works with Defaqto, the independent financial researcher, to integrate additional policy information into a number of its insurance comparison services. This allows people to compare up to an extra 30 features of cover.
Go.Compare is part of Future Plc and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). More information can be found here www.gocompare.com or here https://www.futureplc.com/brands/.