How to prepare your home for winter.
Get hints and tips to prepare your home for the winter weather. And avoid the most common cold-related home insurance claims.
Published: 29 August 2025
How to prepare your home for winter
Get hints and tips to prepare your home for the winter weather. And avoid the most common cold-related home insurance claims.
The importance of preparing for winter
The winter weather can cause damage to your home. Freezing temperatures and blocked drains can lead to burst pipes. And if your boiler breaks down, you could be left without your heating when you need it most.
Buildings and contents insurance can help to cover the cost of repairs if something goes wrong, but there are things you can do to reduce the risk.
Follow our winter preparedness checklist for the home to protect your home this winter.
Winter home insurance claims - and how to avoid them
Here’s some common home insurance claims related to the cold weather, plus our top tips on how to avoid them.
Water leaks
Take some simple steps to avoid a claim for ‘escape of water’, like burst pipes or boiler leaks.
How to avoid water leaks
- Get your boiler serviced once a year. Ideally, before winter arrives. For more advice on boiler maintenance, see our guide: How to take care of your boiler.Get your boiler serviced once a year. Ideally, before winter arrives. For more advice on boiler maintenance, see our guide: How to take care of your boiler.
- Don’t let the house get too cold. If you’re going out, use the anti-frost setting on your thermostat or keep the heating on low to stop your pipes from freezing.Don’t let the house get too cold. If you’re going out, use the anti-frost setting on your thermostat or keep the heating on low to stop your pipes from freezing.
- Turn off the water supply for outside taps to help prevent a burst pipe. If you can’t turn off the water supply, cover outside taps with a thermal tap jacket.Turn off the water supply for outside taps to help prevent a burst pipe. If you can’t turn off the water supply, cover outside taps with a thermal tap jacket.
- Cover pipes that are exposed to the cold. Make sure water pipes in your garage or attic are properly insulated.Cover pipes that are exposed to the cold. Make sure water pipes in your garage or attic are properly insulated.
- Let warm air flow around your house by keeping the doors open.Let warm air flow around your house by keeping the doors open.
For more advice on how to avoid burst pipes and water leaks in winter, see our guide: How to keep your pipes from freezing.
Winter storm damage
You can’t stop a storm in its tracks, but you can get ready for it coming - and help to reduce its impact.
How to avoid storm damage this winter
- Clear your gutters and drains. Remove leaves, moss and twigs, so water can run freely away.Clear your gutters and drains. Remove leaves, moss and twigs, so water can run freely away.
- Check your roof. Repair or replace any tiles that could come loose during high winds.Check your roof. Repair or replace any tiles that could come loose during high winds.
- Secure your garden furniture. Bolt it down, if you can, and store tools and other equipment in your garage or shed.Secure your garden furniture. Bolt it down, if you can, and store tools and other equipment in your garage or shed.
- Trim trees and bushes. Cut back growth to prevent damage from flying branches.Trim trees and bushes. Cut back growth to prevent damage from flying branches.
- Make sure garden gates and fences are secure.Make sure garden gates and fences are secure.
For more flood and storm advice, see our guide: How to prepare your home for a flood.
House fires
Christmas lights, scented candles and roaring fires all help to create a cosy winter atmosphere, but they can be dangerous too.
How to avoid Christmas house fires
- Test your smoke alarms regularly.Test your smoke alarms regularly.
- Clean your chimney before lighting your first winter fire.Clean your chimney before lighting your first winter fire.
- Keep space heaters away from soft furnishings. And never put them next to damp washing.Keep space heaters away from soft furnishings. And never put them next to damp washing.
- Turn off Christmas lights before going to bed.Turn off Christmas lights before going to bed.
- Never leave naked flames unattended. Including candles and open fires.Never leave naked flames unattended. Including candles and open fires.
For more fire safety advice, see our guide: Fire safety in the home.
Our winter preparedness checklist for your home
- Know where your cold-water stopcock is. This is the tap that turns off water for the whole house, so you can act quickly if a pipe bursts.Know where your cold-water stopcock is. This is the tap that turns off water for the whole house, so you can act quickly if a pipe bursts.
- Bleed your radiators. Release trapped air in your radiators to make your home heat up more efficiently.Bleed your radiators. Release trapped air in your radiators to make your home heat up more efficiently.
- Close your blinds and curtains at night. It’s easy to lose warmth through small cracks in the windows, so this helps to keep in the heat.Close your blinds and curtains at night. It’s easy to lose warmth through small cracks in the windows, so this helps to keep in the heat.
- Unblock drains. Use a simple solution of salt and warm water to help prevent burst pipes.Unblock drains. Use a simple solution of salt and warm water to help prevent burst pipes.
- Turn off the water supply to outside taps and empty any water from them. If you can’t turn off the water supply, cover outside taps with a thermal tap jacket.Turn off the water supply to outside taps and empty any water from them. If you can’t turn off the water supply, cover outside taps with a thermal tap jacket.
- Secure sheds and garages. Make sure outbuildings are watertight and in a good state of repair. You could also insulate them from the cold.Secure sheds and garages. Make sure outbuildings are watertight and in a good state of repair. You could also insulate them from the cold.
Check your home insurance
Make sure your home insurance is up to date in time for winter, and check the policy documents to see exactly what you’re covered for.
If you have Tesco Home Insurance, it might be worth thinking about Home Emergency Cover. It can give you extra protection for an additional cost and comes with:
- 24-hour support for unexpected problems24-hour support for unexpected problems
- up to £1000 worth of cover for each call-outup to £1000 worth of cover for each call-out
- no limit on the number of call-outs you can make.no limit on the number of call-outs you can make.
So, you can sort out problems caused by the winter weather without any fuss.
Monetary limits, excesses and exclusions apply.
How to make a Home Insurance claim
If you have Tesco Home Insurance, find out how to make a claim and what to expect from us when you do.
Important information
Tesco Home Insurance is arranged and administered by Tesco Insurance and is underwritten by Tesco Underwriting Ltd.
Home Emergency cover is underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance S.A UK Branch.
You'll find complete details of the cover, monetary limits, exclusions, excesses and terms in our policy documents.
Learn more about Home Insurance
Find the right cover for the place you call home. Choose Tesco Home Insurance and save money with your Clubcard.