How to Keep Your Property Safe This Winter

Whether you are staying in your rental property over the Festive period or heading off to visit family and friends, it is important to make sure you have made preparations to keep your property safe over the winter months.

The biggest threat being the weather, which can cause all sorts of problems such as burst pipes etc.

We, at Cullen, have put together a list of tips to make sure your property is well protected from the weather and also from a security point of view:

- Keep your heating on for two hours twice a day to keep the pipes warm, and also to reduce the problem of dampness in your property.  (Especially if you are leaving the property for some time).
- Put a light or two on a timer so it looks like there is someone staying in the property over the time you are away from the property.
- Make sure all windows and doors are properly closed and locked.  This includes closing all internal doors, as this helps to retain heat.
- Use all available locks on flat doors as these hinder thieves.
- Ask any friends that are staying in Edinburgh if they can pop in to check the property and collect post from the back of the door to reduce the risk of a fire hazard.
- Do not leave appliances on standby and unplug all plugs. (Especially items such as phone chargers, hair straighteners, toastie machines etc).
- Do not leave valuables in clear sight of windows or doors, take them with you if possible.  Otherwise store them in a hidden place.

If you are at all concerned about leaving your property over the winter months please do not hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to assist you.

How to Prevent Mould and Dampness in Your Home

One of the most reoccuring issues we see in our properties is mould and dampness, and this usually occurs in bathrooms.

The cause of mould and dampness is condensation and there are four reasons why condensation occurs:
1) There is alot of moisture,
2) There is not enough ventilation,
3) There is not enough insulation,
4) There is not enough heating.

In which case, to make sure that your home is not plagued by condensation you can do the following:
- keep rooms ventilated frequently, by opening windows or switching on extractor fans,
- make sure the rooms are heated frequently,
- dry laundry outside or in a ventilated room,
- cover cooking pans to keep moisture levels down.

What's On in Edinburgh This Weekend

If you are stuck for things to do this weekend and the thought of Christmas shopping is too much, then have a look at the following link: http://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Edinburgh/?dt=2.