Living in the Peak District means that on average we are several hundred feet higher than surrounding areas and we have our own little microclimate with localised changes in temperature and weather. Doing the journey from Chesterfield to Tideswell regularly  you can see pretty much  a year  round  3 degree drop in temperature door to door.  
 
As letting agents our advice is simple  -  get organised before the bad weather sets in! Here are some top tips that apply equally to landlords as they do to Tenants:-

Heating 
 
Make sure that your annual gas safety check has been done and that all appliances have been serviced. It is not uncommon for Landlords to have appliances  'gas-checked' operationally in say the spring as a legal requirement just before a tenant moves in. This is not however a 'servicing' of the equipment where jets are cleaned, tests performed, flues swept etc. Its almost guaranteed that on the outset of winter  there is always a clutch of Tenants who are on the phone to us needing some prompt action  with the boiler not working.  So, top tip - boilers and gas fires that may have been 'passed' on the annual safety check may just not work several months later when it comes to winter - make sure that you get your appliances serviced regularly and before the winter sets in when Gas Engineers are pulled out  dealing with 'emergency call outs'.

Condensation
 
Damp can be more prevalent in the wet winter months  and difficult to completely eradicate in old stone Derbyshire buildings. Especially difficult in exposed locations and on properties with complicated  roof structures that typify Bakewell and many of the Peak District town  and village centres. Check that all gutters are free - if they are blocked , water will often find its way into the fabric of the building and you will get mold and condensation  forming on the windows . Stone cottages were not built with modern day damp proof courses and  its better to set your central heating to run constantly on low  rather than to run at peak times only when you  are there. Condensation forms where there are abrupt changes in temperature  so  keeping the fabric of the building at a constant temperature really helps. Make sure that you have  working extractor fans in bathrooms and kitchens  that pump out any moisture to the outside and avoid hanging up  wet clothes to dry in unvented rooms.  Most extractors have an over-ride switch which means that they should continue working after the extractor has been switched off for a set period of time - usually 20 minutes. If you don't get rid of damp humid steam from showers, boiling pasta in the kitchen, drying your laundry on the radiators, you will have more than likely suffer with condensation. Make sure trickle vents are open on windows ( where fitted ) and think about a dehumidifier. 

Salt
 
When its snowy and icy  one of the most common places to have a slip and a fall is on the doorstep going from the nice warm grippy interior to the slippery ice rink outside . Everyone knows that winter is coming but few bother to do anything about it until it has literally arrived on their doorstep  - so why not get down to your local builders merchants or shop and get stocked up with a bag of salt and a shovel ?  Snow in the Peak Park during winter is a fact of life - be prepared !

Emergency supplies
 
Occasionally after really bad weather we get power lines down, villages may even get  cut off, or we have people who have not been able to make it back to their own homes and end up staying a while. Stock up on some ready consumables.  Get a torch ( with working batteries!) next to your electricity main switch / consumer unit - you do know where that is don't you? If not, find out before you have power cut. Buy a couple of candles and some matches and know where they are so that if you are plunged into darkness you have a solution. We have  bad weather power cuts every year - so theres one due this winter for sure!

Check on your neighbours
 
Particularly the elderly and vulnerable - check that they are ok and in well. Living in a village is a true community and people look out for each other more.

Frozen Condensate Pipe
 
When temperatures get seriously below freezing the small pipe from condensing boilers ( i.e. nearly all modern boilers nowadays)  can freeze up. This is usually a small  diameter pipe that takes combustion vapour to the outside which in turn freezes and blocks the pipe. When this happens the boiler shuts down by design until the pipe thaws out. Have a registered Gas Safe Engineer check out the boiler in advance and have a larger lagged condensate pipe fitted. The following link is to the Gas Safe Register   where you can find a suitably qualified engineer.

Empty Properties
 
If you are going to vacate a property or be away for the festive season - make sure that there is background heat on at all times so as to avoid the potential for burst pipes. Most boilers have a frost thermostat fitted so that there is always background heat - consider having one fitted if there isn't one already - its much cheaper than facing moving out and expensive repairs from water damage. Always use a qualified plumber.

Open Fires
 
There is nothing like an open fire in the winter! Make sure that you have a fire guard and a hearth fitted. Make sure that your chimney  has been swept and tested to ensure that it is  clear of any birds nests built over the spring and summer, or other problems that may have arisen since the last time you lit the fire. If item chimney hasn't been swept in a while, it could be sooted up ( and in risk of a chimney fire ). Make sure that it is smoke tested to ensure that there is a good draw and all combustion gasses go up the flue with a strong pull. Again get all gas fire appliances serviced by a Gas Safe Registered engineer ( used to be CORGi). 


....above all stay warm and stay safe !