We recently published a guide to beach hut summer maintenance, which discussed how you can get your beach hut ready for the high season. In this post we will explore beach hut winter maintenance, with a checklist of tasks that will help you safely “close down” your hut for the winter months.
Why You Need to Winterise Your Hut
Taking care of any repairs or renovations now will make it less likely that you will have to make some more serious repairs in future. In winter, you could face:
- High winds, heavy rains, low temperatures – unless you take the time to prepare, winter weather could cause some serious damage to your hut.
- Risk of crime and theft – Remove any high value items that thieves may target while the area is less busy is an important part of winterising your hut.
- Becoming a target of vandalism – Vandals may be more likely to target huts that look run-down and weatherbeaten.
Beach Hut Winter Maintenance Checklist
- Cleaning and Decluttering
You have heard of a spring clean? Well, now it is time for an autumn clean:
- Remove all valuables, belongings, and perishables from your hut.
- Give every surface a thorough clean. This will help prevent the build-up of mould and mildew over the winter, while also making next year’s spring clean a little easier.
- Remember to secure any outdoor valuables too, such as furniture or BBQs.
- Repairing and Renovating
Prioritise small repairs now as it will help you avoid big repairs later:
- Thoroughly inspect your hut for any potential issues
- Look for leaks
- Find and fix any loose fittings
- Identify any signs of wear, tear, and rot
- Oil hinges and other metal elements to help prevent rust
- Weatherproofing
Batten down the hatches! Look for ways to protect your hut from the harsh winter weather. This might involve:
- Insulating the walls and ceiling, sealing any gaps in the windows and doors
- Buying some shutters to protect any glass from sand and other debris.
- Apply a fresh coat of weatherproof paint to the hut’s exterior, to protect it from the corrosive effects of sea salt.
- Security
Finally, think about ways you can keep your hut safe from criminals over the winter.
- As we mentioned above, keeping your hut in pristine condition in itself could help deter vandals
- Get extra locks for the exterior to make life harder for thieves
- Remove any valuables to ensure that they will not find anything worth stealing even if they do break in
- Check Your Insurance
Your insurer may specify how you should care for your beach hut as a requirement of their specialist beach hut insurance policies. This might include taking certain measures to keep your hut safe from the elements, and from criminals, while it is unoccupied over the winter. It’s always recommended to:
- Check your policy wording to make sure you are doing everything your insurer expects of you. If you do not, you may not be able to make a claim for damages should anything happen to your hut.
- You could also use the end of the season as an opportunity to review your beach hut insurance. Are you getting all the cover you need, at a best price?
James Hallam is an independent Lloyd’s broker with a dedicated team of experienced insurance professionals who are committed to protecting your beach hut at a competitive price.
We provide a specialist beach hut insurance scheme and are experts in this market. We will endeavour to get full cover for your beach hut, no matter its size or location, and no matter how you use it, using our specialist beach hut scheme.
Learn more about our specialist beach hut insurance and get a free quote today.