Clear Insurance Shares Key Insights on Managing Winter Property Risks
by Northern Life
Winter doesn’t introduce new risks to property — it amplifies existing ones. Small maintenance issues that might remain unnoticed in warmer months are suddenly pushed to the breaking point by cold temperatures, storms, and longer periods of darkness. At the same time, changes in human behaviour — fewer people outdoors, quieter streets, and reduced visibility — quietly reshape the risk landscape.
This combination of environmental pressure and behavioural shift is why winter consistently stands out as a critical period for property owners.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics reinforce this wider pattern. While overall robbery offences fell slightly in the year ending June 2025, robberies of business property increased by 55%, even as robberies of personal property declined. The divergence suggests criminals are responding to opportunity rather than volume — targeting environments where risk appears lower and oversight weaker.
Although the data focuses on commercial premises, the lesson applies equally to residential property: risk follows predictability. When buildings are unoccupied for longer periods, maintenance is delayed, or lighting and security lapse, vulnerabilities emerge.
When Pressure Reveals Weakness
Winter has a way of stress-testing buildings. Pipes expand and contract, drainage systems are overwhelmed, and roofs and gutters bear the brunt of successive storms. Often, the most costly claims don’t stem from extreme events, but from minor issues left unresolved.
Clear Insurance Management, a provider of specialist insurance solutions, including residential property insurance, sees this pattern repeatedly.
“As we move into the traditional winter weather, a lot of common claims that we see can be prevented,” says Neil Grimes, Claims Director at Clear Insurance Management. “Doing such things as clearing blocked gutters and drains, inspecting flat roofs, pipe lagging, keeping the heating on low, safe storage of movable garden furniture, salting your driveway and side passages can all make a difference.”
What stands out is not the complexity of these actions, but their timing. Preventative steps taken early tend to have an outsized impact, reducing both disruption and the likelihood of a claim escalating.
Security is as Much About Perception as Protection
Winter also changes how properties are perceived from the outside. Long evenings and poor visibility create natural cover, making it harder to tell whether a home is actively occupied. This is where simple signals matter.
“As evenings draw in, a well-lit and well-presented property is far less likely to be targeted,” Neil Grimes adds. “It doesn’t have to be high-tech, even small interior changes like time switches for indoor lights, music systems and the television can make the property appear occupied.”
The key insight here is deterrence. Most opportunistic crime relies on ambiguity — removing that uncertainty often pushes risk elsewhere.
Maintenance, Not Just Insurance
Insurance plays a vital role in protecting property owners, but it works best when paired with consistent upkeep and awareness of seasonal pressure points. Winter exposes gaps — in maintenance routines, in security habits, and sometimes in policy coverage itself.
“Insurance is a safety net rather than a maintenance contract, but it works best when matched with good upkeep of the property,” Neil adds. “Our priority is ensuring property owners feel supported long before a claim ever needs to be made. For further information on services that can assist, please look at the Clear Website.”
A Broader View of Winter Preparedness
Ultimately, winter preparedness is less about reacting to forecasts and more about understanding how risk evolves. Buildings age, usage patterns change, and external conditions fluctuate — but the properties that fare best are those where risks are anticipated rather than discovered.
By recognising winter as a period of heightened exposure, rather than an isolated season, property owners can move from reactive fixes to informed prevention — reducing disruption, protecting value, and avoiding the hidden costs that often surface when it’s already too late.
