With the cold weather returning to Britain this week many home owners have been caught off guard, with temperatures expected to drop to -11c in many areas.

Eighty per cent of home owners have said they are unprepared for the freezing temperatures, with over four inches of snow set to cover parts of the country by next week.

Home improvement company Job Worth Doing is advising that, due to the exceptionally mild winter so far, when the temperatures plummet many people across the country will get caught out and pay the price.

Job Worth Doing trades professional Garry Welsby said: “We have had such a mild winter that people have not felt the strain of the ice and snow too badly, but when the weather turns like this nobody is ready for it.

“The main reasons we get called out at times like this are due to cracked pipes and flooding drains. The correct precautions haven’t been taken out to ensure water doesn’t get into cracks, expanding when it freezes and causing leaks in pipes. Gutters have also become blocked with leaves throughout the winter and when snow and ice melts the excess water cannot drain fast enough causing flooding.

Job Worth Doing has put together the following checklist to ensure homes are in the best position to cope with winter weather and avoid the cost of repairing damage or more importantly prevent accidents:

• Lag outside taps and exposed pipe work to reduce the risk of burst pipes
• Clear leaves from gutters; the weight of wet leaves once snow and ice thaws can cause gutters to block
• Inspect drains and gutters for any cracks, if water leaks and then freezes it can be dangerous
• Clear any leaves from driveways and pavements; these will become very slippy and could cause slips and trips if they freeze
• Disconnect any gas bottles from any barbecues and invest in a stout cover. Also protect any hardwood furniture with a heavy duty cover and tie this tightly to prevent it lifting in the wind.
• Make sure any standing water is emptied out of plant pots and garage trays and move non frost resistant pots into a shed garage or greenhouse.
• Put a few drops of oil into any padlocks and protect the locks with a flap of felt or with a  sandwich bag.
• Turn the central heating on full for one hour with the thermostat set at 24-25 centigrade and make sure that all the radiator valves are fully open to dislodge sludge that may have formed in the warmer months. Check every radiator for cold spots and bleed any air out of the system to ensure maximum heating performance.

Job Worth Doing is a national home improvement service, offering a one-stop-shop solution for any home maintenance task. Its nationwide network of over 1,000 trades professionals can tackle any project, however big or small, from putting up shelves and replacing light fittings to decorating, plastering and plumbing jobs.