February is a good time to take stock of your finances and your home after the post-festive period which often leaves people recovering from the over-spending on food, presents, and festive outings like trips to the pantomime. With early December salaries stretched thin, January can feel like a long month. Now that February has arrived, it’s the perfect moment to focus on maintaining and improving your property without spending too much. If you’re looking for practical, budget-friendly advice, Under One Roof has some great money-saving tips to help you care for your tenement flat.
Arrange a free home fire safety visit
Firstly, you can check the fire safety of your home by arranging a home fire safety visit. These are completely free, and can be arranged by contacting the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. A firefighter will visit your flat, guide you through a questionnaire, and help you to create a fire safety plan suited to your building. They can also provide you with information about heat, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, so that you can get the up-to-date technology you need to alert you to fires and other dangers.
In buildings where hundreds of people can be living under one roof, fire safety is crucial, and it need not be expensive. Visit the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service website to arrange your free visit.
Improve energy efficiency with low-cost blinds or curtains
There are also cheap ways to improve the energy efficiency of your flat, without having to install expensive new heating systems or top-of-the-range new windows. You can keep the cold air out and the heat in simply by installing low-cost blinds or curtains over your existing windows. Look for draught-excluding blinds with a honeycomb structure, which traps air between the layers and warms it, for greater insulation. If you opt for curtains instead, these should be heavy, and cover the whole length of the window to keep the cold air out. These low-cost options can significantly improve the energy efficiency of your space, and cost significantly less than other energy efficient measures.
Use Under One Roof’s guide to finding money for tenement building work
Finally, if your flat requires additional work for which you are struggling to find the funds, Under One Roof has a dedicated webpage with advice on finding money for repairs to tenements. Grants are seldom available, so ideally, owners should work together to create a Buildings Reserve Fund to save for major repairs. However, various types of loan are also available. If you are older, you may be able to get an equity release loan. If you are receiving benefits, you may be eligible for a Crisis Loan from the Scottish Welfare Fund for certain emergency or serious repairs.
If you think you may need a loan in the future, it may be a good idea to join a Credit Union now. Credit Unions are community-owned, and they offer loans at competitive rates to existing members. You may be able to join one in your local area, or through a trade union or your employer.
We always recommend seeking financial advice before taking out any kind of loan.
To find out more about finding money for tenement building works, including where to find independent financial advice, visit our dedicated webpage on the topic here.
