Flooding has been causing havoc across the UK and Ireland over the past few weeks so in order to make sure you are prepared for the possibility of flooding in your area follow the steps below.

Flood water can cause serious damage to your home both inside and outside as the water can contain anything from pesticides to raw sewage.

The environment agency have made it clear that you should get as many sand bags as you can from either your local council or builder merchant. The sandbags are not going to completely stop water from entering your property but it will keep a large proportion of it away meaning the damage should be minimal.

If you have any valuable or sentimental items that you do not want destroyed it is best to keep these up as high as possible, maybe invest in extra shelving if the floods have not reached you yet or place these items in the attic or on the second floor.

If flood water manages to enter your home try and remove your wooden doors of their hinges as the water will cause them to rot and as a result you may have to replace them all at a cost.

Large items and unmovable items can be difficult cover such as sofas, switches and sockets etc. so the best thing that you can do with them is buy large sealable bags and insulation tape to place these items in the bags or cover them with bags to  keep them relatively dry and out of the waters way.

If your TV is on the ground or on a low stand make sure to move it onto a wall bracket or if this is not possible move it onto a window ledge or somewhere relatively high as many insurance companies won’t cover you with flood damage so it’s best to keep as many items as possible away from flood water as you can.