Almost every farmer will tell you that the weather could be your best friend or your worst enemy. 

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One day it could be a beautiful sunny day, and the next day, heavy rainfall can cause severe damage to infrastructure, amongst other things.  

Old Mutual Insure spokesperson, Christelle Colman, tells the OFM Business Hour that what they often find during this time of the year, as we move towards summer, is that people try and claim for maintenance to their properties when there is a storm.

However, she says that insurers can ascertain the difference between damage to property as a result of severe conditions alone, and damage exacerbated by the lack of maintenance to one’s property.

“I think it is really important to understand that when it comes to insurance, you’re not covered against everything that happens to you. You’re covered against sudden and unforeseen events which are not maintenance related,” explains Colman.

The advice she has for home and property owners is to do regular checks on things such as amongst others, gutters and downpipes as well as storm drains, and make sure that it is clean of leaves or any debris in order for water to flow easily if there were to be a storm.

OFM News/Olebogeng Motse & Elsabé Richard