Whether it’s the home you live in or a home you rent out, it is your responsibility to make sure your property is properly damp-proofed. It can ruin a building if it becomes infested with damp and condensation, as this inevitably leads to mould and other structural problems. Make sure you tackle damp early to get on top of it.

The first thing to do is to make sure you home is well insulated. If you don’t have good insulation in the walls and the loft, get them installed. Put in double glazing or, in a listed building, install additional glass screens inside the windows to keep it warmer.

Make sure the property has adequate ventilation. The condensation that is formed needs somewhere to escape, so the property needs to be well ventilated. Open windows when drying washing, when cooking or when using the bathroom and have a good extractor fan in place.