Today is Bastille Day! Break out the baguettes and the champagne! Apart from telling every one of my day dreams about owning an apartment overlooking Montemarte, I was wondering how I could link France and real estate today for the purposes of this blog.
I had a bit of a think about the history of today, which celebrates the Storming of the Bastille. That event took place in Paris on 14 July (obviously) in 1789, and the medieval prison and fortress that was the Bastille represented royal authority in the centre of Paris. So although the prison only had a handful of prisoners in it when it was brought down, the fall of the Bastille became and icon of the French Revolution. Today is a public holiday in France, and whilst I am sure you are all grateful for the history lesson, I am sure you're still wondering how I'm going to relate this back to real estate. Trust me, the link is tenuous, but since the weather is still a tad dodgy around the country, and since today is about the storming of the Bastille, I thought I'd talk about how to storm proof your home.
Although we may not have to worry about rampaging French villagers, according to Sutherland Shire SES, in NSW alone storms cost almost $200 million each year. Although there is little we can do about inclement weather, what we can do is avoid much expensive damage through small steps to safeguard our homes.
One of the easiest ways to avoid extensive storm damage is to maintain your roof, as well as clearing out your gutters so they're free of debris. Also make sure your downpipes and drains are in good condition, and clear up loose items from your outdoor areas including balconies.
If a storm looks imminent, securing or removing anything in your outdoor space as well as trimming back overhanging branches can potentially make a big difference in your potential costs if you are hit with a storm.
And another French link to close – what better way is there to see out a storm out than rugged up inside with a great French wine and a lovely selection of Brie?
Happy Bastille Day! Oui! Oui!