Vacant Property Security in Harlow
An empty house, flat or commercial unit is easier to protect when it’s secured before problems start. Boarding Up Harlow provides vacant property security in Harlow by boarding the windows and doors of void and empty properties with exterior-grade materials and security fixings, so the openings are closed and the building looks clearly secured. We work for landlords, letting and estate agents, executors and owners of empty shops and offices. A person answers the phone 24 hours a day if you need to talk it through.
When empty property boarding makes sense
Void property securing suits a building that will sit unoccupied for a while and needs its openings closed. Typical cases include:
- A rental property between tenants, especially if works or a long void are expected
- A house left empty during probate or a sale
- A property after an eviction or abandonment, where locks and glazing may already be compromised
- A closed shop, office, restaurant or warehouse waiting for a new occupier
- An empty building where a window or door has already been damaged and needs closing before anything else happens
If you only need one broken window or forced door made safe on an occupied property, our window boarding or door boarding pages cover that work in more detail.
What we secure on an empty property
Boarding up an empty house in Harlow usually means looking at the property as a whole, not just one opening. On the call we’ll talk through:
- Ground-floor windows, front and rear, which are usually the main concern
- Upper windows that can be reached, for example from a flat roof, extension, porch or wall
- Doors, including back and side doors, patio and French doors, and any door or frame already damaged
- Shopfronts and large glazed areas on commercial units
- Roof lights or skylights where they could give access
You decide the scope. Some owners want every reachable opening boarded; others want the ground floor and rear only. We’ll explain what we’d suggest and why, then you choose.
Keeping a way in
If you, a contractor or an agent will need to get back into the property, tell us on the call. It affects which door we leave until last and how that opening is secured, and it’s far easier to plan before we arrive than to change on the day.
Materials and fixings
For most windows and doors we use exterior-grade plywood, typically 18mm, cut to fit each opening. OSB can suit smaller openings. Board choice depends on the size of the opening, how exposed it is and how long the property is likely to stay empty.
We use security or anti-tamper fixings so the boards can’t simply be unscrewed from outside. Where a frame is sound, we’ll use a non-destructive fixing method where it allows. That matters to landlords and owners who want the windows and frames to stay in good order for reletting or sale.
Older properties need particular care. Harlow has Victorian and Edwardian terraces and detached houses in Old Harlow, along roads such as Bury Road, New Road and Park Hill, and original timber frames on homes like these are worth protecting. We’ll talk through fixing options with you before any work starts.
If a frame is already badly damaged
If an empty property’s frame is rotten, split or forced, it may not hold a board securely as it is. In that case we explain the options first, such as securing the frame or fixing to sound surrounding structure, and agree the approach and price with you before we go ahead.
What happens on the visit
- We check what we discussed. The openings, access and any damage are compared against what was agreed on the call.
- Before photographs are taken, time-stamped.
- Glass and debris are made safe around the openings we’re working on, where that’s part of the agreed job.
- Boards are cut and fixed to each opening using the agreed materials and fixings. The van carries boarding stock and fixings.
- After photographs are taken once the work is complete.
Boarding is a make-safe that keeps the property closed up until you’re ready for glazing, door replacement or other permanent repairs ahead of a new tenant, buyer or occupier.
What you receive
- Openings boarded and secured as agreed
- An itemised invoice
- Time-stamped before and after photographs
- A written statement of the work done
These are useful for your own records, for a landlord’s or client’s file, or for an insurer. Empty property policies can carry their own conditions, so check yours. The insurer decides what’s covered, and we’re not loss adjusters or legal advisers. Our insurance claims guide explains how the paperwork is usually used.
Securing vacant property for landlords and agents
If you’re arranging the work for someone else, it helps to have these ready before you call:
- The full address and postcode
- Who will meet us, or how we’ll get access to the rear or inside, if needed
- The number of windows and doors, roughly how big they are, and which floors
- Any existing damage, especially to doors and frames
- Safe photographs of the front and rear, taken from the ground
- Any parking points. Parts of Harlow are residential permit areas, so let us know if the property is in one
Don’t enter a damaged or unsafe building to take photographs. Shots from the street or garden are enough to start the conversation.
How the quote works
The quote is given on the call, free and clear, before any work starts. There are no prices on this page because every empty property is different. The main factors are:
- How many openings need boarding and their size
- Height and access, including upper floors, roofs, skylights and ladder work
- Materials and board thickness
- The fixing method, including security fixings
- Whether a damaged door or frame needs securing first
- Any glass or debris that needs making safe
Our pricing page explains each of these in more detail. We’ll work out the arrival time on the call from the postcode.
Who does the work
Boarding Up Harlow is an independent local boarding-up service with over 10 years’ experience. We’re fully insured, with a certificate available on request, and DBS-checked, which matters when you’re sending someone to a property on a client’s behalf.
Talk to us about an empty property
Send us the postcode, the number and type of openings and a few safe photographs, and we’ll talk through access, the boarding plan and a clear quote. We serve Harlow and nearby areas including Bush Fair, Staple Tye, Potter Street and Roydon, subject to confirming the address on the call.