Insurance News Archive
'Holidaymakers should check home contents policy'
People who leave their properties empty while they go on holiday need to check their home contents policy, an insurance expert has advised.
AA public relations manager Ian Crowder said that as "various insurers have various terms", some may want to impose special terms – such as guarantees that the house is being regularly inspected – if the homeowner is away for more than 30 consecutive days.
"Or they may impose an additional premium or reduce level of cover, or even not cover at all," he added.
Recent research by Liverpool Victoria revealed that nearly 15 million Brits are leaving themselves vulnerable to burglary due to leaving expensive possessions on display in their windows.
The insurance company reported that 68 per cent of homes in the UK leave televisions, computers, antiques and jewellery on display.
The average home has £25,000 worth of content and a quarter of a million households as part of the research assessed the value of their property visible from the outside to be in excess of £35,000.
Mr Crowder advised holiday makers to make sure no windows are left open, to cancel newspaper deliveries and to ask a neighbour to clear post.
Burglary and theft accounts for 36 per cent of crime in the UK and costs the nation £2.8 billion a year.
25 Feb 2008
