Check Your Home Insurance Before Yyou Travel

Have you got your tickets? Check. Your passport? Check. Your toothbrush? Check. Now how about your home insurance?

It doesn’t seem to fit on the traditional holiday checklist, but ensuring you have suitable home insurance in place before you travel is arguably as important as making sure you know your flight times. We all have that ‘back to reality’ feeling when we return from a long break in the sun, but this can be compounded if we find our homes have been ransacked in our absence.

A good home insurance policy could be your saving grace in case thieves seize on an empty house. So make sure you’re well prepared before you travel.

Why home insurance is so important?

Home Office figures issued at the turn of the century showed that England and Wales have some of the highest burglary rates in the world with a burglary taking place every 20 seconds. Although crime rates have improved over the last seven years, home thefts remain high, particularly during the summer months when claims for burglaries rise by around 11 per cent compared to the winter, according to People’s Choice.

There are many reasons why thieves act so often during the summer - including the fact that homes are often left unattended as we enjoy the heat, or windows and doors are left open as we attempt to cool off.

Opportunist thieves can strike even while we’re in the house - so an empty home is an even easier target. Many burglars are now sophisticated and monitor homes looking for tell-tale signs that the homeowner is away - such as failing to put out the wheelie bin on collection day, leaving milk outside the home or a stack of letters mounting up in the letterbox.

Consequently it’s crucial to check your home insurance before you travel just in case the worst does happen. It’s worth checking to see how long your home insurer will cover you for if you are away – some insurers will not offer payouts if you leave the home unattended for a prolonged period. You should check that the contents aspect of your policy is up to date and that any recent purchases are included, particularly if they’re likely to be targeted by thieves. Remember too that if you’re receiving a discount for using a burglar alarm or another security device this must be switched on while you’re away or you could invalidate a claim.

How can you avoid making a home insurance claim?

Of course, in an ideal world there would be no need to make a home insurance claim because your home will be safe while you travel. There are several ways to reduce the likelihood of a burglary and keep your home safe:

• Don’t leave doors and windows open - even if it is hot, if a burglar gains access to the home through an open door or window it will almost certainly invalidate a claim.

• Don’t advertise - Don’t talk about your holiday on a social networking website like Facebook or on your answer phone message as you never know who might be reading or listening.

• Don’t leave keys in obvious places - Under plant pots and floor mats are typical places to hide a spare set of keys and thieves know this as well as anyone. Maybe leave your spares with someone you trust.

• Cancel milk/newspaper - Remember to cancel your milk and newspaper deliveries so you don’t have a build up of items outside your house.

• Ask a friend/neighbor to check - Ask a friend or neighbour you trust to visit your home as often as possible to check the house. If you’re really lucky they might be willing to open and close curtains for you each morning and night and take in your post.

• Use timer switches - Time switch lights are available at most home stores and will act as a deterrent to thieves giving the impression that you are at home even when you’re not.

• Lock up garden equipment - Make sure you store away any garden items in a shed with a suitable padlock. Don’t leave anything where it can be easily accessed.

• Join a Neighborhood watch scheme - If you trust your neighbours then it could help to have them look out for your home while you’re away.

In addition, don’t forget to install a suitable burglar alarm. Your home insurance provider should be able to recommend an approved system, which could earn you a significant discount on your premiums.