Will Your Home Insurance Cover Your Trip?

Winter in the UK is not exactly the stuff of dreams – rarely is there a true white Christmas with thick snow to enjoy and instead the weather tends to be simply damp, miserable and thoroughly depressing. It’s no wonder then that many of us choose to jet off to sunnier climbs or at least to enjoy some real snow by heading to the slopes in Europe and beyond.

However, with every holiday comes an element of risk – and a risk that is only magnified during winter. Leaving our homes abandoned exposes our property to theft and unless we’re careful our holiday enjoyment could be cut short by the need to make a home insurance claim.

Dark nights and the increased value of contents in homes over the festive period make them obvious targets for opportunist thieves and leaving tell-tale signs that you’re not at home for a sustained period is tantamount to issuing a ‘come and get it’ notice to local criminals. So what can you do to protect your home?

How to avoid a home insurance claim

Prevention is much better than cure so take steps to ensure your home is safe when you’re not around. Here are some ideas to consider:

- Lock up securely – Don’t leave doors and windows open or unlocked – many think that leaving a window open will make thieves think someone is at home, but in reality it is just giving them easy access. Consider investing in dead bolts and key locks for all windows and doors in the home and don’t leave the keys anywhere near the locks themselves in case a thief breaks a window to gain access.

- Don’t leave tell-tale signs – Make sure you cancel your milk and paper deliveries before you travel so bottles and newspapers aren’t piled up on your doorstep. Ask a neighbour or friend to push your post through the letterbox too.

- Speak to someone you trust – If there is someone you can trust with a spare set of keys then ask them to pop around to your home and open the curtains during the daytime and close them at night.

- Be careful who you talk to – Even though it’s wise to inform a neighbour or friend about your plans, be careful when and where you talk about your holiday. Speaking about it in public could mean the conversation is overheard by thieves. Also avoid leaving a message on your voicemail saying you are away and don’t post any messages on a social networking site about your holiday plans.

- Fit security devices – If you haven’t already got good security devices installed at your home, get them in place before you depart. A burglar alarm, security lighting, time-switch lights and security cameras will all act as deterrents to thieves while potentially earning a discount with a home insurance provider.

Is your home insurance cover sufficient?

If a thief does strike while you’re away you’ll need comprehensive home insurance in place – so ensure your policy is up to date with plenty of time to spare before you leave.

Make sure you hang on to any receipts of new items and it can be worthwhile taking a few pictures too before you leave – just to prove that these items were in the home should a claim be necessary. Contacting your insurer as soon as an incident occurs is crucial too – so take copies of your home insurance policy with you while you’re away, or at least jot down the vital contact numbers.

Consider all the new items that have been brought into your home over the festive period. Unless you have unlimited contents cover you’ll need to update your policy to ensure these valuables are included. If any item has a particularly high value this may need to be insured separately.

Also make sure you examine the policy thoroughly for exclusions. Many home insurance providers set limits on the time that a property can remain unoccupied for without invalidating a claim. Also ensure that any security devices you have installed are switched on before you leave – if you’re using these devices to earn a discount from your home insurance provider they will need to be switched on when you’re away from home.

If you’re not happy with the terms and conditions of your home insurance policy, then shop around online for a cheaper deal – several providers offer introductory discounts to new customers.