Protect Your Property

Empty homes provide summer burglars with easy pickings
In the excitement of preparing for your annual holiday double checking your home cover and car insurance is up-to-date might not seem very appealing.

But when you leave your home empty you leave it at risk, so it is absolutely essential that you make sure it is secure and protected.

The summer is a peak time for burglaries with 42% more theft claims in British Summer Time than in the winter months according to Saga Home Insurance, which also says that nearly half of all burglaries occur when a home is empty.

What should you do?

• You need to do everything you can to make it look as though you are still at home.
• Measures such as cancelling the milk and newspapers, and getting timers on your lights can be helpful, but it’s also worth asking a friend or member of the family to act as a housesitter while you are away, or at least to push post through your letter box.
• Decent window and door locks are vital, as is an NSI NACOSS Gold approved burglar alarm, although according to recent research from Confused.com, 16 million homes in the UK do not have an alarm fitted.
• Also look at access to your back garden or the side of your property. Do you have a sturdy gate with a lock, or is it easy for somebody to access your land without being seen?
• Whatever you do, don’t leave a spare set of keys in the garage or shed – even if you think they are well hidden.

Ensure you insure
These preventative measures are important but the reality is that burglaries still happen. They are always upsetting and some things are irreplaceable, but knowing that you will be recompensed for most of your belongings is invaluable.
Yet almost 10 million households in the UK do not have any form of home insurance, according to Confused.com.

Underinsured?
Even those who do have building and home contents policies are often massively underinsured. We accumulate possessions over time and it could be that you need to increase your insurance cover. The cost of replacing the contents of the average British home is £45,000 according to Sainsbury’s Home Insurance.
Plus you should check the rebuild cost for your home as it could have increased since you first took out buildings insurance. The implications could be huge if you are covered for £50,000 and the rebuild cost is really £100,000, as your insurer will deem you to be underinsured by 50%, and will only pay out a maximum of 50% of any claims.

Check your home’s rebuild cost at The Building Cost Information Service – www.bcis.co.uk.

Cover your car
If you are taking your car on holiday you might be making long car journeys or driving in unfamiliar areas. A bump on holiday could be costly and comprehensive car insurance could save you hundreds of pounds in garage costs.

Even if you are leaving the car at home this year, it could be at risk of theft. If you only have third party cover, upgrading could be a smart move and needn’t mean vastly increased premiums.

Whatever you do don’t neglect your home and possessions when you go away. It costs very little for the peace of mind that your property is protected.