Home insurance can be tricky to navigate, as there are lots of elements to understand when it comes to finding the right policy and making a claim.
Whilst we're all feeling festive this month, it’s even harder when it comes to protecting your valuables and property over Christmas, given that break-ins and claims skyrocket over the winter period.
Here's what you need to know prior to purchasing home insurance.
Types of cover. To put it simply, contents insurance covers your belongings within the house – such as your sofa, electronic devices and possessions – whereas buildings insurance covers anything stable within the home, like built-in appliances.
It’s crucial to note that if you live in rented accommodation, you shouldn’t need to worry about buildings insurance, as this should be covered by your landlord.
What contents insurance covers. Contents insurance covers your personal belongings against flood, fire damage and theft.
During the merry season, it’s natural to start piling presents under the Christmas tree – even fake ones for decoration! – but even that can showcase the potential valuables in your home to opportunistic burglars.
Where possible, draw your curtains or position your tree and decorations away from doors and windows.
It might seem like you're being over-cautious, but two-thirds of break-ins happen when we're at home, and your Christmas dressings will act as a shop window for the rest of your home.
New for old. As it's the season of giving, you might want to consider which items under the tree will need specialist cover, such as expensive jewellery or equipment and electronics.
When you get contents insurance, it’s beneficial to get ‘new for old’ cover, which simply means if you claim for a three-year old laptop, you’d get a brand new laptop as opposed to the amount it is now worth.
To give yourself peace of mind this Christmas, we'd recommend speaking with an insurance specialist.
