Secure your holiday home and have peace of mind

Posted February 11, 2009 – 11:13 am in: Landlord Insurance

You must take out holiday home insurance – it is essential. But if you don’t take adequate steps to secure your holiday home, you may find the insurers won’t pay out in the event of a claim.

First and foremost, you must make sure that you have made it clear to your insurer that the policy is for a holiday home. Not all insurers will provide holiday home insurance. If you haven’t made it clear and something happens, you may find your policy is invalid. The premiums will be higher, but that is better than not being insured.

There are a number of basic steps you can take to secure your holiday home.

• It may seem obvious, but not everyone does it – fit strong window and door locks. Get the advice of the local police or Neighbourhood Watch if possible – they will probably advise extra security locks for downstairs windows. It’s a good idea to change the locks when you first take possession of the property, as you don’t know how many people have copies of the old keys.

• A burglar alarm is a good idea, but only fit one if there is a friendly neighbour who will check it, and switch it off if necessary. A number of things, such as power cuts, can trigger an alarm, and an incessantly sounding screech won’t endear you to your local community.

• Again, if there are friendly neighbours, ask them to make regular checks on the property. In particular, ask them to watch out for any accumulation of rubbish, and circulars stuffed in the letter box.

• Don’t give out your holiday home address – make sure all mail, for instance from utility companies, is sent to your home address.

• If you have garden equipment, leave it in the house when you’re away, not in the shed.

There’s only one thing worse than arriving at your holiday home and finding it has been broken into or damaged. That’s finding it has been broken into or damaged and your holiday home insurance has lapsed or is invalidated! Take these basic precautions and make sure you have peace of mind.


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