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Hot Topics
- What Parts of my Property are Unlikely to be Covered by Home Insurance?
- Home Insurance rarely covers swimming pools, plants, trees, paths, fences, gates and drives.
- How can we promise you a really low price?
- We have searched the market extensively to identify the two companies most likely to give you the best deal.
- How Do You calculate the rebuilding cost for your Home Insurance?
- You don’t need to! Both the companies that handle our Home Insurance will estimate your rebuilding cost based upon the information you provide and show you their suggested figure on screen.
- How do you make a claim?
- Most insurance companies now have emergency help lines. In our experience they are very efficient and will tell you what to do – sometimes they'll even make all the arrangements for you.
- Complaining about a Home & Contents Insurance Company
- The general insurance industry is now regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
Good Tips on Security
It pays to make your home safe and secure. Your insurance will be cheaper and the thieves are less likely to come visiting.
If you follow these Tips, you’re likely to reduce the cost of your insurance.
Doors
- Fit 5 lever mortise deadlocks to all external doors. Make sure that the locks meet BS3621 standard. This should ensure that your door cannot be unlocked with the thief’s favourite piece of plastic card or by smashing an adjoining window and leaning through to open the door.
- Patio doors are perhaps the thieves’ favourite entry point. Many can be taken out of their tracks and opened with a garden spade! The way to stop this is to fit special patio door locks top and bottom.
- If you have double doors leading outside then should also be fitted with 5 lever mortise deadlocks and key operated wind up wind down bolts which are fitted into the structure of the door. The keys should be removable. These bolts should be fitted to the doors both at the top and bottom.
- Fit all external doors with bolts, which you can close before you, go to bed at night.
- Don’t leave any keys visible from the front door or adjoining windows. Believe it or not, but there has been an major increase in thieves using fishing rods through letterboxes to hook out car and house keys.
Windows
Ground floor windows and upper windows facing onto roofs, especially flat roofs, should be fitted with key operated fasteners. The type you need will depend upon how your windows open. In fact why not fit these locks to all opening windows? The cost isn’t great.
Security Safe
It’s a good idea to store jewellery and small valuables in a home safe. These days, there is a wide range of safes available ranging from freestanding safes to those which can be built into a floor or wall. There are quite a few specialist web sites selling these safes so try typing “wall safe UK” into your favourite search engine and take a look.
Burglar Alarms
We advise you to have your alarm professionally fitted. The best are those which automatically alert the police - but they are also the most expensive to install and maintain.
Neighbourhood Watch Scheme
If you are in a Neighbourhood Watch Area then join it. Your local Crime Prevention Police Officer will be able to tell you whether a Scheme exists in your area and who to contact for details. If there isn’t one talk to your neighbours about starting one. You’ll get lots of help from your local Crime Prevention Police Officer.
Property Marking Kits
It’s a good idea to mark your postcode and house number on all your valuables and especially your TV, Hi-Fi, photographic and electrical items. You can even mark your mobile phone. The markings are only visible when ultra violet light is shone on them and it greatly increases the chances of recovering anything that is stolen.
Take Photos
Take photos of all your valuables and, if they have a serial number, write it on the back of the photo.
Keep the photos safe!
Don’t advertise the fact that you’re away from home!
- Leave lights on or even better get an automatic light timer that’ll turn a lamp on and off.
- Cancel the milk and newspapers
- Don’t close all the curtains
- Don’t leave a house key under a pot or some other equally convenient and obvious hiding place
- Ideally, leave a key with a friendly neighbour
Frequently Asked Questions related to the above topic.
Click below if you wish tread them: -
- What does Home Insurance cover? (also known as Buildings Insurance)
- Do I need Home & Contents Insurance?
- What does Contents Insurance cover?
- What parts of my property are unlikely tbe covered by Home Insurance?
- How can we promise you a really low price?
- Do You have to buy your Home & Contents Insurance through your mortgage lender or mortgage broker?