Home insurance – don’t give burglars an open invitation

Burglaries have increased by 4% for a second consecutive quarter and with the recession making people feel more vulnerable to burglary it’s wise to take steps against becoming a victim, including having good home insurance.

Home Office figures confirm that burglary is on the rise, typically seen during periods of recession as we are now in.

Research from Halifax Home Insurance though shows that many homeowners don’t take steps to protect their homes and valuables from burglars.

Some 22% don’t bother to keep windows and doors locked when they are in the home and yet home insurance claims data from Halifax shows that 29% of burglaries last year were made through open or unlocked doors or windows.

Many don’t have home contents insurance, meaning that if their contents and valuables are stolen they can’t recover any of the cost or get replacement items.

Some home insurance policies, including that from Halifax, offer unlimited cover for buildings and contents meaning that homeowners won’t find themselves underinsured.

You can compare home insurance offered by the many different providers using a comparison website, such as that offered by moneysupermarket.com, Gocompare.com or Confused.com.

As Martyn Foulds, Senior Claims Manager at Halifax Home Insurance, comments ‘When it’s warm outside people often leave windows and doors open to keep cool, but many don’t realise that burglaries often happen while the homeowners are at home, as opportunist burglars reach in through open doors and windows to grab whatever they can.

Small items such as wallets, car keys, MP3 players and digital cameras are particularly at risk.’

According to Halifax Home Insurance in house claims data, unforced claims peak in August when (hopefully) the weather is hottest.