Home advice

From fire damage, flood and theft to everyday spillages and breakages, there are many ways that you can find yourself needing your home insurance. With a bit of forward planning, not only can you cut the risks to your home and reduce the likelihood of a claim, you can also reduce your contents insurance or buildings insurance premiums over time.

Here are our Top Tips for avoiding a claim:

Fire prevention

• Fit a smoke alarm.
• If you suffer a fire, minimise the damage by making sure you have smoke alarms fitted. They are cheap to buy and might also save your life!
• DON'T let a small fire get out of hand. Keep a fire extinguisher in the house - you can pick one up for around £20.

General security

• Keep your valuables safe. DON'T leave jewellery and other valuables where they can be easily found.
• Have a safe fitted. For high value items that you only need occasional access to, why not pop them in a safety deposit box at the bank?
• Fit motion sensitive exterior lighting. Available from most DIY shops, exterior floodlighting with motion sensitive detectors will light up your garden and other exterior areas, warning off intruders.
• Make an accurate assessment of the value of your possessions. Make sure you have an accurate idea of the value of your possessions. Overestimating their value will mean a higher premium. Underestimating their value may mean any claim is not paid in full.
• Got a drive? Lay down a gravel surface - the crunch will alert you to any people approaching!
• Cancel the milk or papers when you go on holiday. A pile of newspapers through the letterbox or milk left outside is a giveaway that your home is unoccupied. If possible ask a friend or relative to visit the property while you are away to remove such evidence - don't give burglars a chance.
• DON'T leave valuables on open view - particularly at Christmas!
• Keep any outbuildings or sheds locked. A lot of theft is opportunistic - a strong padlock and fittings on any outbuildings or sheds will deter most break-in attempts.

Accidents

• Spillages: the dreaded red wine spillage on a pale carpet is a common cause of domestic insurance claims. Keep some table salt handy - pour generously on the spillage immediately and it will quickly soak up a lot of the colour and moisture - then just hoover it up!