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Check your Christmas pressies are covered on your home insurance

Christina Hoghton
Written By:
Posted:
08/12/2017
Updated:
07/12/2017

The value of contents in our homes usually increases during the festive season. But does your home insurance cover it?

Homeowners have been warned to look carefully at their contents cover this Christmas to ensure they are not caught out by being underinsured.

Home moving and insurance tech firm, Buzzmove, said that homeowners should think about upping their home contents insurance to ensure they are covered for what they give, receive and buy this Christmas. They should also check that their contents cover is keeping pace with inflation.

Some insurers include a 10% uplift in cover over the festive season, but not all.

Rising contents

Home contents values typically increase over time, but few homeowners make a habit of keeping track of new acquisitions when it comes to arranging their insurance. Buzzmove pointed to research that revealed one in 20 homeowners has lost out because their home contents were underinsured.

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Becky Downing, founder and CEO of the firm, said: “Christmas tends to be a good excuse for new acquisitions for the home – a new sofa, or sofa bed if relatives are staying, a table and chairs if it’s your turn to host for the first time.

“These purchases, along with presents to be given and received such as laptops, ipads and games consoles, could easily increase the home contents value by over £1,000. However, it’s easy to forget that if you increase the value of contents in your home, your home insurance may not cover you if the worst happens and you have a fire, flood or become a victim of burglary.

“Insurers have been warning that winter is a prime time for domestic burglaries with ready to go ‘loot’ and homes often left empty as the social calendar gets into full swing. It makes sense to check your insurance cover and alert your home insurer if the limits of cover are out of kilter with the value of your possessions.”