NEW! Home Emergency Cover for Leisure Home Owners

My Holiday Home Insurance now offer home emergency cover for leisure home owners.

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Fire Safety in your Holiday Home

Whether your holiday home is being Let, used by you, or a guest, fire safety in your holiday home is essential.  There are some important safety checks to consider and although it will not completely eliminate the risks, it will help to reduce it.  We all know how devastating a fire could be, you could lose everything or worse, someone could get injured.  Everyday things we use such as kitchen appliances and open fires come with their own risks, so you should monitor them frequently.  Here are a few general tips on what you could do to reduce the risks of a fire in your holiday home.

Fire risk assessment

If you are letting your holiday home out, you should have a fire risk assessment carried out regularly so that you can identify any potential hazards.  This way you can take the relevant precautions to minimise the risks and keep your guests safe. Display a fire notice so any guests know what to do if there is a fire.

Kitchen

Cooking appliances can cause fires, so there are some things you can do to reduce the risks.  Clean the appliances regularly, so any built-up fat or grease is removed, as this could pose a fire risk. Check appliances regularly so that any sign of damage can be repaired or replaced.   If you are letting out your holiday home, keep a fire blanket that is easily accessible.  Using water on some fires can act as an accelerant so avoiding this all together is a better alternative.

You should keep appliances such as toasters or grills as clean as possible. Remove anything that could cause a fire such as crumbs and keep them away from areas that can catch fire easily, such as curtains or cloths.

Electrics

Electrics that are faulty can cause fires so make sure that all your equipment is in safe and good condition.   Try not to use too many plugs in one socket as this could overload the socket and cause a fire.

Log burners and open fires

Open fires and log burners are very attractive feature inside a holiday home, giving you that feeling of cosiness, however they do increase the risks of a fire. Sweep your chimney annually and use a fire guard to protect you from burns.  Be wary of hot ash and dispose of it appropriately outside the property.

Smoke Alarms

Fit and maintain a smoke alarm.  A smoke alarm can save lives, so be sure to test it at least twice a year to make sure it is in good working order.  Put your smoke alarms in the right place inside your holiday home, so not too close to the kitchen where you can set it off accidentally and it becomes a nuisance. This way, when it does go off you know that it is a real warning.  If your holiday home has more than one floor make sure you install alarms on each landing.

These are just a few things you can do to protect your holiday home from fire but there is a lot more, so speak to your local fire department for further information.

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Maintaining the Exterior of your Holiday Home

Maintaining the exterior of your holiday home is essential, as your property is an important asset for you.  Having a good process to keep the exterior of your property in order is also really important if you have to make an insurance claim.  A claim made against a poorly maintained property may not be covered under your holiday home insurance. Taking reasonable precautions to protect the exterior of your property will help you to reduce the risks, long-term damage and expensive repair costs associated with a property that is not maintained regularly.

Below are some general tips and advice about maintaining the exterior of your holiday home:

Exterior walls

The exterior walls on your holiday home should be checked regularly for cracks and any damage should be repaired as soon as possible. A crack in the wall can cause a larger repair bill if not attended to quickly and could lead to things such as damp problems. Make sure that there are no broken or missing tiles and fix anything that may be loose, as soon as possible. Falling tiles could cause damage to other areas of your own property or even damage your neighbour’s property.

Gutters and drains

Damaged or blocked gutters and drains can not only damage your property but could affect your neighbours too.  For example, if your drains are blocked and there is water overflowing, this can cause damp issues and may cause flooding. Clear any debris, leaves or foreign items out of your gutters and replace any damaged sections of your gutter.

Window and door frames

Check your windows & door frames for any flaking that may occur and carry out the necessary repairs. Maintain your frames regularly, especially if you live near the coast.

Terraces and Patios

Your patio or terrace should be washed down to clean away any dirt. This will make it easier to check if there are any missing tiles or anything that may need to be replaced.  Anything that may be damaged on your patio or terrace should be removed and replaced, which will help to prevent frost damage in the winter and to ensure good surface drainage.

Chimney

If you have a chimney, make sure you have it swept at least once a year and check it is correctly covered. Poor maintenance of a chimney could lead to a chimney fire and water running down your chimney could cause damp issues within the home.

Security in unoccupied properties

If your property is left unoccupied for long periods of time, make sure that all of your windows and doors are locked and do not leave keys under mats or above door frames, making it easily accessible for a burglar.  Make sure all locks are in working order and replace any that may be damaged as this will help in keeping your holiday home safe and secure.

Taking reasonable steps to maintain the exterior of your holiday home and getting things fixed before they escalate into a bigger problem, could save you money in the long term.  It can also help if you are unfortunate enough to need to make a claim.

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Keeping your Holiday Home Safe and Secure

Keeping your holiday home safe and secure may not be at the forefront of your mind: it’s easy to think that an idyllic, rural location is virtually crime free.  However, this could be a costly mistake – both financially and emotionally, as a burglary can cause a great deal of distress.

This time of year, when it gets dark earlier, the risk of a break-in tends to increase as thieves take advantage of the darker evenings.  Holiday homes can be an obvious target for a burglar as they may be empty for extended periods of time.  Here are some helpful tips that you may want to consider to protect your property.

Locks on your doors and windows

Make sure you have good quality locks on your doors and windows to increase your security, and make sure that they are closed and locked properly.   Although closing windows sounds like the most obvious thing to do, some holiday home owners leave them slightly open to avoid damp throughout the winter, when the home is left empty.  Not only is this a bad idea, it could also invalidate your holiday home insurance.

Even a small opening could be enough for a burglar to gain access. Pay particular attention to ground floor windows, front and back doors, which is where a typical burglar will gain entry.

Alarms

Having an alarm can be a good deterrent for burglars, but it will not stop them from getting in.  However, they may try to find an easier target, and it will give your holiday home that added level of security to help put your mind at ease when you’re not around.  If your home is in a very rural location with no homes close by, then an alarm may not be as effective as it would be in a more populated area. In this case, you may want to consider other options, such as shutters.

Keys

You may want to leave your keys nearby when your property is empty, so buying a key safe could be a good option for you. Try and secure your safe somewhere discreet, so it is not obvious to a passer-by.  Do not leave your keys above door frames, under mats or plant pots, for guests or workman to access them.  This is likely to be where a burglar will look first and could invalidate your holiday home insurance.

Secure the outside of your property

If you own any outbuildings or sheds, make sure you have quality locks on them to protect the contents. Do not leave any tools lying around, such as garden forks or spades, and put away any ladders, as these can all be used to gain access to your property.

External lighting

If you can put in motion-detecting lights, or have lights on a timer for a couple of hours each evening, this could be enough to deter a burglar.

CCTV cameras

A burglar may be less likely to break into your property if CCTV is visible.  There are some types of technology that will allow you to monitor your property in real-time from a PC, iPad or phone, so it could be worth the investment for more protection.

Regular checks

Having a neighbour or housekeeper visit your home regularly would be useful so they can alert you if there are any signs of damage or suspicious activity. This may also help to deter thieves if the property looks as though it is occupied more often.

Thieves are opportunists, so if you try to make it as difficult as possible for unauthorised entry into your property, the thief is more likely to find an easier target.  If you have guests, ask them to make sure they secure all windows and doors before leaving the property.

These helpful tips could help minimise the stress of a burglary, and can make your holiday home a lot more safe and secure.

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Holiday Home – Insurance Guide

Making sure that your holiday home has the right level of insurance cover is essential, as it could be rented out or left unoccupied for days or weeks at a time.  If you’re insuring a holiday home for the first time, or you want to check that you have the right holiday home insurance to meet your needs, then this article can help you to protect your property.  Whether your holiday home is a house, a villa, a flat or a lodge, then it’s worth talking to a specialist holiday home insurer.  As well as understanding your requirements, you may well find that the insurance is less expensive.

What does holiday home insurance cover?

Policies differ but your main goal is to protect your home and the contents inside, so holiday home insurance mainly comprises buildings and contents cover. 

Buildings insurance covers the structure of your property against risks such as fire, storm and flood, and could assist in repairs or building work that may need to be carried out if the property is damaged.  You must take into consideration the cost to rebuild your home to make sure you that have the right level of buildings cover.

Be specific with your insurer and let them know exactly what you would like covered.  If, for example, you these must be specifically added to your policy.  

Contents insurance can cover possessions inside your home and it’s essential if you are letting out your home – either to friends and family or on a commercial basis.  Normal home insurance will cover your family and guests in your home, however if you are renting your property, you face extra risks as a landlord.  You must take into consideration the cost of the contents inside your holiday home to make sure you have sufficient cover. 

Consider all aspects of your insurance!

For example, emergency travel cover is included as standard for some countries, which may be a significant cost if you need to visit your property in the case of an emergency.  You are also covered for the loss of rental income if you are unable to rent your holiday home for a period of time – for example if it is damaged by flood or fire.

What type of property can holiday home insurance cover?

There are numerous types of properties that can be covered under holiday home insurance, such as: holiday apartments in coastal resorts, holiday lodges in holiday parks, holiday cottages, villas or houses in the UK or abroad and holiday caravans. 

Do I need to let my insurer know it will be a holiday home?

Yes you do!  A standard home insurance policy could be invalid if you do not let your insurer know it is not your main home.  If your holiday home is left unoccupied for more than 30 days, a standard home insurance policy will not cover you.  You must request cover for a property that is not your main residence to avoid non-payment in the event of claim.  Making sure you have the right level of cover for your holiday home is essential, so always read the policy documents. 

What sort of cover could I get if I insure my property with My Holiday Home

Insurance? 

Standard holiday home insurance buildings cover includes:

  • Comprehensive cover for loss or damage directly caused by fire, storms, lightning, weight of snow, fallen trees
  • Damage caused by escape of oil or water
  • Subsidence cover
  • Alternative accommodation cover
  • Emergency travel cover
  • Public liability cover up to £5million

Standard holiday home contents cover includes:

  • Household goods and personal property within the home
  • Accidental damage to televisions, audio and video equipment and computers
  • Theft of contents in the outbuildings
  • Garden furniture up to £1,000
  • Domestic freezer contents up to £500 

Optional Cover:

Accidental damage to both buildings and contents. (Please note that this is excluded when the property is let.)

Please note that terms and conditions apply.  Further information is available on what cover is included with our holiday home insurance policies, and you can download an example policy document and a policy summary of holiday home insurance.

Contact us  for more information about holiday home insurance, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

 

Holiday Home – Winter Preparation

Enjoying your Holiday Home in Winter

After such a long, hot summer, Autumn is upon us and it’s time to prepare for winter. Cold bright winter days are an ideal time to go for countryside or coastal walks when holiday resorts are less crowded, and it’s a great time to see wildlife. It’s a good to plan ahead now and take a few precautions to ensure that your holiday home provides a cosy retreat in the colder weather.

Ten tips on preparing your holiday home for winter

  1. Ensure that your boiler is serviced regularly, ideally before the winter months
  2. Check the roof for broken or missing tiles and slates and have them repaired or replaced
  3. When you can, keep the house warm and the heating on to avoid frozen pipes
  4. Ensure that you know the location of the stopcock in case you need to turn off the water in your holiday home quickly
  5. Repair any dripping taps
  6. Clear drains and gutters to avoid any blockages – especially important at this time of year because of all the fallen leaves
  7. If your holiday home is in the UK, visit the environment agency website to check if it is at risk of flooding
  8. Install insulation in the loft to reduce heat loss through the roof
  9. Seal any gaps around the edges of doors and windows to prevent draughts, but still try to maintain good ventilation
  10. Check your insurance policy for its unoccupancy clause and save your holiday home insurer’s contact details on your phone in case of an emergency

Taking these steps could help you to avoid the stress of having to make a claim and allow you to enjoy your holiday home in the winter months.

If you’ll be staying in your holiday home less frequently, then check your insurance policy for conditions relating to unoccupancy and see the information below as a general guide.

Unoccupancy

If your holiday home is left without an occupant for 60 consecutive days or more you must ensure that a responsible person is appointed to supervise and check the property both internally and externally at least once every 60 days.

Between 1st November and 31st March (both days inclusive) if the holiday home is left without an occupant for more than 48 hours you must ensure that the main water supply is turned off by means of a stopcock at the first available point of entry of the water supply to the home. Where the home is left without an occupant for 14 consecutive days, in addition all water tanks must be emptied by leaving both hot and cold kitchen taps fully open.

Alternatively, you may leave the water supply turned on between 1st November and 31st March (both days inclusive) as long as the following applies:

  1. The entire home benefits from a heating system (either gas or oil -fired central heating or a geothermal or full electric heating system – not night storage heaters) fitted with automatic controls and a separate thermostat. The system must be set to operate continuously for 24 hours of each day (not controlled by any timing device) and the thermostat set at not less than 10 degrees Celsius and, where fitted, the loft hatch door left open.

or:

  1. If the heating system as described above is installed and is additionally fitted with a “frost stat” that is designed and installed to override all other heating controls, irrespective of their functional status, then this may be set to operate at not less than 4 degrees Celsius.

If you have any queries about the conditions of your holiday home insurance policy, then see the example holiday home insurance policy or call our customer service team on 01604 946 787.

This is a marketing article from My Holiday Home Insurance, a specialist provider of insurance for holiday homes, leisure homes, holiday lodges and static caravans. To stay up to date with similar topics, please like and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Wrap up well and stay safe and warm this winter.

2012 Olympics: Police To Stay In Holiday Homes

Police Officers and staff from all over the country will stay in Dorset static caravans and holiday homes during the 2012 Olympics.

Weymouth and Portland will host the sailing events during 2012 Olympics and Paralympics’.  A contract has been agreed with Seaview Caravan Park in Weymouth to provide accommodation for officers and staff engaged in the security operation. Police say the Olympics will be the largest public event” they have ever experienced in Dorset.

A representative for Dorset Police Olympic Planning Team, said it would require ‘unprecedented levels’ of policing. In support of the operation, the Home Office has funded the provision of external assistance from police forces across the whole force area. These mutual aid officers will help police Olympic events, allowing the police to maintain the standard and service across the whole force area. The force has booked a number of static caravans and holiday homes and across the county as well as the caravan park.”

For the owners of these static caravans, this is an excellent opportunity to earn rental income, as long as they have the appropriate insurance to allow the rental of these static caravans. My Holiday Home Insurance provides competitive Static Caravan Insurance including cover for owners who rent their holiday home as a commercial venture, or to other friends and family. Make sure you have the correct static caravan insurance which enables you to rent your holiday home and still be covered.