Assetsure are able to offer insurance for a UK holiday home. Our insurance policy will offer you all the usual perils you would expect from a Buildings and Contents Insurance, subject to policy terms & conditions). We are happy to be able to quote for Holiday Home Insurance on a property that is used solely for your own purposes or if you decide to rent the premises out for commercial gain. If you do advise us that you are letting your Holiday Home, your policy will be extended to include Liability Insurance (Depending on which policy sections you decide to accept cover for).
Caring for your UK Holiday Home – one of the main reasons that UK insurance companies are not keen on Holiday Homes is the fact that they often only used for short periods of time and the “ un-occupancy” aspect can lead to an increased likelihood of a claim. During the winter months, especially if no one is occupation, an unheated house can result in burst pipe problems. If the property is quite remote, often it can be a while before anyone realizes damage is being done. A good program of maintenance is essential for keeping your Holiday Home in good condition and thus lowering the chance of a potential loss.
Look After Your Holiday Home – below are a few of our recommendations:-
- When you visit the property try to have a look at everything in the property that is essential, make sure that the drains are not blocked, has any rubbish accumulated in or around the property. Are the smoke detectors still working, test them and change the batteries if necessary.
- Make sure that all of the devices for securing the property such as door and window locks are still in good working order and make sure that you put them in to operation when you leave the property.
- Burst pipes in UK Holiday Homes produce a large number of claims. When water freezes, it increases in size by up to 10%. This increase in size may split a pipe and damage occurs when the water starts to melt. It is essential that pipes are lagged and when you leave the premises for any length of time, drain down the water system and turn the water off at the mains.
- If you find any damage to the property such as a broken pane of glass make sure that you have it fixed.
- Make sure you have your gutters checked on a regular basis, you will often find during the winter months that there has been a build up of leaves.
- Keep the garden tidy and pay attention to any trees or shrubs that may need pruning
- If you leave the property unoccupied make sure that you switch all of the electrics unless you intend to keep the property heated.
- It may be an idea if you can arrange for the property to be inspected on a regular basis, perhaps a local person or letting agent could visit the premises to make sure that there is no build up of post, local free newspapers, junk mail etc.
- If you are letting your UK holiday home, make sure that you abide by all the rules and regulations and make your guests aware of the location of all instruction books, important information etc.
- If you know your Holiday Home is built on clay soil, keep an eye on the appearance of any fresh cracks that appear between your visits. The signs that you are looking for are any stepped, diagonal cracks that are wider at one end than the other (especially if they are over 5mm thick). Watch out for cracks that start to appear around door and window frames and any doors that do not shut properly. Sloping floors should also be investigated.
So if you are seeking an holiday home insurance quote for a property in cities like Devon, Cornwall or the Cotswold why not see if we can help?
