It seems that Britons are getting into the habit of buying property only to leave it unattended for long periods at a time it has been revealed, prompting many insurance companies to create cover for such an occasion.

Sainsbury's Home Insurance has commissioned research which states that a lot of Britons either leave or plan to leave their house empty whilst they take breaks abroad to escape the doom and gloom of a winter led England.

The insurance provider has found that around 1.72 million people plan to take this course of action over the next year increasing the risk of break in's for their property.

Neil Laird, Sainsbury's Home Insurance manager, said: 'It really is essential and even applies if you have arranged for a friend or neighbour to keep an eye on the house that you make sure that unattended homes are covered on your insurance policy.'

Cover
Such coverage can be found in a new policy released by insurance provider Intrasure. A new policy has been introduced for Britons who have property in England but are away out of the country for long periods at a time.

Intrasure have decided to introduce this new policy for those who don't reap the benefits of a home from home, be it through retirement or well earned funds.

The beauty of this new policy is the flexibility garnered for homeowners with itchy feet. With these new policies, there are no restrictions on how long a property can be left unoccupied and also can be covered should the home be rented out.

Home bound
For those who decide to stay home however, the dangers are still there. Reports have suggested that the credit crunch has forced many to entertain at their home rather than venture out, which has in turn led to a rise in domestic faux pas. Swinton has suggested that despite the obvious benefits of staying in, small but significant accidents could mean trouble for an insurance policy.

81% of people have recently stated they would rather stay in than go out, with 36% stating that such an action has led to an accident which has caused un-repairable damage to household furniture.
The most common accidents were spillage of alcohol, cigarette burns on carpet and sofa and breakage of electrical equipment.

Warning
Steve Chelton, Insurer Development Manager, for Swinton said: 'Many people have a lot of expensive furniture in their homes such as carpets and sofas, all of which are covered under their home insurance policy. Many people do not realise that most electrical items such as televisions, hi-fi equipment and computers are also covered by standard contents insurance.'

'However, claiming to replace or repair these items following drunken mishaps can cause contents insurance premiums to rise steeply and most policies will have an excess to pay.'

Author: Darren Estwick

About the author:
Darren has more articles pertaining to home insurance and other insurance related articles.


Article source: Free Insurance Articles.