According to Sainsburys Bank around 20 percent of UK homeowners are planning major changes to the structure of their properties in the next 12 months, though how many of them realise they should tell their insurer is another matter.
Around a third of those planning their home improvements were nor aware that their insurer should be made aware of the changes. Logically it makes sense since home insurance uses the information provided by the owner to determine the policy cost. If someone then adds on a new kitchen and conservatory for example the insurance company, be it Sainsburys Bank or another, would need to know the changes to make sure they are insured.
It is perhaps easy to forget about home insurance, said a Sainsburys Bank spokesman, since it is not visible and covers the house, but property changes really can change the value of the property and the amount it needs to be insured for. For this reason property owners should advise their insurer of the changes and save themselves problems in the future.
Results from a recent Sainsburys Bank survey show around 4.7 million adults in the UK are without home contents insurance cover.
The most insured area in the UK is Yorkshire and Humberside, where 96 percent of people have contents insurance. This contrasts with London, the least insured place in the country, where only 78 percent of people have cover. Sainsburys Bank urge people without home insurance to get cover as it offers peace of mind and financial cover for what can end up as a significant sum.
With regard to the reasons for not having contents insurance the main reason given was that it simply was not required. This was followed by it being too costly. A Sainsburys Bank spokesman suggested these people should firstly tot up the value of their possessions and then check online to see how inexpensive home contents insurance can be.
Lloyds TSB has announced a new home insurance product for those aged 50 and over, with the option to tailor the protection to suit specific requirements.
This new Lloyds TSB insurance product acknowledges the many and varied needs of people so gives them the chance to opt in or out of different aspects of home protection. Standard cover includes fire, flood, subsidence and theft but on top these there are 21 other areas of household insurance that can be added if required to match the householders individual lifestyle.
A bank spokesman said that this alternative approach showed how well Lloyds TSB recognised the customers as individuals and that we all have different needs from home insurance.
