According to a recent survey conducted by Santander over 40% of homeowners who took out a home insurance policy did not read their insurance agreement before taking out a policy.Homeowners that do not read the full terms and conditions of the contract run the risk of being under insured, as they are not fully aware of what their insurance cover actually covers.Research has shown that some policyholders who thought that they were covered for a particular level of coverage like accidental damage, were in fact not covered at all, and face the expensive task of replacing the items at their own expense. This of course could have been avoided had they read the level of cover included on their insurance policy. All homeowners want the best level of cover at the cheapest price for buildings insurance and contents insurance, but they must check to see that the cover meets their insurance needs before taking out a policy. Not all policies are the same and that is why it is so important to read the terms and conditions very carefully making sure that it does in fact meet the right level of cover to protect their home and their possessions.See our home insurance comparison table for more information or our guides and tips pages.
Sainsburys Bank home insurance division has found that just short of 10 million people are thinking of planting trees in their gardens this year and would like to warn them about the threat of subsidence.
The main advice given by Sainsburys Bank is to select a tree that will be of a suitable size for the garden and also to plant it a good distance away from the house. If homeowners do not follow this advice they may find an increased risk of subsidence and the need for an insurance claim. Leylandii and Willow are two of the most troublesome trees it has been found.
A Sainsburys Bank spokesman revealed that home insurance claims for subsidence have cost British insurers over GBP700,000 per day over the last 5 years. It is therefore important to be aware of the risks before going ahead with planting a tree.
Sainsburys Bank are warning cyclists that even when their bicycle is at home it is still at risk of being stolen and should be protected accordingly.
Over 1,200 bicycles are stolen every day according to Sainsburys Bank figures, showing how popular they are with thieves. It is because of the ready made market for bikes and the fact that they are often easy to take away that the theft numbers are so high, something that Sainsburys would really like to see change. Having home insurance that covers the bicycle is one thing but it is far better not to have to lose the bike and claim in the first place.
Anyone with a bicycle is advised to not the make, model and frame number of their bike and take a picture if possible. Then they should check to make sure it is included in the home insurance policy. Sainsburys Bank remind policyholders to check for any exceptions to cover, so they know if the bike must be stored in a locked garage overnight or something like that.
