Over 22 percent of families with children under five have had toys taken from outside their homes according to a Halifax home insurance survey.
The most common item to be taken was a childs bicycle, making up almost 1 in 5 of all home insurance claims from those surveyed. Prams and buggies were also a popular target for thieves, no doubt driven by the costs of such items being quite high. The advice from the Halifax insurance people is to put items away safely when not in use, using a garden shed or bringing them into the house.
A Halifax spokesman understood the potential difficulties of being able to put everything away at some times, especially during the Summer when children are in and out of the house all day, but it is worth doing to avoid the psychological stresses it can cause, even if they have contents insurance in place to cover the financial cost.
Top UK retail outlet Argos works with Allianz Cornhill to offer the dedicated Argos Insurance that is available to protect the large quantities of furniture and other items sold by the retailing giant.
The latest development in the ongoing relationship between the two companies gives customers the peace of mind offered through a repair and replacement programme, meaning customers know that the investment they have made in their home furnishing will last a reasonable amount of time. Argos and Allianz Cornhill already work together providing insurance cover for jewellery and mobile phones. Although the sizes of the product is much larger when it comes to furniture the basic principle in insuring them is exactly the same.
Both parties feel that the provision of Argos Insurance cover being extended in this way will be beneficial to the consumer as well as the two businesses. They also see it as the continuation and progression of what is seen as a very good working relationship.
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.
