While you’re away, keep treasured possessions covered with the right contents insurance

While you’re away, keep treasured possessions covered with the right contents insurance.

Follow our tips and choose the right contents insurance to help give you peace of mind while you’re away over the festive period.

Even in these frugal times, most people splash out a bit over the winter holidays. Whether it’s a new sofa for Christmas, warm coats for the family or a store cupboard packed with extra-special goodies, it’s easy to bump up the value of our home contents, without really noticing it.

No surprise then, that the number of burglaries across the UK rockets over the Christmas holidays, as unwelcome visitors prey on empty houses and gifts under the tree. If you’re planning to get away – be it visiting relatives or escaping to the sun – you’ll want to protect your home comforts as best you can.

Following some simple steps and choosing the right contents insurance will mean you can relax knowing everything’s covered:

Lock stock
Unsurprisingly, most burglars break in through doors and windows, so having the right locks in place is vital. Fit five-lever mortice deadlocks on external doors and consider replacing old doors and windows with ones that are certified to the right standards – PAS 24-1 for doors and BS7950 for windows. Make sure everyone at home knows how to lock windows properly and never leave keys under a mat or plant pot as burglars will always look there first.

Alarm bells
An alarm on your house is a great deterrent and says you really mean business when it comes to protecting your home. Alarms differ in quality and effectiveness so shop around first.

Looking good
How does your house look while you’re away? Post piling up in the hallway, closed curtains during the day and lights off in the evening are all telltale signs of an empty home. Ask a neighbour to pick up post, and invest in a timer that will turn on a few lights at night. If you’ve acquired expensive items like a TV or games console over Christmas, be sure to shred or disguise empty packaging – and remember to cancel the milk.

Totally contents
Should the worst happen and you suffer a break in while you’re away, having ample contents insurance will mean you’re covered for the loss or damage of everything from cushions and jewellery to clothes and computers.

While some things can never truly be replaced, knowing you can afford to buy – or replace – new items will soften the blow.

It can be easy to underestimate what your contents are worth, especially over the festive period when you may have new possessions, so take care to make a realistic assessment. Some policies will even automatically increase your level of cover during this time at no extra cost.

And finally, shopping for contents insurance can be confusing, so always go to a name you can trust for expert advice and customer service. Halifax offers some great deals on contents insurance, so why not find out more today at www.halifax.co.uk?