The Many Ways to Cover your Home

It has never been easier to purchase your insurance as it will just take you a few minutes to obtain a quote online or over the telephone. There are really a multitude of companies, and hopping from one to the other can be overwhelming as task. You could start out with a company like Kwik Fit Insurance, who offer deals on a variety of insurance packages to look after both personal possessions and key cover, and are worth an initial peek because they offer a variety of online discounts on their cover, in particular, the significant 15 per cent off your policy if you choose to combine your building and contents insurance policies together.  

However, with so many different policies available it is important to know what covers what, and therefore ensure you have all of the elements you need. Buildings Insurance, for example, will cover the physical structure of your home and includes hedges, walls and sheds. Your policy will also cover fitted units within the building such as kitchen cabinets, wardrobes and bathroom suites. Contents Insurance covers items found within your home; this includes everything from furniture to kitchen utensils. For particularly valuable items such as jewellery or a unique piece of art it may be an idea to take out additional cover and for items lost, damaged or stolen outside of the home you will need personal possession cover.

Even if you have got excellent insurance cover prevention is always better than cure so it is important to ensure you are doing everything possible to make your homes as safe and secure as possible. This will not only help to deter crime but certain aspects may actually lead to a reduced cost premium.

1. In or Out? – If your home looks deserted it will be a more prominent target for thieves, a way to make your home appear occupied is to set a timer to automatically switch lights on at a certain time. Leaving a radio on and your blinds or curtains closed are other ways of making your house appear to be less empty – and tempting!
2. Keys – Never leave your keys in a lock or within easy reaching or viewing distance of the door. Thieves will often break a small window or reach through the letter box in order to reach your keys. Ensure that the door is locked and then store keys in a secure location away from the door.
3. Alarms – It is important to ensure that your home is fitted with a security system which would ideally feature a burglar alarm and external lights. Not only are these a proven crime deterrent but a NACOSS approved alarm system may even reduce the cost of your insurance premium.
4. Beware of the dog – Even if you don’t have a dog there is no harm in putting up a ‘beware of the dog’ sign as this may make thieves think twice before targeting your house. Leaving a bowl of water by the back door will also support the illusion...
5. Neighbourhood Watch – Nosy neighbours may be irritating when they’re twitching their curtains or taking an abnormal amount of time to put out their bins in the hope of hearing the latest gossip, but that nosy neighbour could just save you from losing your most treasured possessions.