Why home insurance restrictions will keep you safer and save you money

31-Jul-2009

According to new information published by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and the Home Office, almost half of burglary victims do not have home insurance.  This means that all of those uninsured households have to spend money out of their own pocket to replace their stolen and damaged possessions.    With the average contents insurance premium working out to little more than £10 per month (and lower for social tenants), it makes much more sense to take out a policy than to risk a bill running into the thousands if you are unlucky enough to be a victim of crime.

When you shop around for home contents insurance policies, you'll notice that many insurers ask for a certain level of home security to be in place before they will provide you with a quote.  Although they should always ask you about your current security arrangements before they quote you, you should also read the small print very carefully before taking out a policy, to ensure that your property meets all their safety requirements.  Otherwise, you may find that your insurer will not pay out for your claim, and that is not something you want to discover after the burglary has taken place.  Far from these restrictions being a way for the insurer to duck out of paying out on your claim however, they are actually doing you a huge favour as they makes your house much less likely to be broken into in the first place.  

As a minimum requirement, all your ground-floor windows should have key-operated locks, and there should be a deadlock or mortice lock (meeting British Standard BS3621) on the back door.   If you live in a high-risk area, or if you have been broken into already in the past 3 years, there will be further security requirements such as a burglar alarm and external doors that are at least 44mm thick before the insurer will agree to cover you.  If you own the house, but do not live there all the time, there may also be restrictions on the security you need to provide, or even on the length of time that you can leave the property empty.

Most insurers will give you a discount if you have burglar alarms, British standard locks on all external doors and security lighting.  Make use of your insurer to get your house security up to scratch - the larger insurers will work in association with burglar alarm providers and other specialists and will be able to get you a discount on purchasing these items.  In turn, taking these measures will enable you to get a discount of up to 10 per cent on your home insurance quote.

According to the ABI/Home Office research, 36 per cent of burglaries are committed by opportunists.  Therefore, it's your job to make your house look secure to someone taking five minutes to snoop around, with good lighting, no visible ladders or tools, and no spare key hidden under the doormat.  For the more committed intruder, the locks and doors need to act as a real deterrent.   Home Insurance companies know statistically which security features are more likely to foil a burglary attempt, so see them as a free resource for home security advice.  And after all, the more security you have, the cheaper your insurance will be, so making your home safer will pay dividends.

To find a great deal on your contents insurance policy and find more ways of saving money on your insurance, visit our home insurance page.