| re lucky enough to own a holiday home in the UK, | | | | * Locks and keys (to cover lost/stolen keys or |
| one downside is that you now have two | | | | damaged locks) |
| properties to worry about. One way to lessen the | | | | * Emergency Assistance - cover for temporary |
| stress is with home insurance. | | | | repairs due to a domestic emergency |
| Buildings insurance for a holiday home | | | | * Cash/Credit Card - provides cover for theft |
| Your holiday home insurance should cover exactly | | | | Contents cover can also be extended to include |
| the same as your regular home insurance - the | | | | items that leave the home with you, such as |
| structure of your property, fixtures and fittings. | | | | laptop computers, MP3 players, cameras, |
| Make sure your insurance policy is comprehensive | | | | SatNavs, handheld games consoles, mobile phones |
| and covers the full cost of the repair and rebuild | | | | etc. (sometimes called an All-Risk' policy). |
| of your holiday home, should the need arise. | | | | Important: There is one clause often found in |
| Also check that you're covered for subsidence | | | | home insurance policies that is of particularly |
| and flooding if your property lies within a risk | | | | relevance to a holiday home, and it has to do with |
| area, and read the small print to find out what | | | | the length of time the property is left empty. |
| your home insurance policy doesn't cover. | | | | Some insurance policies have restrictions on what |
| Contents insurance for a holiday home | | | | they cover if a property is left vacant for a |
| A good contents insurance policy will cover your | | | | significant length of time, typically 30 days or |
| furniture, carpets, clothes, ornaments, paintings | | | | more. This is obviously an extremely important |
| and electrical goods. However, you may want to | | | | point to consider with a holiday home, which may |
| get additional insurance cover for extra piece of | | | | be left empty for lengthy spells. |
| mind. | | | | A vacant home can be an invitation to burglars, |
| Examples of additional home cover include: | | | | so keep one step ahead of thieves and make |
| * Extended Accidental Damage | | | | arrangements to ensure the home is never left |
| * Sports equipment or bicycle cover | | | | empty for any 30-consecutive-day period. |
| * New for Old - claims paid on a new-for-old basis | | | | Top tip: You could get a reduction on your home |
| * Family Legal Protection | | | | insurance policy and your holiday home policy by |
| * Guests' Possessions Cover | | | | beefing up security measures with the addition of |
| * Garden equipment cover (can also include toys) | | | | secure mortis locks, intruder alarms and by joining |
| * Items in outbuildings/garage cover | | | | neighbourhood watch schemes. |