If you’re a homeowner, you should certainly have building insurance, which protects you in the event of damage to the fabric of your home.
Contents insurance is arguably essential too – especially if you couldn’t replace the contents of your home easily. Contents insurance can protect your furniture, electrical goods and appliances, clothes, etc.
These types of home insurance are all the more important if you’re planning on going away for a while. Your home could be at a higher risk of burglary while you’re away, and if anything happened to your home or its contents you could be left with a large bill to pay.
So if you’re planning a trip away from home for more than a couple of days, having home insurance in place should give you some peace of mind while you’re away.
How long holidays affect your home insurance
Some home insurance policies may be invalid if you leave your home vacant for too long. A holiday should be fine, but a long trip could cause more problems. If you’re planning on taking a long break, make sure you find a home insurance policy that covers this.
If you are with two different insurers for your home contents and buildings insurance, you need to check with both of them how any extended travel could affect your policy.
Things for travellers to consider
Home and Life, who provided this article, have some helpful tips for anyone planning on travelling in the near future.
If you are going to be away for more than a couple of days, it’s a good idea to ask a neighbour or a friend to keep an eye on your property while you’re away. That way you’d know that if there was anything major, like a flood or a fire at your property, someone would be keeping an eye out for your home and could let you know.
If you are going away for an extended period, such as a few weeks, it’s a good idea to have someone visit your home regularly to keep an eye on it. Someone you trust, such as a neighbour, friend or relative. They could be on call in the event your burglar alarm went off, or something more serious.
If you are away for an extended period, a few months or more, try and find a house sitter. This could be someone you know, who might be happy to do it for free, or there are professional house sitters who are vetted by professional firms that specialise in these services.
Making sure your home is taken care of while you’re away, as well as having adequate home insurance, should help you relax while you’re there.
