We’re all excited to finally enjoy some much needed sun, (and in some cases, during record breaking heat-waves, we are actually trying to keep cool!). However, as you’ve no doubt seen on the news, the hot weather often causes an increase in heat -related insurance claims.
We’ve rounded up all the common reasons insurance claims are filed in the summer to help you avoid making the same mistakes.
3 Common Reasons Insurance Claims are Filed
1) Beware of Subsidence Risks
Subsidence is when the ground beneath a property sinks, pulling the property’s foundations down with it. This process often occurs when the weather is hot and dry for an extended period of time – and can destabilise the property completely.
To avoid an insurance claim, our advice is to make sure you are insured against subsidence risks under your buildings insurance to protect you, should the worst happen.
How Can I Avoid Subsidence?
What’s Drainage Got to do With it?
If you don’t have any trees or plants close to your property, you should turn your attention to your drainage system. In fact, the second biggest cause of accelerated subsidence is water escaping from your drains before it reaches its destination. Leaking drains cause subsidence by softening the ground beneath your house’s foundation, causing both the soil, and your home, to sink along with it. This kind of damage can also weaken the soil structure and the very foundation of your house, leading to damage that can prove very expensive to repair.
So how do you make sure this doesn’t happen to you? Simply make sure all of your drains have been inspected for damage, leaks and cracks. This is the only way you can catch leaks early and reduce the risk of subsidence.
2) Take Care with Barbeques
Nothing quite says summer like a BBQ. Every year, Brits cause millions of pounds worth of damage due to barbecuing, often while drinking alcohol. So before getting the BBQ out, it’s best to make sure that your policy covers every incident to avoid an insurance claim.
If you have a brick built or ground secured BBQ, this will be covered by your buildings insurance. A portable BBQ is usually covered under the ‘contents in the open’ clause of your contents insurance. It’s worth noting that most home insurance policies do cover fire damage to your building and contents from a BBQ, but our advice is to make sure you check with your insurance provider to be sure.
BBQ Safety Tips
3) Keep Glass Away From Sunlight
The Fire and Rescue Service has been called to a number of fires in recent years where the most likely cause was sunlight reflecting off a mirror.
A mirror or any other glass object such as an ornament that is curved causes the glass to act as a lens. When sunlight hits, it becomes concentrated and, if the rays are bounced onto something flammable (such as curtains or soft furnishings), a fire can start. This is the last thing you want to experience on a hot summer’s day. Our advice is to never leave glass objects on a windowsill or near windows to be on the safe side.
The Value of a Loss Assessor
We hope this article has helped you avoid an insurance claim this summer. However, if the hot weather causes the worst to happen to your property, call in an expert to negotiate your claim and ensure all damage is addressed. Property Claim Assist are on your side and strive to gain your rightful entitlement from the insurance cover you purchased.
For expert help when you need it most call us on 0333 577 2720.
