Winter is a good time to make improvements to home insurance

“Winter is an ideal time to consider making improvements to home security”, claim leading insurance experts.

Halifax Home Insurance has said burglars are more likely to target those properties which are easiest to get into and has issued a series of tips to help deter any potential thieves.

David Rochester, head of underwriting for Halifax Home Insurance, said: “Darker nights provide cover for criminals looking to break into homes, and the rich pickings available to burglars in the form of presents under the tree can prove all too tempting for the opportunist burglar.”

The advice includes fitting visible key-operated locks to the windows, especially on the ground floor, and security lights

He also said that expensive items such as mp3 players, jewellery, mobile phones and car keys can act as an “open invitation to burglars” if left on full view near a window.

Recent research by Liverpool Victoria revealed that burglary and theft accounts for 36 per cent of crime in the UK and costs the nation an estimated £2.8 billion a year.

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Students urged to check cover

Students departing for university this month have been urged to check that their parent’s home insurance policy provides enough cover before buying their own specialist insurance policy.

Insurer Cornhill Direct explained that many parents do not realise that their home contents policy will usually offer sufficient cover for their children at university, making it unnecessary to buy a stand-alone student policy.

Mike Bishop, of Cornhill Direct, said: “We know from insurance claims we receive from parents that the university lifestyle can leave students vulnerable to theft from their rooms.

“These days, students take a lot of electrical kit to university such as laptops, Mp3 players and mobile phones, so they do need to be insured.”

A survey of 1,000 students also revealed that almost a third of students spend more time drinking and socialising than studying, although 41 per cent admitted that they do often feel guilty about this.

Home insurance policies from Cornhill Direct, Nationwide, HSBC, NatWest, More Than and Norwich Union direct all over cover for possessions in temporary student accommodation.

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