Homeowners urged to prepare for winter

With Britain’s wettest ever summer confirming that people are no longer safe from “extreme weather” at any time of the year, Defaqto has urged homeowners to check that their buildings and contents policies offer adequate levels of cover.

The independent financial research company warned policy holders to pay particular attention of exclusions incorporated into their buildings and contents policies, particularly those which might concern storm damage or flooding.

Although storm and flood damage is usually standard in most contents policies, they do not all include “contents in the open” such as garden furniture, Defaqto warned, revealing also that nearly all buildings policies exclude cover for weather damage to fences, gates and hedges.

Mel Gray, senior researcher at Defaqto, said: “A lightning strike could set your property on fire, resulting in your home and all your possessions being destroyed.

“So it’s essential that people check that the sums insured under their buildings and contents policies are adequate to cover such a catastrophic event.”

Last week, Lloyds TSB Insurance urged people to act quickly if they need to make a claim for damaged properties, following the tornadoes that wreaked havoc in Hampshire, Warwickshire, Bedfordshire and Derbyshire.

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