Needless to say, you are very reliable with what you have. Nevertheless, sometimes things do not work. Under home contents insurance, it is normally well insured. Naturally, you would choose not to have any harm done to you in the first place. These hints will demonstrate to you what you are able to do by yourself.
Keeping your things locked up in your house.
The items surrounding your house are good. Home electronics and jewellery are the most likely things that can be stolen by burglars. The latter in particular may prove to be very emotional to you. Doing the right things will save you a lot of pain.
- Going out? Turn a light on, shut your windows and lock your doors. You cannot forget the garden gate and the shed.
- When you are leaving away but the stay is longer, request your neighbours to watch your house.
- Keep valuables out of sight. This involves not spending too much time outside your door with the box which your new television was packaged in.
Loss prevention of your property outside the house.
Whatever you leave outside is more vulnerable to damage from the weather. And they also have higher chances of being stolen or vandalised.
- Also, ensure that any garden stoves, garden fire pits or fire bowls are properly serviced to ensure that flammable material is not caught on fire.
- Had a party? Removing the party tent should be done on the same day and put it in a safe place to avoid being blown off.
- Keep as many of your things as you can under a lock-up shed or garage, i.e. bicycles, parasols and your garden furniture. There they will be safe, and at your basic cover insured to the fullest sum.
Your car does not qualify as a part of your home contents and therefore should be insured separately through the acquisition of car insurance. In the event your property is locked in a car, they will have a maximum amount of some of your home contents insurance to cover theft.
Avoiding the destruction of fire through electronic appliances.
House fires are among the most common causes, and the use of electronic appliances is one of them. This can be avoided by making sure these appliances are able to discharge their heat in the right way.
- Alternatively, turn off the appliances rather than leave them on standby. This will avoid overheating and short-circuiting, and it will save valuable electricity.
- Always use the original manufacturer’s charger which accompanied the appliance, and never leave any charging devices on combustible surfaces, which trap a lot of heat, like a bed or a sofa.
- Always unplug and disconnect smartphones, tablets and laptops from the charger once they are charged to the limit; otherwise, your phone may overheat and burst into flames. You should not, however, charge your devices at night or when you are away as well due to the same reason.
- Do not combine several extension cords.
- Store power cord reels fully discharged to ensure that the reel does not become hot and burn.
In case you have your own home, then you must also insure the house. Not only the objects in your house, but also the house, the garage and the shed will then be insured against fire losses. When you rent, it is the responsibility of your landlord to ensure the place. The owners of a flat building or apartment complex will have home insurance, which is usually arranged by the owners’ association.
Blockage prevention, freezing and flooding.
The consequences of having a blocked water line will be very unpleasant. It is not only the damage, but the smell will also remain with you for a long time remaining with you. Frequent services will save you much inconvenience.
- In case you frequently use low temperatures when washing your dishes or laundry, you will eventually get greasy food residues and traces of detergent in your dishwasher or washing machine. This will not just spray a bad smell; it can also become a clog in your drain. To avoid this, it is possible to run a hot cycle once a month.
- It is not a luxury to have a water tap between the supply hose and the tap of your washing machine. It will be automatically shut off when it has a leak.
- To eliminate freezing of your pipes, ensure that your central heating is on at a minimum temperature of 16 degrees Celsius. During winter, shut down the water supply to any outdoor taps, and drain them so that they are not frozen.
- In case the water pressure to your central heating boiler is too low, and you wish to fill the boiler by using a hose, it is important to remember to disconnect the hose from your central heating boiler or expansion tank after filling up the boiler. Otherwise, the hose might burst, and you will have a flooded room.
You should also get home insurance if you are the owner of your own house. The fire damage will then be covered not only on the items inside your home, but also the house itself, the garage and the shed. Provided you are a tenant, the landlord has to have home insurance. In the case of a flat or apartment building, the owners’ association will most likely have taken care of home insurance.
Do not make the burglars too easy.
A prolific burglar will go out of his way to enter your house. You do whatever you can to make this difficult for them and then, at least, not too easy. As an illustration, do not leave lights on that will lead to the visibility of your valuables outside your house. And have that a burglar may not easily mount up to an open window or other feeble place.
Do not forget to clean the gutters on your roof.
It might not be the prettiest task to perform in the house, but by cleaning your roof gutters periodically, you may save a lot of water loss.
Your gutters will be clogged with leaves, twigs, moss and other debris by rain and wind. This (natural) waste will accumulate with time and end up obstructing the drains. Then the heavy downpour will make the gutters run over. Therefore, attempt to clean your gutters with a broom at least once a year.
Install smoke detectors on every floor, at least one.
The smoke detector produces a loud beep upon detecting the presence of smoke. Thus, the next time a fire breaks out somewhere in your house, you will be able to get to know about it earlier, when there is more time to take action and minimise the destruction.
It is mandatory and enacted into law to install a smoke detector on every floor of your home since 1 July 2022. Attics/Basements that are not inhabited are the only exceptions. With that said, it is clear that having too many smoke detectors is much better than having none.
