Posting photos of expensive Christmas gifts on social media could attract the attention of thieves and increase the risk of your home being targeted by burglars over the festive season. This is according to home insurance experts at Peopl Insurance, who are urging people to be very discerning when it comes to what they share on social media – which also includes avoiding posting Christmas vacation shots until they’ve returned home.
Paul Walsh, spokesman for Peopl Insurance, explained:
“While Christmas is known as the season of giving, unfortunately, it is also a time that burglars are well aware of the rich pickings sitting under Christmas trees. Social Media has become so ingrained in so many people’s lives today that many of us don’t think twice about sharing details of – or even bragging about – Christmas gifts on social media. This can be an expensive mistake as it could alert burglars to the pricey new bike or games console in your home.”
With Christmas being the time that people visit friends and family near and far, Peopl Insurance is also warning homeowners not to share photos of Christmas vacations or family get-togethers abroad as this could tip burglars off that a home is vacant.
Mr Walsh added:
“Burglaries often increase in the winter months as the longer nights give criminals more time to break into homes under the cover of darkness. If it’s common knowledge that your home is vacant, that could very well increase your chances of being burgled. The majority of burglaries take place in unoccupied homes.
Opportunistic burglars are always on the lookout for easy targets, and vacant homes, with easily accessible doors and windows, can be attractive. From new smartphones to new bikes to Playstations and so on, many Christmas gifts are worth hundreds of euros – and thieves are well aware of this. So don’t let a simple message on social media ultimately be the precursor of a break-in to your home.”
Top ten insurance and home safety tips for the festive season
Peopl Insurance is also urging homeowners to be aware of the festive mishaps that often happen in the home over Christmas – and to check the small print of their home and car insurance to ensure they’re covered.
1. Accidental Damage: With lots of excitement and visitors in the home over the festive period, accidental damage of valuable gifts or belongings can easily occur. Such damage may be automatically covered by your home insurance – though check your policy in case accidental damage to the contents in your home is not covered. You may have to pay extra for accidental cover to be insured.
2. Visitor Liability: With so many of us hosting over Christmas – and more visitors in the home as a result, there is potentially more of a risk of visitors falling injured in your home. Most home insurance policies include public liability cover which protects you in the event of a visitor to your home seeking compensation after becoming injured in your home.
Be aware, though, that accidents involving family or household members at home are generally excluded from house insurance coverage. You normally must have personal accident or family personal accident insurance on your policy to be covered here – and some insurers allow you to buy this as an optional extra on your home insurance policy, for an additional charge.
3. Car Theft: Be careful about leaving Christmas gifts in the boot of your car. Some car insurers will cover you if presents or other items are stolen from your car boot, but not all will. Even where car insurers cover the theft of gifts from your boot, you’ll usually only get a fraction of the cost of those gifts back in the event of a claim.
4. Home Security: If heading away over the festive period, be sure to activate your home alarm before leaving as some policies require their use when the house is vacant. As an extra precaution, consider keeping certain lights on when you leave the house such as those in the hall, on the stairs, or in the landing, so it looks like you’re at home.
5. Unoccupancy Limits: If you plan to take an extended holiday (a month or more) over the Christmas and New Year, check the unoccupancy limit on your home insurance policy – most home insurers have an unoccupancy clause which means they typically won’t cover you if your house is broken into after it has been left unoccupied for more than 30 days in a row. With some insurers, the unoccupancy limit is 60 days.
6. Extra Contents Cover: Most home insurers automatically increase the amount of cover in place for the contents in your home in the run-up to and over Christmas – to cover the gifts you would typically have in your home over the festive season. You should check how long this extra cover, which is usually in the region of 10pc to 20pc, is in place for.
Some insurers have this extra Christmas cover in place for the whole of December and January, others just for the month of December. Bear in mind though that if you have a particularly valuable gift sitting under the tree – such as an expensive ring or valuable painting, let your insurer know as you may need to insure this separately.
7. Safety Checks: Check that your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are working – as many of us will be using our gas boilers extensively over the winter period, and Christmas candles will be commonplace in homes. It’s very important to check your tree lights and outdoor lights for any defects, including any loose connections or frayed wiring. Only buy Christmas lights with a genuine CE mark on them as this means they comply with European safety standards.
8. Heating Maintenance: Make sure all your fuel-burning appliances are installed by a qualified installer and get your boiler serviced every year. Ensure chimney and flues are swept/cleared annually and check that air vents in rooms and exterior walls are clear, open, and working properly
9. Fire Damage: Insurers will generally cover fire damage if Christmas tree lights set your tree – and home – on fire, even if the lights are faulty. However, insurers generally don’t cover any damage or loss that is caused by faulty workmanship or design and wear and tear – so if it is established that it was faulty Christmas tree lights that set your house on fire, you could possibly run into trouble getting a payout – depending on how hard a line your insurer takes on this.
10. Outdoor Light Safety: Check your outdoor lights for any faults before putting them up – and get help when putting such lights up, particularly if going up on a ladder to do so. As these are exposed to the elements, they are prone to damage. Know too that most home insurance policies won’t cover you for injuries sustained when putting up Christmas lights or decorations in your home – because accidents at home which involve a family or household member are generally not covered by house insurance.
Mr Walsh added:
“When things go wrong over Christmas, it can be felt more acutely. However, by taking precautionary measures, we can enjoy the festive season with peace of mind, ensuring that cherished moments are not overshadowed by unexpected mishaps”.
