Millions of British homeowners risk insurance

Posted : 30-08-2006

Almost 75 per cent of British homeowners could unwittingly invalidate their home insurance, a new study has shown.

Performing home improvements and making structural changes without informing the insurance provider could invalidate home insurance, online price comparer Confused.com told Reuters.

Leaving windows and doors open could also invalidate a home insurance policy, Reuters reports.

Debra Williams, managing director of Confused.com, said: "All too often people run the danger of invalidating their insurance because they leave their homes open to opportunist burglars and thieves.

"Forgetting to put tools away, leaving doors and windows open, or leaving expensive equipment out in the garden - even for a couple of minutes - can leave you open to crime without the backup of insurance cover."

Often homeowners do not even realise that it is possible to invalidate a home insurance policy, added Ms Williams.

Meanwhile, Barclays has warned that the long, hot summer months could cause soil under house foundations to dry, thus reducing it's load-bearing capacity and causing subsidence, which could cost thousands to rectify.



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