Protecting your home at Christmas

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Granted, insurance is unlikely to be at the top of your Christmas shopping list. However, adequate home contents insurance is more essential at Christmas than ever. The lure of a houseful of presents is all too tempting for opportunistic thieves.

Every year thousands of burglars strike to do their own Christmas shopping at the homeowner's expense.

It's not only burglaries that put under-insured or non-insured home-owners at risk at this time of year. Insurance companies also see an increase in the number of general insurance claims and are urging policyholders to protect themselves against accidental damage.

Christmas tree lights and decorations, for example, are a potential fire hazard. All light connections must conform to the correct British Standards number and homeowners should remember to not overload power sockets or leave flexes trailing across the floor and should check that plugs have the correct fuses.

And of course, burst water pipes are another common cause for concern in cold weather.

Tips to avoid Christmas Trauma

Check your insurance policy: Insurers often automatically increase the amount of home contents cover over the festive period at no extra cost to you, the policyholder.

The amount of contents cover and the terms and conditions varies from insurer to insurer. Contact your insurer to make sure that all your Christmas goods (food, presents, and drink) will be covered under your existing policy.

After the Christmas rush, remember to add any new gifts you have received to your home contents insurance policy; if they are over £1,000 (or sometimes £2,000) in value, you may need to insure them separately. Single item limits tend to vary between home contents insurance policies.

Look at your policy details carefully to see if possessions that are taken out of the home, such as MP3 players and cameras, are included under your home contents policy.

This 'all risk' or 'personal possessions' cover is usually available as an 'add on' to your existing policy for you pay an additional fee.

Check whether there is a 24-hour helpline available 365 days of the year in case disaster should strike.