Homeowners urged to take action to guard against incoming storms

With further storms set to batter Britain’s homes again over the coming weeks homeowners are warned neither their buildings nor contents insurance will offer cover for such garden staples as fences and gates.

Richard Mason, director of insurance at price comparison website moneysupermarket.com, said: “The perimeters of your property are out of bounds for most insurers’ standard policies, so we urge homeowners to take reasonable steps to secure any loose fence panels or other items outside their homes. It’s not just damage to your own property you will be helping to reduce, but also damage to neighbouring homes caused by unsecured objects.”

All the big brands offer cover in the garden for furniture or shrubbery as part of their standard home contents policy, although the levels of cover do vary dramatically. For example, a home contents policy at £46.20 from Churchill will give you £250 of cover for items kept in the garden, but won’t cover against floods or storms. Halifax however, will offer £500 of cover at £47.62 and insure against both storm and flood damage. Insurers vary on whether they cover sheds and outside buildings under buildings or contents, so homeowners should check both policies to ensure they insured to the right level by one or the other.

Wind turbines have reportedly been flying off the shelves at DIY stores across the country as homeowners seek to do their bit for the green cause, but the current stormy weather presents a whole new problem.

Richard Mason said: “The irony is that if you fail to secure your turbine properly, a gale force wind could easily dislodge it, potentially doing more short-term harm than good. If you have invested in a turbine, you will be covered under your buildings policy with Halifax, Norwich Union, MORE TH> N, Churchill and Direct Line. Endsleigh however, does not provide insurance for this bit of green-friendly kit.

“Another natural side effect of the high winds and torrential downpours is of course flooding, with buildings on the coast potentially at risk from storm waves. Our recent research found that homes in Hull (HU3) and Grimsby (DN32) are amongst the most expensive to insure in the UK, and this in part due to their location on the east coast, where flooding is a real risk for residents. Flooding alerts have been issued by the Environment Agency in the past few days, and you can check if you are at risk from flood waters by checking their website at www.environment-agency.gov.uk.

“Unlike other areas of life where steps can be taken to prevent the potential damage, there is only so much homeowners can do to defend against these Acts of God. However, you can do your part by securing your property and ensuring you are insured should the worst happen.”