With the summer holidays over and the seasons beginning to turn, it won't be long before we're talking about the evenings drawing in and it getting dark earlier and earlier. Christmas will soon be in the air!
Unfortunately, no matter how romantic this time of year sounds, it's also a period during which – under cover of darkness – burglaries become more frequent.
What's more, the exciting versatility and allure of mobile phones, iPods, game boxes and the like has made such items increasingly attractive to light-fingered people who know how to dispose of stolen goods.
So now is a good time to take stock of your home contents insurance and ask yourself whether or not it really would cover your losses, if you had to make a claim.
A worrying statistic
Disturbingly, research shows that as many as one in five of us are underinsured, simply because we don't know what our possessions are worth.
There may be a simple explanation for this.
The fact is, many items such as sophisticated kitchen appliances, laptop computers, digital cameras and other portable valuables – including much-loved jewellery and family paintings – would probably cost more to replace than we imagine.
Clothes, books, DVD and CD collections and furniture are also expensive to replace or repair, if they are stolen or damaged.
This is not necessarily because household and personal items cost more now, but because most of us have become multiple purchasers. Where once we might have had one television set, we now have two or three. One mobile phone may well have been replaced by three or four.
A simple room-by-room check
One way to be certain that your home contents insurance will cover the true worth of your possessions is to conduct a simple room-by-room check of everything you own and tot up the total value.
Begin in the kitchen, making a note of anything such as microwaves or coffee makers. Moving on to the dining room, remember to include things like canteens of cutlery, candlesticks and cut glass collections.
Your living rooms may have a number of televisions, sound or cinema systems and book, DVD or CD collections that could be stolen.
Make a note of everything that matters – including clothes, shoes and furniture – which you'd have to replace.
Help is at hand
The chances are you'll find your home contains a great many items that, when properly valued, are worth more than you expected.
If this is the case, and the value exceeds your current cover, you should upgrade your policy now.
"A stitch in time", it's said, "saves nine."
In home insurance terms, and with a possible claim in mind, a check now may mean a larger cheque in the future.
If you need any help with this matter, your Lumley St Aubyn account handler will be happy to assist in any way you may need and – if necessary – adjust your policy's cover accordingly.
October 3 2011
