Insurance to protect our properties and land against natural occurrences is something that is overlooked by many of us, as we continue to either opt for baseline insurance policies or none at all, putting us at significant risk from unexpected occurrences that can spring upon us at any time. From weather-related events that can flood farmland, to powerful winds that can bring down walls and inflict serious damage to a property – the risk of unanticipated events are a very real threat.
If there was one word that could be used to best describe the weather, it would be unpredictable. Over the past 10 years, a strong majority of us have witnessed unpredictable weather events occur around us, with some being more extreme than others. In June of 2016, sudden severe weather warnings had to be issued after an unpredictable occurrence saw flash flooding hit areas of the country such as Birmingham and South Pool in Devon, bringing with it problems resulting in mudslides and homes being submerged in water of levels up to 3ft. A few years before, in 2010, the UK was covered in up to 30 inches of snowfall, causing widespread disruption and bringing with it a significant standstill to many of the airports across the country. Although the snowfall had been expected for around a week, the volume in which it snowed was wholly unpredicted and so saw unpreparedness occur across the country – with damage to property, motor vehicles, and farmland.
The cost of property fixes in the event of a weather-related occurrence can be tremendous, with property being one of the biggest assets that an individual may have in their possession. Flooding or water leakage into your home can cause significant damage, with carpeting a home after a crisis amassing a cost of up to £1,300 on average an a medium-sized kitchen costing around £9,900 for a full-fit. These high amounts put clearing up the mess of unfortunate circumstances into a ballpark figure that none of us would ever want to pay out for, and could potentially put you into debt! With an applicable insurance policy to cover you for the weather-related claims, the extortionate price that would linger over your head could be seen to be dramatically cut.
Insurance policies can sometimes be good at protecting you against general weather occurrences like light flooding and annual storm-related damage that our homes may see as the seasons progress but, as with any policy, there may be aspects excluded from being covered. Thus it’s important you know what’s what. With some insurance firms, damage to fences, hedges, and gates may not be included in their policy – any damage or demolition to such objects will have to be covered by yourself. Other insurance providers don’t pay out if any damage is caused by a rise in the water table, from river erosion or if your home is too close to the coast – these are all aspects that must be put into consideration when choosing the right policy for you.
So how can you go about ensuring your property has the appropriate weather-related insurance protection? The first step will be to inspect any current policies you have already, whether that’s home insurance or property insurance, through reading the small print and any additional documentation of the policy you hold. Normally a policy will have a section dedicated to storms and weather-related damage, but if you find the documentation from your insurer a bit vague, it would be valuable to contact the company to find out more.
If after looking into your policy you discover that you’re under-insured when it comes to weather-related cover (or if you don’t have any policy in place at all), don’t worry: adequate and appropriate cover can be easily attained.
With Ashburnham Insurance, we offer commercial property insurance, home insurance, landlord buildings insurance and many more insurance products. And, if you can’t find what you’re looking for, call us FREE on 0800 1696137 to discuss more bespoke possibilities.
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