One million holiday-makers return to disaster each year

Research conducted by Halifax Home Insurance has revealed that over one million British holidaymakers a year return home to find that disaster has struck, either in the form of burglary, vandalism or problems caused by the elements. The bill to put this right is expected to be £2.3 billion this year.

In the past ten years, 2.5 million of us have been burgled whilst away, costing around £820 million a year, to replace stolen items and repair the damage, whilst 600,000 of us suffered vandalism. Your home is not just vulnerable to damage by the criminal element however. In the last ten years an astonishing million people came home to find that their children had caused chaos costing £40 million a year to put right. Even house sitters are not a guarantee for peace of mind, with half a million in the last decade causing damage. Storm and fire damage affect an average of 80,000 homes a year whilst the utilities are yet another common cause of problems. Central heating, gas, electricity and water are together responsible for a bill of over £1.1 billion.

Unsurprisingly the Halifax cannot stress enough the importance of being properly insured but there are also other practical measures which can be taken. The BBC’s website contains advice from an ex-burglar, turned probation officer, who spent 18 years in and out of prison. He says he used to look for four things when choosing a house to burgle: one with single glazed windows and garden tools, bricks or other objects which he could use to force entry, one with no alarm or other security system, and insubstantial doors or windows. As well as making the house looked “lived-in” (lights and radios on a timer, neighbour’s car on the drive etc) it is also worth turning off the gas, water and electricity supplies if you are going away. Also leave contact details and a key with a trustworthy neighbour, preferably not marked with your address. That way if your neighbour falls prey to burglars, your house will not provide easy pickings as well.

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