As we all know, the cost of looking good at a time of year during which parties and social gatherings are coming thick and fast, can grow and grow, with the beauty industry receiving a significant boost as the Christmas party season unravels. However, Halifax home insurance have released the findings of a study that has shown precisely the extent to which beauty products can impact upon the pocket of the average homeowner.

According to the study, beauty products have caused £1.4 billion in home insurance claims over the past 12 months, with that figure set to increase by around £115 million during the festive season. The majority of the damage that results in homeowners having to make claims can be blamed upon make-up stains, with 17% of claims filed under that category (11% of claims arise from stains from fake tan or hair dye), whilst hair straighteners are to blame for around 5% of claims. It would also seem that stiletto heels don’t only put our ankles at threat at this time of year; damaged floors as a result of these shoes have resulted in a whopping cost of £330 million.

Halifax have also been keen to point out the effect that alcohol has had on the situation, with the rise in the trend of “sofa-lising” since the start of the recession resulting in an increased risk of accidents in the home. It is thought that around a quarter of Brits now hold pre-night out parties in their homes in order to reduce the cost of a night on the tiles but it would seem that this is far from a cost-effective way of entertaining if it results in such hefty claims on home insurance policies.

At this time of year, the last thing anyone wants to be thinking about is becoming the unwitting victim of crime. However, lack of awareness means that homeowners who seem to be caught up in the optimism and magical atmosphere of a family Christmas could be leaving themselves open to untold misery and financial doom and gloom caused by opportunistic festive thieves.

A combination of poor home security and a towering stock of expensive goods piled high in a predictable location (such as under the illuminated Christmas tree, often placed in a position that can easily be seen from the road outside) is leaving homeowners extremely vulnerable to burglary.

Confused.com have revealed that just one in four British homeowners bother to increase the level of their home security despite festive thefts costing homeowners or insurers around £2,623 on average.

Although this may sound like scaremongering, it is wise to take a few simple precautions in order to guard against Christmas misery. Try not to leave your gifts on display under the Christmas tree and keep the curtains closed when you can to ensure thieves can’t spy on your goods. Ensure your valuables are properly covered on your insurance policy and are valued as accurately as possible. This is particularly important when you consider that the top five items taken by thieves last year were laptops, Nintendo Wii consoles, digital cameras, Playstation 3s, and Sony PSPs.

Furthermore, try to make life difficult for thieves by leaving keys in hiding places that aren’t at all obvious and consider painting your drainpipes with anti-climb paint. Installing an obvious burglar alarm in a prominent position may also act as a deterrent.

The temperatures may have been going down, but one thing which has been going up quite rapidly is the number of home insurance claims.

A number of insurers announced that they had seen significant rises in claims following the recent spell of freezing weather that hit the UK in November, which surprised everyone by arriving so early.

Amongst those insurers revealing a rise in claims was Axa, which said it had seen double the normal calls for home insurance claims, and Lloyds TSB, which revealed that it had received seven times as many claims for burst pipes following the cold weather.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) said it cannot yet tell how much the cold has cost the insurance industry, but if the last cold spell is anything to go by then the figure is expected to be high. Back in January, the freezing weather was responsible for £650 million in insurance claims, most of which was due to burst pipes.

Leaking and burst pipes can cause serious problems for properties, including electrical faults and structural issues. Lloyds TSB has provided some helpful tips to help prevent burst pipes from occurring, including:

• Provide insulation to all the water pipes and the sides of the water tank
• Turn central heating onto a low setting if you are going away over the winter
• Use the frost protection thermostat on your boiler if you have one

If a pipe does burst, Lloyds TSB advised homeowners to:

• Turn off the mains water supply
• Turn off the electricity in the area affected by the leak, or turn off all the electricity if there is substantial damage
• Drain the taps of any remaining water in the system
• Contact your insurer immediately

With the next cold snap set to hit the UK shortly and lasting into the New Year, things could get a lot worse for insurance companies before they get better.

As the snow thaws across some parts of the UK whilst others experience the chaos brought about by fresh snowfall combined with that old enemy, ice, there really isn’t a better time to carry out a winter MOT at home. You may have dusted down your car, checked the engine, and given the brakes a good once-over since the start of the cold snap, but many Brits fail to show this same level of care to the very place they sleep at night.

Halifax Home Insurance has been the driving force behind the campaign to encourage homeowners to get their homes ready for winter and help them recover from the unexpectedly early winter spell that we’ve all grown so sick and tired of over the past couple of weeks. With the insurance company receiving over 18,500 claims last year relating to frozen and burst pipes alone, and 8,000 other unlucky homeowners having to make a claim for damage inflicted by stormy weather, it’s clear to see that we Brits can be guilty of taking a somewhat lazy approach to winter preparation when it comes to the home.

Carrying out a home MOT really isn’t difficult. First of all, check for existing damage by doing a circuit of your home to see if there are any roof tiles that have either fallen away from the structure or are cracked. You should also have a look at the state of your gutters and drains to check that they aren’t overflowing with debris caused by storms or general winter wear and tear.

After carrying out these checks and making the necessary repairs, prepare yourself for the long wintry months lying ahead of us, with the Met Office still issuing severe weather warnings; keeping torches and warm clothing in an accessible place, and stocking up on blankets, tinned food, and bottled water, are all wise moves.

The number of companies in the UK which are currently offering home insurance has continued to increase according to independent research company, Defaqto, which claims that there are now 73% more home insurers than there were six years ago.

Although this increase has brought a number of significant benefits to consumers, these benefits could yet turn out to be short-term boosts if the number of companies proves to be unsustainable in the long-term, with the current financial situation continuing to prove difficult for all companies to operate successfully in.

Defaqto’s Insight Analyst for General Insurance, Mike Powell, suggested this when he revealed that the research company believes that the rise in insurers means “there are long-term implications for [companies], who may need to consider how they restrict premiums while simultaneously lowering the cost of acquiring and retaining new customers”.

All of this hints at the suggestion that consumers may yet see the quality of their home insurance drop significantly as companies look to triumph in a bitter race to lower prices, something that could potentially hurt those who need to make a claim in the future as companies continue to prioritise price over the range of coverage they offer.

As the insurance industry continues to move away from the ‘one size fits all’ approach that it had previously relied upon, having been forced to adapt to an age in which price comparison websites allow consumers instant access to quotes from a range of companies, the difficulty of ensuring that companies are using correct business models means that any company that makes even the slightest wrong decision could end up finding that it was the last decision it makes as a company, with competition for customers increasing all the time.

The Co-Operative Insurance and housing charity Shelter have released new research stating that 5.41 million households (that’s over a fifth) have no home insurance at all. This is especially worrying with winter approaching, as home insurance claims nearly always go up during this season.

The research revealed that many people are choosing not to renew their insurance policies, with 42% of people stating that they cannot afford to take out insurance.

Failing to take out home insurance can lead to serious consequences, but despite that, 22% don’t think it is important. Of those questioned, 18% don’t think they have anything to protect, 16% have never taken out insurance and 15% don’t have it because it is not a legal requirement.

The research also revealed a worrying picture of the nation’s financial concerns. 68% said that they were worried about money, 28% have more going out than they are earning, and the average deficit is £165. On top of that, 26% are worried that they cannot pay their bills each month.

These are shocking facts that will be a surprise to many. The fact is that home insurance is a crucial part of renting or owning any property. Many people don’t realise just how much they own, and there are also liability issues to consider that make it worthwhile taking out insurance.

The Co-Operative Insurance and Shelter are joining together to raise money for the homeless charity. For every new home insurance policy purchased at the Co-Op, £5 will be donated to Shelter. In total, they are hoping to raise £250,000 through the initiative.