Home insurance warning over second properties

Britons are risking £6.3 billion worth of belongings because they do not have home insurance for their holiday properties, new research shows.

A study conducted by Zurich Private Clients reveals that one in ten do not have any home insurance at all with a further 11 per cent not knowing if their cover is adequate.

It also found that holiday properties contain an average of £15,200 of goods, meaning people without home insurance could be left footing a costly bill.

Nick Brabham, head of Zurich Private Clients, said: We often let our guard down as we relax and unwind, but we need to ensure that we don't compromise on security or cover, leaving our property vulnerable and thousands of pounds of our possessions at risk.

People with holiday properties in the UK or on the Continent should make sure that they have adequate insurance, he added.

Last week, Newcastle Building Society warned that people who do not turn on things such as alarms when they are out risk invalidating their home insurance policy if they are burgled.