Are Christmas presents covered on home insurance? And other questions

28 December 2022

Insurance isn’t a very festive topic. But it’s worth spending a little time to ensure your possessions are fully covered.

Then you can focus on what really matters - celebrating!

So, here are some answers to some commonly asked insurance questions you might have during the festive season.

Are Christmas presents covered on home insurance?

If you already have a home contents insurance policy - a type of cover which helps protect the possessions in your home - then all the gifts stacked up under your Christmas tree could push the value of your belongings over the cover limit you previously set with your insurer.

As a reminder, when you first took out your insurance, you will have worked out how much your home contents are worth, in order to get the right level of cover. But if you buy valuable items after taking out your contents policy, you should contact your insurer to make sure your new purchases are covered.

Many insurers, including Ageas, will automatically increase your cover over the holiday season to reflect the fact that the value of your home contents will have increased.

But make sure you check your policy terms and conditions and speak to your insurer if you’re not sure whether your cover will change at Christmas.

What about other religious festivals?

If you celebrate a different religious festival, such as Eid-ul-Adha or Hanukkah, many insurance providers – including Ageas – will offer you a temporary increase in cover.

Again, check your policy details or speak to your insurer if you aren’t sure if this applies to you.

Do I need to update my home insurance after receiving gifts?

If your insurer does increase your cover for Christmas or another religious festival, bear in mind that it will be temporary.

So, after your relatives have gone home and there’s no leftover turkey in sight, you may need to review the value of your possessions to make sure you’re properly covered by your insurance. (Ageas provides a 10% increase in cover 30 days before and 30 days after the event).

It’s important to get the values accurate, if you’ve said your possessions are worth less than their true value, then in the event of a claim you could find yourself out of pocket.

Am I covered for damage caused by accidents?

Excited kids, big gatherings, flaming Christmas puddings… it’s easy to see how accidents can happen at Christmas. But would your home insurance cover you in such an event?

The answer is not always. Your contents insurance may not cover accidental damage, so it’s best to check if it’s included as standard in your policy, or whether you’ll need to include it as an ‘additional cover'.

If the winter weather causes damage to my home, will my insurance cover it?

The winter weather can cause all sorts of expensive damage to you property, at Christmas and beyond.

Home insurance policies cover damage caused by storm or flood. However, if your home isn’t well maintained, it could invalidate a claim.

Also, if you plan to head away for a long stretch over Christmas, and leave your home unoccupied, then it’s worth checking your home insurance policy. There may be restrictions if you are away for 30 days or more.

One of the most common problems in the winter is burst pipes, which can cause expensive damage; according to the Association of British Insurers, last year the average cost of weather-related home insurance claims for burst pipes was £9,300^[1].

Water damage to your property is usually covered as a standard feature in your buildings insurance policy. However, you can take steps to avoid it happening in the first place.

One of the most valuable things about having the right insurance cover in place is the peace of mind it gives you – and that’s a gift to treasure at any time of year.