Home insurance 'a must' at Christmas

Home insurance is a must-have financial product over the Christmas period, according to industry advice.

The British Insurance Brokers Association (Biba) has reminded consumers that opportunistic thieves strike in the run up to Christmas, meaning that insurance is a necessary purchase.

Steve Foulsham, technical service officer at Biba, said that after this year’s floods people who choose not to take out home insurance are "deluding themselves".

"In the light of all that coverage, if they still choose not to insure themselves then that’s got to be one for them and their own conscious decision," he explained.

Mr Foulsham also reminded consumers that not all Christmas presents are covered by regular home insurance policies, suggesting that some policies may need to be updated to include more expensive items.

He said that Biba would always advise consumers to "speak to their broker or insurer to make sure their contents [insurance] is adequate".

Research conducted by Royal & SunAlliance in December 2006 revealed that people are 13 per cent more likely to be burgled in December.