Summer is upon us and it’s time to relax and unwind!

But sadly, it can also be a time when burglars are at their busiest, so as part of your plans for the summer check that you are properly insured.

According to the police, during the summer people become more relaxed about closing and locking doors and windows – especially during the type of hot weather we have just experienced.

Plus, the summer period is also the time when people head off for a week or two-week holiday – leaving their properties unoccupied.

Police say this combination makes the summer – along with Christmas – the busiest time for burglaries. Home insurance claims for break-ins double during the summer.

Insurers say less than two-thirds of people check that windows and doors are locked before they go on holiday and less than a quarter set their burglar alarm!

As well as checking your security, it is also worth checking your insurance policy. Just how long is it since you looked at that contents policy anyway?

Things may have changed since you took out the policy and you may find you have added so many expensive gadgets like televisions and laptops that you are under-insured.

If you don’t insure yourself against the full value of your possessions, your insurer might invalidate your claim and refuse to pay out or only pay a percentage of what you thought you were going to get.

And whilst we are talking about summer, don’t forget all those things you keep outside or in the garage or the shed.

Whilst we take for granted that our property will be insured inside our home, do we ever consider the barbecues, furniture and toys we have on the lawn and the electric bikes, lawn mower and power tools we keep in the shed, garage, or porch?

A couple of years ago Which? reported that 67% of people never insure property outside their home.

Many home insurance policies will cover your garden, shed, garage and greenhouse but it is always worth checking that yours does and exactly what the policy covers you for.

You’d be surprised at the value of some of the property you keep outside. The average British garden and shed has around £1,270 worth of items in it and many have a lot more.

If you are in any doubt, I will happily help you check your insurance to see that you’re covered. With some insurers, property left outside is an add-on to the standard policy. Some require you to take precautions, like locking up your bikes, otherwise, they won’t pay out.

With my customers, I always go through an insurance checklist to make sure we cover everything they need and find a policy that suits them. That’s a service that comparison websites don’t do so well. I also shop around to get a good deal.

So, before you get out your suitcase or your sun lounger, just dig out that home and contents insurance policy and read it through – or better still, bring it in to me and I’ll do it for you. Then you can really relax.

For a free, no-obligation discussion on any insurance or mortgage-related issue, please give me a call on 01723 384558 or 07767 692 653 or email me at mgrayshan@googlemail.com