Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Category:
Personal Finance Tips
Recent news from Confused.com has suggested that extreme weather conditions require extra precautions in order to protect homes against the risk of flooding.
Darren Black, Head of Home Insurance at Confused.com, is advising homeowners to be vigilant: "With heavy rain, strong winds and snow sweeping across the UK, it is essential that homeowners do everything that they can to weather-proof their homes. In fact, the combination of the recent snow melting and the excessive rainfall, means that many homes are now at risk of flooding.
Households, including those that have managed to avoid flooding on previous occasions, are being encouraged to review their existing home insurance policies to ensure that they are covered for flood-risk and that their contents value is up-to-date. Further advice includes considering what items could be re-located in the event of flooding – for example, furniture, computers and sentimental belongings such as photographs. Households are also being advised to prepare a ‘flood kit’ containing insurance documents, contact information, a first aid kit, water-proof clothing and a torch.
Darren Black continued: "However, it is not only households in flood-risk areas who need to take precautions. Some of the more recent heavy rainfall has affected areas traditionally not seen as flood-risk areas.”
As a result, Confused.com is encouraging consumers to avoid rain damage by ensuring that their guttering is free of debris so as to prevent substantial rainfall from flowing back into the eaves of their homes. In addition, consumers are being encouraged to check that the drains in their back gardens are clear, as well as patios or other paved areas.
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Homeowners who would like to invest in their property and gardens in order to protect it from the elements, and who are shopping around for the finances to cover expenses, could consider taking out a secured
home improvement loan. This could cover the cost of projects such as re-doing guttering to ensure that water is diverted away from the property properly. Where necessary, re-roofing may also be embarked upon so as to ensure that the property is water-tight. One of many finance options to cover the cost of home improvements, secured home improvement loans can be repaid over a term to suit the borrower from 5 to 25 years, but it must be remembered that repaying borrowing over a longer term may increase overall interest charges.
