Advice « Home Quote Direct – Home Insurance Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Advice’

Council of Mortgage Lenders report holds no Christmas cheer

Friday, December 17th, 2010

If the latest report from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) is to be believed, then 2011 is not going to be much of a year for homeowners looking to sell their property, or indeed for prospective buyers looking to get on the housing ladder.

The CML’s final gloomy report for 2010 did nothing to cheer up homeowners, home seekers or estate agents. Although their forecast is that nothing will change too much from the stagnation of 2010, they anticipate the Government’s action in pulling the plug on support schemes such as the Support for Mortgage Interest benefit, which was introduced by the last Labour Government when the recession was at its height, will certainly tip some homeowners over the edge and into repossession.

In all they anticipate repossessions to increase by about 4,000 to a yearly figure of 40,000 and they predict mortgage owners in arrears to go from 175,000 to 180,000. This they say will be down to the cut in government support.

With banks and building societies expected to keep their strict borrowing requirements in place, the CML anticipate no more than 860,000 house purchases to go through in 2011. The figure is slightly less than 2010 and down once more to the difficulty first time buyers are having in finding a mortgage that is viable. The great disappointment though for buyers in general, is that they can see bargains in the estate agents shop window but can’t do anything about it. The CML though, have noted that they expect house prices to remain stable in 2011 partly because homeowners with property’s for sale are digging their heels in and refusing to drop their prices any more.

It does seem that unless there is a sea change in the policies of the lenders then the buoyancy of the housing market that many in the UK thought would last forever, may have disappeared for the short term future at least. It would be interesting to see just how many of the house purchases last year resulted in a quote for landlord insurance rather than household insurance as the buy-to-let market does at least seem to be holding its own.

Tags: Advice, Advice for Tenants, Home Insurance, household insurance, Mortgage Lenders, tenants
Posted in Home Insurance | No Comments »

Prepare the house for the harsh winter

Tuesday, October 5th, 2010

Unfortunately with summer gone it is now time to start getting the home ready for winter. October should be used as the month to do the projects before November and winter comes knocking at the door.

Arrange to have the boiler inspected if it was not done earlier this year. If this is not done, it could mean some time with no hot water or heating. Also arrange to have the fireplace chimney cleaned. This will ensure the chimney is safe to use during the winter months. It will also avoid what could be a major problem. If birds have built a nest in the chimney during the summer when the fire is not used, the first time a fire is lit, the room may be filled with smoke.

Take a walk around the outside of the house to check if anything needs to be done. Check if any caulking has developed cracks which would allow cold air to get into the home. Inspect the roof and see if any tiles are damaged and in need of replacing.

Clear the gutters and drains of all debris, overflowing gutters can drench walls and cause damage. In cold weather, any water on the paving will freeze so make sure it is well drained, this will avoid any accidents. Check the edges of all of the windows and make sure that any water flows away from the glass and does not collect on the window sill.

Add some weather stripping to any windows or doors that need it. Fix any caulking that was noticed earlier. Fill any holes that are visible around cables and pipes which come through the walls into the home. Filling the holes not only keeps out cold air, it also stops mice coming in and finding a warm place to live during the winter. During the winter the outside of a house will take a battering many times, so a good assessment of its current condition needs to be done.

As the winter is getting closer, everything should be done to prevent the risk of the pipes freezing, which could cause a blockage of the water supply, and in the worst case, lead to the pipes bursting, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage to the home and a claim on the household insurance. When the pipes freeze the flow of the water will be completely blocked. As the water expands it then turns into ice, causing the pipes to burst. It is not only the outdoor pipes that can freeze; pipes that run along an exterior wall will be at risk as well. Both hot and cold water pipes can freeze, so make sure both protected.

Tags: Advice, Home Insurance, housing repairs, winter
Posted in Home Insurance | No Comments »

Bleak future ahead for many pensioners

Friday, September 10th, 2010

It should be a time to relax after a lifetime of hard work, but the reality is that millions of elderly people and those approaching retirement still have large debts, and with no pension and no savings they face a bleak future, research reveals today.

These figures show a worrying picture of a country with an ever increasing population of elderly people who simply have to keep working. A major study, from an insurance firm has found that two in ten people over the age of 55 are still paying off a mortgage. On average the size of their mortgage is £60,440 which takes a large part of their income each month.

The report shows how the elderly are having to rely heavily on credit much more than previously thought. Two out of every ten are forced to survive on an income of around £25 per day. Some even fail to take out household insurance which could be an expensive mistake. The report harshly shows how everyone will need to save and plan for retirement. The research illustrates the gap between those who planned for retirement by saving, having a private pension and also investments, and those who did not plan and now have nothing. It found 15% do not have a penny of savings or investments. There are a small percentage of well-off and well-prepared people who have done significant planning for the future. Sadly it seems that traditional retirement will not be possible in the future and future generations will have to work longer.

A spokesperson for debt charity Consumer Credit Counselling Service, said soaring numbers of its clients were older people. “We have seen a big increase in over-55s coming to us for help with their debts. They tend to be asset-rich but cash-poor which leaves them struggling to repay their debts. One of the big trends making it harder for people to save is having children later in life which means they often have dependent children who they are supporting through university as they are reaching their own retirement.”

Tags: Advice, debt, Home Insurance, household insurance
Posted in Home Insurance | No Comments »

Easy ways to keep a bathroom free from germs

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

It is surprising how much time is spent in the bathroom. The average person can usually put up with a collection of dust under the bed. But a dirty/grimy bathroom is another matter. The bathroom should be cleaned at least once each week and even more if a large family or perhaps even pets are bathed in the family bathroom. Hard earned money is spent on household insurance, and keeping the property clean should be done regularly, this should apply even more so to the bathroom.

In today’s world most bathrooms are made of materials that are easy to keep clean so there should be no excuse. Make it a rule in the home to rinse out the bath or shower straight after use. Spraying some water from the shower head onto all interior surfaces, before lathering soap onto a damp sponge and swishing it around the tub or shower cubicle before finally rinsing does not take long and will help keep on top of the cleaning. Cast iron or steel baths can be cleaned the same way as an acrylic bath, but only use products recommended and a soft cloth. A good whirlpool or spa model are generally self-draining, but it is still important that the pipe works are cleaned out regularly. If this bath came with the house a good tip is to once a week fill the bath with water and add a cupful of a good cleaning agent, let this circulate for a couple of minutes, then empty the bath, refill with some clean water, allow this to circulate again for a couple of minutes, empty out and rinse.

A bathroom basin can be cleaned by using an all-purpose bathroom cleaner, followed by a wipe over with a damp cloth. Rinse the plug hole and buff to a shine. The same goes for the taps on the basin. A shower tray is no harder than cleaning the bath, again use an all-purpose bathroom cleaner, if the area of the house is a hard water area, use a lime-scale remover once a week. Cleaning a shower screen can be done much better if using a squidgy. This will help to remove the excess of water from the screen. Each week clean the screen with a solution made up of washing up liquid and use a soft cloth. Do not forget the hinges of the door as these can get really dirty. As for the shower head go either eco friendly and soak it in a solution of half distilled vinegar and half water for a few hours, then rinse thoroughly. Otherwise use a liquid descaler and an old toothbrush, but do a test first to check that the shower head will not get damaged by the chemicals.

Tags: Advice, cleaning tips, Home Insurance, household insurance
Posted in Advice for Tenants, Home Insurance | No Comments »

Toasters help start the working day

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

Most people love toast, be it white, brown or wholemeal, thousands of people enjoy a nice crisp piece of buttered toast first thing in the morning to kick-start their day. Some stand by the oven watching and waiting for the bread to turn brown, where as others take the easy route and use an electric toaster which turns the power of electricity into heat that can cook the bread.

But how does the electricity that flows into the toaster actually toast the bread? A toaster heats the bread by infrared radiation. The vital component of the toaster is the nichrome wire which is an alloy of nickel and chromium. When looking down inside of the toaster, all that can be seen is a row of wires on each side of the bread. When the electricity runs through the wires, they get very hot and direct their heat towards the bread. Nichrome is not very good at conducing electricity, so when electricity is run through the nichrome wire it gets very hot very quickly. When the toaster is switched on, the wires must never be touched, either with fingers or even more dangerous, a knife. They are very hot and also carry large electric currents that could go through the body, cause electrocution, and in the worst case scenario be fatal. If a piece of bread gets lodged in the toaster it should be removed safely, so always unplug the toaster first. It is not a good idea to leave a toaster unattended, it has been known for them to catch fire which could mean a claim on the household insurance.

Making toast has come a long way since the days of piercing the bread with a stick and heating it over the fire. Most electric toasters now have a function that allows the user to select how long the bread is toasted. When the bread is toasted it will pop out of the toaster automatically and the electricity stops flowing. The shell of the toaster is made of either plastic or metal that does not come into contact with any of the mechanisms that are inside the toaster. This is to keep the toaster cool to the touch yet not lose any of the heat in the toaster. They vary in size and capability but almost every home in the country will have one that can toast two, four or six pieces of bread at a time. Some toasters have wider slots which enable thick bread or bagels and they now include a defrosting capability.

Tags: Advice, Bread, Electric, Electricity, Home Insurance, household insurance, Toast, Toasting
Posted in Advice for Tenants, Electricity, Home Insurance | No Comments »

A cast iron certainty to improve a bathroom

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Early plumbing systems for a bath have been documented as far back as far as 3300 BC with the finding of copper water pipes underneath a palace in the Indus Valley Civilization of ancient India. The Roman Empire of over 2000 years ago was famous for its love of bathing. Around 500BC all Roman citizens were encouraged to visit the many public baths on a daily basis. The Romans used marble for the bath tubs with bronze and lead for the pipes, they also created a very complex sewage system for sanitation. In fact the Romans set the bar high for personal hygiene. Bathing was still very popular until shortly after the Renaissance, when it was replaced by the heavy use of sweat bathing and perfume, because it was thought at the time that water may carry disease and infections into the body through the skin.

Cast iron has been used in the manufacture of baths for hundreds of years. A cast iron bath was once very common in the bathroom of a home before being replaced over time by man-made materials. Having a cast iron bath is now very much sought after in bathrooms of home-owners trying to create a contemporary home. Cast iron baths are the original roll top bath, named because of the way the top of the bath curves over. They are similar to a steel bath because they are both immensely strong and very rigid, both are coated with porcelain enamel, and both are very easy to clean and have a long life. The bath is cast from iron in a mould, then after forming the bath shape it is chemically cleaned, this ensures the surface is spotless before applying the enamel coat. A porcelain enamel coating will then be sprayed onto the bath and the entire bath is then fired in a large kiln to give a very strong chemical bond between the enamel and the cast iron.

The bath will not need a cradle or a frame as its strength will allow feet to be cast or bolted onto the body of the iron bath. The feet of the cast iron bath are not normally adjustable because the bath itself is extremely heavy. Because of this, it is important that a cast iron bath is only put on a very solid and level floor. It is very important that checks are made to make sure the floor is strong enough, or the bath may end up in the living room and a claim on the cheap home insurance policy ensues. The clawed foot is one of the most popular types of foot for a cast iron bath. A cast iron bath that has clawed feet is not normally enclosed and is often featured in the middle of the room. This allows the householder to apply some decoration on the underside of the bath and it is possible to get some very attractive designs to highlight the clawed foot bath.

Tags: Advice, Advice for Tenants, Home Insurance, household insurance, Saving Money, tenants
Posted in Advice for Tenants, DIY, Home Insurance, Saving Money | No Comments »

10 Things To Remember To Avoid Home Thefts.

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

Below are 10 practices to use to avoid becoming a victim of home theft.

1. Lock the windows.
Make sure all of your windows are locked as you are leaving your home.

2. Lock the doors.
Make sure all of your doors are locked as you are leaving your home.

3. Turn on the home security alarm.
Ensure that your alarm is turned on as you leave your home (if you have an alarm).

4. Use a visual or audio deterrent.
At night, leave on a light, radio or TV for background noise to deter prying thieves from entering your home.

5. Park your car visibly.
Have a parked car in your driveway to deter prying thieves by giving the impression that someone is home.

6. Have your keys
Ensure that when you are leaving the house, that there are no keys left in the door.

7. Hide your spare key well.
Be security savvy. Don’t leave your spare key in an obvious place where people may find it.

8. Be aware of your living environment.
Ask neighbours to look out for any unusual neighbourhood activity. Participating in a neighbourhood watch scheme is ideal for the local community to look out for each other.

9. Secure your belongings.
You can improve your home contents security by storing your items in a shed, by having a security fence or having a secure chain.

10. Don’t tempt thieves.
Don’t place valuable items such as laptops, TV’s, camera’s and money in plain view plain sight for the public to see.

Image credit: Country_boy_shane

Tags: Advice, Advice for Tenants, Garden, Home Security, Theft, Tips
Posted in Advice for Tenants, Home Security | No Comments »

Top Tips for Home Insurance

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

Do you need to reduce your home insurance premium? Take a peek at our top tips below!

Shop around
- Make sure you get a number of quotes to make sure you’re not paying more than you should be.
- Don’t accept the first quote you get; and don’t think you have to get your home insurance from your mortgage lender – you’re not obliged to!
- Using a site like HomeQuoteDirect enables you to shop around quickly and easily, as you get a number of quotes from different insurers and there’s only one form to fill in!

Only Pay for the Cover You Need
- For buildings insurance you only need to insure your property for the cost to rebuild – not the market value. There can be a vast difference!
- Similarly for contents insurance – only insure up to the value of your possessions and be as accurate as you can be.

Limit the Risk
- If insurers perceive your home to be less of a risk, then the cost of your home insurance is likely to reduce –
  - Consider installing smoke alarms and fire extinguishers to reduce the risk of fire damage
  - Make sure your home is as secure as possible – consider by installing a NACOSS or SSAIB approved alarm system; fit deadlocks to doors etc

Don’t Make Unnecessary Claims
- Think before you claim – many companies now incorporate no claims bonuses into their home insurance (just like they do for car insurance). You may find that it’s works out cheaper to pay for any repairs yourself than suffer a rise in your home insurance premium

Tags: Advice, Contents Insurance, Home Insurance, Insurance for Renters, Saving Money, Tips
Posted in Contents Insurance, Home Insurance | No Comments »

Top Tips to Save Money on Your Home Insurance

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

Ultimately, when purchasing home insurance, the price you pay will depend on your circumstances (i.e. where your property is situated, your claims history) and the amount of cover you need. It’s also really important that you do not compromise on your home insurance cover just to get a cheaper premium – if the worst happens, you don’t want to find that you’re not covered.

That said, there are a number of ways to save money on your home insurance premium, and within this post we’ll take a look at some of these:

All home insurers provide quotes based on the ‘risk’. Essentially this means they evaluate the likelihood of you making a claim. You can therefore reduce your home insurance premiums by presenting yourself to the insurer as lower risk – examples of how to do this are detailed below:
Reduce the risk of burglary – increased security measures reduce your risk of burglary, and insurers will respond by reducing the cost of your premium, examples include: fitting a burglar alarm, installing high security locks, lighting and so on.
Reduce the risk of fire – fit and maintain smoke alarms.
Increase your policy excess – your excess is the amount that you are willing pay in the event of a claim. If you increase your excess your home insurance premium will be reduced accordingly.
Don’t claim unless you really have to -as with car insurance, many home insurance providers are now also offering no claims discounts for ‘careful’ policy holders (i.e. those who do not make claims). Now clearly there are circumstances under which you may have no choice other than to claim, however we would recommend that you consider the potential increase in premiums prior to claiming; and weigh up the pros and cons. Ultimately, you may find that it’s cheaper to pay for small repairs yourself, rather than claiming on your insurance.Pay only for the Insurance Cover you need…

This may sounds obvious, but make sure that you are only paying for the cover you need. For example, if your are renting a property, you will only need to pay for contents insurance, as your landlord will be responsible for ensuring that the building is covered.

Similarly, if you live in a block of flats or other dwelling where you do not own the entire building, again you may find that the buildings insurance is covered within any service charges which you pay.

Finally, even if you do own the whole building, your buildings insurance policy should only cover you for the potential re-build cost; not the total market value of your property.

Shop around for the best deal…

Make sure you shop around. Many people make the mistake of simply renewing their home insurance with their existing provider without checking out the other deals which are available on the market.

It’s really important to shop around to make sure you get the very best deal on your home insurance. Ideally, you should get a variety of quotes. HomeQuoteDirect is an independent broker, and as such will search their panel of insurers in order to get the very best deal for you.

Tags: Advice, Home Insurance, Saving Money, Tips
Posted in Home Insurance, Saving Money | No Comments »