Buying your first home is one of life’s milestones, and it’s exciting and stressful in equal measure. We’ve compiled some top tips to help you navigate the tricky waters of getting onto the property ladder as smoothly as possible. Know what you can afford Before you even start looking at houses, it’s important to understand
Read More
When you’re trying to decide what cover you need for your home and contents insurance, it’s fair to say that there can be a bewildering array of bolt-on options to choose from. One of the things you’ll have the opportunity to add on is legal cover, which usually increases the overall cost of your premium
Read More
Investing in property is a great way to make some extra income, but with rental yields varying so much from one part of the country to another, where are the best places to buy to let for maximum return? If you’re serious about property investment, you’ll want to know the areas where property prices are
Read More
When it comes to problems with your house, subsidence is high up on the list of things you really don’t want happening. But what is it and what should you do if you discover it? What is subsidence? Subsidence is when part or parts of the ground under your home start to sink. It’s a
Read More
You probably know the value of your house, but do you know the value of what’s inside it? If not, the chances are that your home contents insurance may not provide enough cover should the worst happen. You wouldn’t be alone. Only just over half (57%) of the people we questioned as part of our
Read More
Citizens Advice have recently highlighted concerns that certain groups of people in the market are particularly susceptible to the “loyalty penalty” for their home insurance. They identified that “people in vulnerable states” are particularly likely to be penalised. Who’s most affected? Citizens Advice reported that 32% of those paying the loyalty penalty are over 65,
Read More
With lots of people heading away to see family and friends over the Christmas period, and houses left unoccupied and full of presents, the festive season is a time to be extra careful about home safety. Burglaries rise by 53% over Christmas, and house fires are a risk due to all the twinkling lights decorating
Read More
During the transition from summer to winter, it is important to carry out safety checks on your home, to help prevent the worst from happening! Pipes – Frozen pipes are the biggest reason for escape of water claims in the winter. According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the insurance industry pays out £2.5m every day to customers for escape
Read More
The abnormally hot weather and lack of rainfall this summer created a disastrous combination for homeowners, according to industry experts. Recent data revealed that subsidence claims have seen a 350 per cent increase throughout the UK within the last six weeks alone. Not to mention, the number of claims are up 20 per cent compared
Read More
These are the jobs that you need to be doing this autumn, before the weather turns colder: Flower beds Start to divide herbaceous perennials as the weather cools. Make sure you water in the new divisions well. Plant spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils, crocus and hyacinths now. Plant out any biennial plants sown earlier in
Read More