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Christmas parties can prove expensive

29/11/05

The forthcoming round of Christmas parties could leave uninsured homeowners with huge bills to foot if a guest has an accident in their home, a leading insurer warns.
 
NatWest home insurance found that a fifth of those surveyed were unaware that they could be forced to cover costs if a guest had an accident whilst on their property.
 
Brits on average have five parties a year with a total of 120 guests milling around their home. Those over the age of 65 hold nine parties a year with just under 100 people turning up.
 
But one in five homes are also not covered by insurance. Just under a third of people in the south-east do not have home or contents insurance compared with 12 per cent living in the south-west.
 
Almost half of those who rent property have yet to take out insurance cover.
 
But for those who have, 40 per cent said that the most important thing was to protect against suffering financial damage to their home. A fifth also sought cover for the loss and damage of their personal possessions outside of their home whilst 15 per cent said protecting the value of the contents inside their house was a key requirement.
 
Bob Trinder, head of NatWest insurance services, said: "Insuring your property against all eventualities is vital and it is concerning to see that over a fifth of Brits neglect to buy insurance at all.
 
"What's more, in the upcoming party season, a good home insurance policy will protect you against any accidents that happen both to your belongings and to any guests in your home."