Tips to avoid a claim on your park home

This article gives you some tips on how to avoid a claim on your park home insurance. However, if you do need to make a claim on your insurance cover with Park Home Assist you can be sure it will be handled swiftly and fairly by one of our award-winning team. We want to make sure any claim goes as smoothly as possible.

To keep your premiums low and to take advantage of the no-claims discount on your policy, if you have one, it is a good idea to think about minimising the likelihood of having to make a claim in the first place.

You do need to carry out regular maintenance of your park home to a minimum level as a condition of your insurance cover, so a lot of problems can be avoided with a good maintenance regime.

Here are some extra measures you can take to help avoid a claim on your park home insurance.

Avoiding claims due to weather events

There is of course, nothing you can do about the weather itself. As we all know in the UK, the weather will do what it will. There are, however some measures you can take to minimise damage from severe weather and perhaps avoid the need to make a claim at all.

Be prepared for adverse weather. Being forewarned is being forearmed as they say. Regular news sources, local weather-watch websites or apps on your phone and the government weather-warning service are all available. Hopefully these will give you prewarning of anything severe on the way.

In hot, dry weather a few extra measures in your garden or outdoor space can help minimise the risk of fire. It may help you to clear any accumulated leaves or dry vegetation as soon as you spot it. You may also be well-served by making sure surrounding hedges and trees are under control and not encroaching too near your home. Your park’s management may be able to help you with this if you are concerned.

If you know that bad weather is forecast, it’s a good idea to make a few checks around your park home and to take some precautions where you can. If high winds are on the way, for instance, secure or store garden furniture to stop it being picked up by the wind. This can reduce the risk of damage to your property.

In addition, take down any non-permanent fixtures like awnings, umbrellas or gazebos. It can also be a good idea to check your fences and other permanent fixtures like garden lights. You may find it is better making small repairs now, at your own expense before bad weather makes things worse and you have to make a claim.

You may also want to make regular checks on the trees and shrubbery around your house to remove any weak or overhanging branches that could become detached and a hazard in the wind. You will need to clear your drains more regularly in the autumn and winter, which can greatly reduce the chances of external water damage this way.

If cold weather is on the way, you may want to pre-treat your paths and walkways with salt or other anti-icing measures. In wet weather, clear moss and lichen from your paths with a stiff brush and bleach to help prevent slips and falls. You may also want to think about installing non-slip surfaces and grips on steps, together with outdoor security lighting as a more permanent measure.

You’ll find more information in our blog post about preparing your park home for storms and bad weather

Avoiding claims on your park home insurance due to theft

 Unfortunately, crime is a common cause of insurance claims. Most theft from property is opportunistic. There is plenty you can do to deter the opportunistic thief. If you are in doubt your park management and the police are usually very happy to help you improve your park home security.

Here are a few tips to help you to avoid potential distress and the need to make a claim.

As you move from the inside to the outside of your home, or vice-versa, is a time when you may let your guard down. You may forget to check if you left anything on that outside table as you moved indoors or whether you locked the front door when you go out the back to catch some sun. If you can develop the habit of checking on your possessions at these moments, you may avoid unnecessary temptation for the passing opportunist.

You may want to install an alarm system, extra locks, cameras and security lighting too to really boost your park home’s defences. If you do, it may be a good idea to make it obvious that your home is well-secured. The extra risk and effort will prove too much for many prospecting thieves.

You could also look for a park watch scheme or neighbourhood watch. Residents’ associations are also good for this. Keeping an eye out for each other is often the best security measure of all. Again, you may want to display your participation in one of these schemes with prominent stickers on a door or window.

When you leave your property, as well as locking up after yourself, think about what a passing thief will see. If the curtains are drawn, they may want to get a closer look. It may seem counter intuitive but allowing a look inside will confirm that there is nothing left out to tempt the opportunist. You may also want to take some of your smaller valuables with you. Investing in a safe can also be a good idea and a way of reducing your premiums and increasing the amount of valuables you can be covered for.

The assurance and peace of mind that good insurance cover gives is important, but if a claim can be avoided, everyone is better off.

Avoiding claims on your park home insurance due to fire

A fire can be devastating, so avoiding fire is important for many reasons, increased premiums is probably the least of them. You may want to ask your local fire service for advice on your own fire prevention measures in your home. The fire service website has plenty of useful advice to follow.

You will need to be equipped to deal with small fires. You may want think about where you store your fire-fighting equipment. It is a good idea to keep a fire blanket and extinguisher close to the door and with swift access to your stove or hob. Catching a fire early with the right equipment can be the difference between a scare and extensive damage to your park home and potential danger to you.

Avoiding Accidents 

It is a cliché and nevertheless true to say that most accidents happen in the home. It is also equally true to say that accidents will happen.

You may want to take special care when children or pets that don’t live with you are visiting. Maybe you have some ornaments that could have a quick timeout in a cupboard while the children run around. Try to keep corridors and floor-space clear of bags, shoes and other items.

Outside in the garden, perhaps some grips on steps and pathways may avoid the odd fall or slip. You may also want to think about who can help or just be around when you are up a ladder or moving heavy items. A second pair of eyes and hands on a task can make a real difference to the likelihood of an accident occurring and leading to injury, or breakages and a claim.

These are just a few tips to help you avoid making a claim on your park home insurance. This will hopefully help you to keep your premiums low so you can enjoy even better value for money as well as the peace of mind you can get if you have great cover.

Please note that all park home insurance cover is subject to acceptance of terms and conditions.

This is a marketing article from Park Home Assist, multi award-winning providers of residential park home insurance.  If you would like to speak to an advisor regarding insurance for your park home, please contact our friendly team in our Northampton office on 01604 946 796.

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Published – 26/08/2022