Party on – once you’ve sorted out your home insurance

p>We all enjoy a bit of partying from time to time. And with the weather starting to improve finally, many households up and down Britain will be starting to think about their summer shindigs. Family barbeques. Garden parties. Full on raves. However, before getting out the streamers and cocktail sausages, it’s worth thinking about your home contents insurance – and whether you’ve got enough to cover you in the event of something going wrong.

Whatever you’ve got in mind, it’s worth remembering that accidents can and do happen all the time. Especially, it has to be said, when alcohol is involved. Sure, your quiet family barbeque can start off tame enough. But it can quickly turn into a bit of a riot, especially when your alcoholic auntie’s had too many sherries and your brother’s gone in hard with the tins of cheap lager. The fact is that spilled wine, beer and spirits can be hard to get out of furniture. And drunk people can fall into things and break them.

Then, of course, there’s those newspaper reports we’ve all read about teeagers’ Facebook parties getting out of hand. If you’ve ever watch E4 drama Skins, you’ll have an idea of what we’re talking about. What starts as a small party among a few friends can quickly spread across the internet and attracts hoards of undesirables from all corners. Unfortunate parents have come back from relaxing weekends in the Algarve to find their homes wrecked and their children in floods of tears.

Prevention may well be better than cure, but these types of events really can happen to anyone. So it’s a good idea to review your home insurance and check that you’ve got provisions for accidental damage or malicious damage.

Then you should think about how much cover you need. Although it may seem obvious to some, you’d be amazed how many households find themselves over or under insured, especially after making a big purchase. If your house is flooded and you’re covered for £50,000, this is the maximum amount you’ll get from your insurer to rebuild you life, no matter how much everything actually costs to replace.

£40,000, this is the maximum you’ll get back.

This is a situation no one wants to find themselves in. So before planning that big party and letting your hair down, sort out your home insurance – it could be the smartest thing you do all year.