Treating yourself to something special? Don’t forget your home insurance

We all like to treat ourselves to something special from time to time. Whether it’s a new three-piece suite or a top of the range TV, there are myriad ways you can improve your living space in a small or big way. And why not – we’ve never worked so hard for our money, so it’s our right to enjoy it! However, in the excitement over your new purchase, don’t forget the boring stuff – namely adding it to your home insurance.

Of course, it’s understandable that many people do just this, each and every day in the UK. It’s no secret that we’re a nation of spendaholics, satisfying our urges to spend, spend, spend on every weekend, bank holiday and annual leave from work. Whatever the rights and wrongs of such rampant consumerism, it’s clear that the tills are going to continue to ring.

However, once you’ve opened the box on your new laptop or hi-fi and got things up and running, consider how much you’ve spent. Would your current home contents insurance cover the cost of a replacement if you were unlucky enough to suffer a home catastrophe. If you’ve already got sizeable cover, it’s still worth sitting down and costing up the contents of your home. The value of your contents can slowly creep up without you even noticing, but you’ll certainly notice if your home burn downs or is flooded. If you’ve got cover for £40,000 and £50,000-worth of damage is caused, then you’ll have some tough choices to make. Replace the items at your own cost or give up the ghost and accept that you’ll have to get by without life’s little luxuries.

Of course, no one wants to be put in this situation. This doesn’t mean ringing your home insurance provider every time you come back from a trip to the shops with a new DVD or party dress. But regularly reviewing what’s in your home and the cover you’ve got could be a really smart move.

You want to enjoy your new gadgets, gizmos and clothes with peace of mind that they’ll be covered if the worst happens. We’d all like a crystal ball and be able to see events such as fires and floods coming, but sadly this just isn’t possible. However, you can prepare for that fateful day by getting the home contents insurance you need – why not ring your provider today and review your cover?