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Category: Home insurance Date: 12/13/2011
Homeowners have been urged to protect their properties and given home insurance advice after the Met Office warned strong storms are on their way.
With up to half of the UK expecting gusts of over 45mph in the next few days, Aviva has advised homeowners to take basic precautions to protect themselves and their property.
Parking the car in a garage, securing or locking away loose objects such as garden furniture and ornaments, bikes, children's toys and ladders, and fastening doors and windows are amongst the precautions that people have been told they can take before the bad weather arrives.
Meanwhile, checking for loose roof tiles, securing any weak fences and posts, and checking aerials and satellite dishes are securely fixed are all amongst other measures that homeowners might want to take if they have the time.
However, should the worst happen and a property suffers damage during the storms, anyone with home insurance has been told to contact their insurer immediately.
Roof tiles being blown off, damaged gutters, TV aerials and chimneys are all amongst the most common types of storm claims, along with the lifting of roofing felt on sheds and damage caused by falling trees.
However, homeowners have been reminded that a home insurance policy is not a maintenance policy, with most companies expecting a home to be in reasonable condition, with wear and tear not covered.
Fences, gates and hedges that have blown down as a direct result of high winds are also generally excluded.
"Like floods, tornadoes, earthquakes and freeze, storms and gales are covered as standard by your home insurance policy," said Carole Gallagher, head of property claims at Aviva.
"There is no such thing as an 'Act of God' exclusion - this is exactly what your insurance covers you for."
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Disclaimer: Information is correct as of the date of publication (shown at the top of this article). Any products featured may be withdrawn by their provider or changed at anytime.