Protect homes and business premises during the celebrations

With the approaching festive season many of us are too excited to think about how we are going to protect our homes and business premises during the celebrations. Not many are aware that one of the biggest threats for instance are burst pipes, the average insurance claim for them is £15,000. In the first three days of this year 5 people perished in house fires in Scotland and at this time of year there are more burglaries than ever. If you are going away try to find a relative or friend who will check on your home or office and open and close the curtains for you. Make sure your locks are secure and never, ever post messages on social networking sites such as Facebook broadcasting that the fact that you are not going to be there. To stop mail piling up letting everyone know the premises are empty you can take advantage of the Royal Mail's Keepsake Service, they store your mail for you for weeks until you get back.

Remember to leave your heating on so that the pipes don't freeze and lag and insulate them. At home or in the office make sure that the fairy lights on your trees are safe by replacing any bulbs which have burst and checking the fuses on the plugs, never leave them on if you are not around. Keep flammable decorations away from fires and candles, this is basic common sense but we can all forget after a few sherries. A good idea is to check your insurance policy, does it cover everything including pieces of jewellery or the laptops? There are always sticky-fingered people who gatecrash office parties or celebrations at home.

It's a sad fact but some things tend to go missing at this time of year. Should you have any doubts about your existing policy contact us for advice. Chris, Alan and Stephen will be glad to help. If the worst does happen - we hope it doesn't - please refer to our sister company's online discount directory http://www.negotiatenow.co.uk for experts who will help you with fire prevention, plumbing, heating etc. or simply call us before your holiday. Have a wonderful time and stay safe.