Published: 6 December 2022
Top insurance tips for the summer holidays
Going away or staying home this summer? No matter what your plans are, spending some time on your insurance could help make the season a lot more stress-free.
We’ve shared five top tips to help reduce your claim exposure and protect your home and contents.
1. Make sure you're covered
If you’re going to be away from your home for a long period (more than 60 days), let your broker know so that they can check if you’ll remain covered and tell you what you need to do if you’re not.
Accidents and burglaries can happen to anyone at any time. Ensuring you have appropriate insurance cover to repair or replace your belongings that you take on holiday and leave at home should be one of your top priorities. It’s also a good idea to check the sub-limits in your contents policy as there may be financial limits on items, such as E-bikes, laptops, cameras, and jewellery.
2. Keep your home secure
Making sure you’ve adequately secured your home and belongings means you can rest easy while you’re away. It might seem obvious, but it is important to:
- Not to advertise that you are away, including on social media, and don’t leave a phone voicemail saying that you’re away.
- Lock all doors and windows and switch on burglar alarms.
- Ask a friend or neighbour to collect your mail and to check your property from time to time.
- Check that your garage and outbuildings are secure.
- If you can, fit sensor lights or set an internal light on a timer.
- Lock away jewellery (in a safe if you have one), portable electronic devices and any other valuables.
- Turn your water off at the mains and switch off your water heater.
3. If you are going on a road trip, check your car before you set off
Before you set off for a road trip, check the basics yourself – tyre tread and pressure, wiper blades and headlights.
It’s also a good idea to review your vehicle insurance policy, especially with vehicles increasing in value over the past two years. The median price for second hand late model cars listed on the TradeMe website increased from $41,990 in 2020 to $53,990 in 2022 (reported in April 2022) *.
Based on your chosen level of cover, vehicle insurance can cover you for accidental damage to your vehicle, less any excess, up to the current market value or a value agreed between you and the Insurer (sum insured set). You can use the My Rothbury App to quickly find your vehicle sum insured. Having appropriate insurance cover may save you hours of having to deal with unforeseen situations, such as car theft or vandalism, leaving you with more time to enjoy the long warm days.
4. Don’t wear your valuables to the beach
One of the most common reasons that insurance claims are declined is due to a lack of care. So, lock up valuables before hitting the beach to avoid having to make a claim during your holiday.
5. Set yourself up for an easier claim
Take photos of your valuables, and their receipts and valuations (jewellery). It’ll help prove you owned the item if you need to claim for it later. Hopefully though, if you’ve followed the steps above, the only photos you’ll need to look at this summer are your holiday snaps!
If you need to make a claim, the My Rothbury App makes managing your claims even easier. It allows you to start a claim, send yourself a claims form and receive updates. If you haven’t already, download My Rothbury in the App Store or Google Play Store.
Your local Rothbury broker can provide quality advice about your insurance needs.
Content developed in collaboration with Vero Insurance