Irish winters can be tough on everyone. Snow and ice make travel conditions treacherous, but the cold snap doesn’t have to be hazardous for your home. Getting good home insurance and following the simple steps in this informational video can ensure you navigate the harsh winter problem free.
Home Insurance: Buying a safe
Many home insurance policy holders include high-value items on their home insurance policy – such as jewellery items, including wedding and engagement rings and watches. These valuables are often extremely difficult to replace and are deemed “priceless” by their owner.
For this reason many home insurance policy holders consider buying a small safe in which they can keep these items.
Safes aren’t too expensive. A small, strong safe starts at about €200-€300; while a larger, more secure safe can cost thousands of euros. But a small safe is usually more than adequate to store the items commonly found insured on peoples’ home insurance policies.
Most companies that provide safes will deliver the safe to your home and install it for you.
Another thing that you can do to ensure that the valuables on your home insurance policy are safe is to take photos of them and, if they have serial numbers, take a note of these too. Then, if the worst does happen, you might be able to browse through nearby pawn shops and second-hand jewellers to see if you can retrieve these priceless items.
For great value home insurance visit this link to Getcover.ie’s home insurance section.
Home insurance: Making sure that you have the right locks
Many people don’t realise that most home insurance policies require them to have specific types of locks on the external doors to their home.
Most home insurance policies require that the home should be secured with Mortice deadlocks. Mortice deadlocks can be identified by their single-bolt locking mechanism and are usually built into the door in order to provide additional security.
Mortice deadlocks come as standard on most doors. They are popular because they provide excellent protection against most types of tampering including: lock picking, force, drilling, manipulation and hacksaw. Most home insurance providers require deadlocks to be installed so that the risk of someone breaking into the dwelling covered by the home insurance policy is greatly reduced.
If you do not have Mortice deadlocks installed in your home, you should contact your home insurance provider immediately in order to find out if they require deadlocks in order for your home insurance policy to be in effect.
For great value home insurance visit this link to Getcover.ie’s home insurance section.
Home insurance: Precautions to take to avoid fire damage
One of the worst home insurance claims that a home insurance policy holder ever has to make is against fire damage. Fire damage can not only cause considerable damage to your home, but also put your family and loved ones at risk. We look at some simple precautions that you can take to reduce the likelihood of falling victim to fire damage.
Most home insurance providers require their policy holders to have at least two functioning fire alarms in their home. According to the terms of most home insurance policies, these should be checked and tested regularly.
The number one cause of house fires – and a significant source of home insurance claims – is fire occurring from people leaving cooking unattended. Especially in the case of high-risk fire hazards – such as deep-fat fryers – cooking should never be left unattended. It might also be a good idea to have a fire blanket and fire extinguisher ready-at-hand, in case something should go on fire.
If the worst should happen and an uncontrollable fire occurs, get out of the house as quickly as possible. As long as you have adequate home insurance your property and valuables are protected – so, your primary concern is to get out of the house without risking injury.
For great value home insurance visit this link to Getcover.ie’s home insurance section.
Ski insurance: Top tips to prepare for the slopes this season
Thinking of hitting the slopes this year but unsure of what steps to take before heading off? We run through a short list of things to do to ensure that your ski holiday this season is a hit.
First of all, you’ll need equipment. Whether you’re buying or renting, you should make sure that your equipment is insured either by the party you are renting it from or on your ski insurance policy. If you are unsure whether your ski insurance policy covers your equipment, don’t hesitate in calling your ski insurance provider.
You’ll also want to get some practice in before hitting the slopes. And even if you’re a veteran skier, you’ll want to ensure that you’re fit enough that you won’t get tired out quickly – for more information about getting fit for the slopes, see our previous article here.
Having adequate ski insurance is extremely important. Skiing can be a hazardous sport and if you get injured without adequate ski insurance you might find yourself left with a hefty bill.
“In the event of injury, it could cost up to €3,000 to get an airlift from the slopes,” says Fiona Butler, manager of ski insurance at www.Getcover.ie, “So, make sure to take out adequate ski insurance when booking your ski holiday.”
Most importantly, if you are unsure of how comprehensive your ski insurance is, don’t hesitate in contacting your ski insurance provider.
To purchase ski insurance from Getcover.ie simply go to the ski insurance section on our website and get covered before hitting the slopes this season!
Travel insurance: Steps to take in case you, a friend or family member suffers an injury abroad
We all look forward to getting away from it all; but sometimes we worry that an accident might occur while on holiday. The prospect of an accident occurring is daunting enough when we’re at home – but it becomes even more worrying when we’re in a foreign country. Your travel insurance policy covers most accidental injuries. We give you the top tips so that you can be prepared should anything unexpected happen while on holiday.
First of all, if you take any medication, you should contact your doctor and ensure that you have an adequate supply – also ensure that anyone else you’re going away with does the same. You might also consider bringing some minor first-aid supplies – such as antiseptics, plasters and aspirins – as these might be difficult to purchase in a foreign country.
Next, make sure that you have all details relevant to your travel insurance policy close at hand. In addition to your passport – and the passports of those travelling with you – you should also have easy access to the emergency phone number provided by your travel insurance company. This number can usually be found on your travel insurance company’s website – and if you can’t find it there you should make sure to call your travel insurance company and take note of it before you go abroad.
In case of an accident, you can call your travel insurance company’s emergency phone number and they can instruct you on making a claim.
Have a great trip – and stay safe!
For great value travel insurance visit this link to Getcover.ie’s travel insurance section.
Home insurance: How to insure your bicycle under your home insurance policy
Many home insurance customers aren’t sure if their bicycles are insured under their home insurance policy. We sort the facts from the fiction and show you how to make sure that your bicycles are fully covered on your home insurance policy.
Most home insurance providers will, in fact, insure your bicycle as a contents item on your home insurance policy. However, the bicycle will only be covered while in the property or in a secure garage or shed on the premises. Should you wish to have your bicycle insured while off premises, you must list it under the specified all risks section of the policy. However, there are terms and conditions that apply – and if these are not adhered to, your insurer may refuse to pay out on a claim for your bicycle on your home insurance policy.
Your bicycle will only be insured if it is treated with due care – effectively, this means that you must treat your bicycle as if it were uninsured.
When you’re out and about, your bicycle should also be firmly secured when left unattended – failure to do so may result in your insurer refusing to pay out a claim on your home insurance policy.
Finally, you should keep the receipt for your bicycle, together with a photograph and its serial number. This will ensure that, should the worst happen, it is as easy as possible for you to make a claim on your home insurance policy.
For great value home insurance visit this link to Getcover.ie’s home insurance section.
Travel insurance info: Theft abroad
We all worry about becoming the victim of theft while travelling abroad in an unknown country. We look at the best ways to avoid theft abroad and, in the event that you do become a victim of theft, what to do about it.
First of all make sure that you have adequate travel insurance cover. If you are unsure what type of travel insurance you need, don’t hesitate to contact your travel insurance provider. There’s nothing worse than trying to make a claim only to find that you lack sufficient travel insurance cover.
The best thing to do is to try to avoid theft altogether. Before you leave, do your research – find out where the crime hotspots are. Be especially careful around bus-stations, train-stations and airports – these are some of the worst areas for theft. A good place to start when researching your destination is the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office homepage.
You should also ensure that certain items in particular are safe. Some items may be reclaimable on your travel insurance policy, but losing your passport abroad could cause major problems. So, don’t carry your passport on your person unless it’s absolutely necessary. If your passport is lost or stolen, make sure to inform both local officials and your embassy as soon as possible. You should also make a photocopy of your passport and keep it separate in case you lose the original.
If you lose anything or suspect that it might have been stolen, you should contact the local police immediately. Make sure you get a written statement or a crime report from them. This will make it far easier to make a claim on your travel insurance policy when you return home.
For great value travel insurance visit this link to Getcover.ie’s travel insurance section.
Ski insurance info: Getting fit for the slopes
There’s nothing worse than hitting the slopes only to find that you get too tired to ski for any longer than a day or two. Many skiers, especially if it’s their first time, come to the resort completely unprepared. We list the top tips to get in shape for the slopes this season.
The first thing to remember is that being at high-altitude increases the demands on your body – so even if you feel fit enough to jog down to the shop, you may have less endurance when you’re on the slopes.
A lot of the strength required for skiing comes from your hips and your legs – so you’ll be relying heavily on your core. In order to strengthen these muscles, you should focus on exercises that target your quads, gluts, abdominal and back muscles.
You could start your pre-ski regime by walking, jogging and running. Then when you’ve built your confidence up, consult a trainer at your local gym. They can instruct you on which exercises you can perform and how to do them safely.
If you don’t have the time to consult with a specialist, there are still plenty of websites on the internet offering exercise advice – here’s a great example. But make sure to take all the necessary precautions and don’t overexert yourself – after all, you don’t want to miss out on the slopes altogether through injury.
Finally, don’t forget to take out adequate ski insurance in case you do sustain an injury.
To purchase ski insurance from Getcover.ie simply go to the ski insurance section on our website and get covered before hitting the slopes this season!