Limavady Chronicle - Features - Home Insurance Important for Number 243

Features

Home Insurance Important for Number 243

Tuesday, 8 February 2011

Having home and contents insurance is, of course, extremely important. It protects you from burglary, theft, accidental damage, floods, fire and more. You would quite rightly expect that your home would be no more likely than your neighbours to be affected by one of these things based simply on the door number. Surely factors like the number of occupants would be more inclined to lead to an increase in claims? Well believe it or not, it seems that certain door numbers are more likely to make home insurance claims and surprisingly, the door number concerned is not the infamously unlucky number 13.

A major insurance provider has looked at the number of claims made since 2007 and discovered that the door number 243 is the unluckiest in the UK. In fact, those who live at this door number are 45 per cent more likely to make a home insurance claim than any other, with 243 followed by 201 (with 36 per cent) and then number one (at 34 per cent). The figures also show that out of the top 10, seven are in the 200 range.

The figures are based on claims for theft, accidental loss and damage. Just four per cent of claims come from theft and 75 per cent are from accidental damage. This implies that those living at 243 are not only unlucky but accident prone as well.

Number 13 comes in at number 182 in the list, making it not very unlucky at all. Despite this, new home and apartment builders tend to avoid using number 13 at all. They have trouble selling homes with the number 13 and will not use it. It seems, though, that number 13 isn't so unlucky after all.
A spokesman from the provider said that people who live at these door numbers must be more likely to throw a party as many accidental damage claims come from mishaps which occur when entertaining. He told the BBC that home insurers paid out £820 million last year due to accidents that occur while people are having a party.

So, what might be the reasons for these higher than average claims figures and what might you be able to do to prevent your home becoming a statistic, especially if you live at number 243?

Homes in the 200 range are more likely to be on long and busy roads. These roads will be in built up urban areas, perhaps in city centres. This fact alone could mean that they are more prone to burglary. Homes in city centres are very commonly lived in by students or young professionals and house-sharers. They are also less likely to be lived in by families. These households may entertain more often making them more prone to accidental damage.

At number three in the list is house number one. This number home is usually situated on a corner and once again may not be popular with families due to being on an intersection of roads. It will also have access from once side via the road or path, which may make it more attractive to thieves.

Regardless of what house number you live at, you will want to protect your home from any sort of insurance claim whether it is on your home insurance, your car insurance or even your bike insurance quote. Insurance companies offer great advice on the best ways to do this:

• Ensure your home has good outdoor security measures such as front and rear lighting, lockable gates, high fences and gravel pathways.

• Doors and windows should be kept locked even when you are at home. Check with your insurer about which locks they recommend as it may mean a reduced insurance premium for you.

• Install burglar alarms that are highly visible. This will deter thieves and make them inclined to look elsewhere.

• Before you have a party, make sure your home insurance policy covers you for accidental damage. Not all policies include this as standard.

• Take care of any small DIY issues promptly and get in an expert if you don't feel up to doing them yourself. Many claims are made by people who have accidents while doing DIY, so take care.

While this research on house numbers is just a bit of fun, it does highlight the importance of having home insurance. Whether you live at number one, 13 or number 243 you need to take care of your home to prevent costly insurance premium hikes.