Subsidence may require contents and buildings insurance update

The problem of subsidence may require contents and buildings insurance customers to update their policies.

Contents and buildings insurance policies may benefit from being checked this summer due to the threat of subsidence, warns one high street lender.

Halifax Home Insurance said summer can bring about this hazard and last year it received nearly 3,000 claims for the problem, up 22 per cent from the year before.

About seven in ten cases of subsidence are caused by shrinking clay soil and resultant foundation cracks, which can lead to serious structural damage.

Repairs can run into the thousands and may even force homeowners to rely on a credit card or loan if not protected adequately by the right cover plan.

Therefore, checking a property and informing the insurer if any problems are suspected is advisable, Halifax explained.

Senior claims manager Neil Curling added: "Telltale signs of subsidence include cracks that begin at the corners of windows and doors, can be seen from both sides of the wall and get wider from one end to the other."



Summer is also a time when opportunistic thieves take advantage of open or unlocked doors and windows due to the hot weather, so consumers wanting to minimise their risk of burglary should take extra precautions.



By Nate Sawyer