The AA has warned that many holidaymakers are leaving their second homes uninsured. According to the firm, numerous people who have homes abroad are insuring their properties through local providers; however this does not provide satisfactory levels of cover. The AA has also found that statistics show that many people in this band are underinsured.

Zurich Private Clients have found recently that around 10% of people do not have insurance for their holiday homes at all, whilst a further 11% were “not sure” whether or not the cover they did have was adequate.

Ian Crowder, the public relations department for the AA believed: “ It obviously will be cheaper if you insure abroad, but you’re not comparing like for like because overseas insurers don’t provide the same levels of cover. For instance, you would get flood cover but that is fairly unique in the U.K. In most countries you have to buy flood cover as a separate policy.” Crowder continued his statement: “If you’re looking to insure a holiday home, these are the sorts of things that you really ought to consider. If [there is] a fire in the kitchen, then you need to get out there and sort it out. Or if there has been a burglary and police contact you and say ‘Your home has been burgled,’ then you can jump on a plane and get out there and you would get emergency travel cover for up to £1000.”

According to the most current annual official findings, 211,000 UK residents own a second home abroad. The data also displays that 278,000 have a second home in Britain.

Those who do actually have insurance may not worry about insuring a second home, instead they should concern themselves with acts of nature against their homes. Lightning damage to homes is not covered by some home insurance products. HBOS has released statistics on lightening strikes, collated cases from its home insurance claims records. HBOS found that the average cost of repairs for each incident came to just under £1,500.

HBOS showed that lightning-hit homes were “increasing every year.” Summer was also found by the firm to be the worst “lightning season”, with 14 times more claims occurring during these months than in the winter. The winter does not pass problem free however, with incidents of loss of power and structural damages occurring, and even fire damage occurs.

David Rochester from HBOS stated that: “At this time of year the weather conditions often mean we see electrical storms happening all over the country, so it is important for homeowners to be aware of the risks that lightning poses to property and make sure they have a home insurance policy in place which included protection for this type of damage.”

Rochester added: “Lightning can strike anywhere, often with little warning, so it is essential to have cover in place so that if the worst happens any cost for repairs or replacement or damaged property will be covered.”