The AnswerBank Articles

Green Fingers Can Put Thousands On the Value Of Your Home

Tidying up a scruffy garden can add as much as £8,600 to the value of your home claims new research, but most people are missing out by failing to exercise their green fingers. Two thirds of homeowners missed out on the premium when they moved home last year, passing up a potential £5.9 billion in total. Th...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

The Blessing Of Busybody Neighbours

For those of us who live in suburban streets it is a familiar site when we drive down the road, the ‘curtain twitch’. We have all done it and it is usually driven by curiosity to see who is coming. However, it seems that having busybody neighbours may not be at the top of everybody's wish-list but while awa...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

RICS Issues Subsidence Advice

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has issued advice to homeowners who fear that their homes may be at risk of subsidence. It has also warned homeowners to watch out for the first signs of subsidence, which causes the most expensive home insurance claims. Subsidence is caused by a combination of dry we...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Gardeners' Investment Unprotected

The increasing popularity of garden makeovers and the concept of the ‘outdoor room’ means that Britons are now spending over £4 billion a year on plants, pots, furniture, garden tools and other garden items, yet many do little or nothing to protect their investment against the rising tide of garden cr...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Weigh DIY Carefully

Many people find they cannot afford to move house but would like a change, some may turn to DIY to make improvements. All DIY projects may prove equally challenging to the novice handyman, but some are liable to add a good deal more to your home than others new research has revealed. A fitted modern kitchen is most lik...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Barbeque Impatience Costs Millions

It happens every year, as soon as the first sunny weekend in spring approaches husbands and father all over the country announce that the family is to have the first barbeque of the year. Many men are now sharing kitchen duties in the home with their working wives, but strangely even the most incapable of men will imme...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

House Sharing Home Insurance

Often sharing a house can be fun but it can also lead to arguments over little things like who drank the last of the milk and put the empty carton back in the fridge. Also disagreements over bill payments are common. However, it has come to light that another area of house sharing is causing friction. House-sharers ar...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Long Summer Holiday Spells £2bn Clean-Up Bill

New market research has revealed that parents will be left with a £2 billion clean-up and repair bill after dealing with their little darlings through the long summer holiday. Home accident claims, ranging from broken windows to trashed furniture, leap up almost 25 per cent over the school summer holidays. More...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Hot Weather Leads To An Increase In Burglaries

Many of us look forward to the warm summer months. Things always seem to be better when the sun is shining and the weather is clement. The warm nights full of friends and wine in the garden can be a real tonic for some. However, we should be careful not to invite unwanted company into our homes in the summer. Accordin...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Gardens Make Or Break In Home Sale

Having a garden is so important to many homeowners that they would give up additional rooms in order to get one, says a new survey. Two thirds of homeowners say that they would give up a utility room for a decent outside space, while more than half would go without an extra bathroom or bedroom. The supply of propertie...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Insurers Issue Call To "Design Out Crime"

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has called for new regulations to "design out crime" in new properties. This would benefit up to 400,000 homeowners in the first year alone and save the economy £3.2billion over the next 20 years. The ABI estimated that simple measures such as burglar-proof doo...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Home Insurance Cut-Off Threatened Without New Flood-Defences

The floods a few years ago took many of us by surprise not least those that were tragically affected. However, it has lead to an insurance back-lash and now insurance companies are refusing to insure without adequate flood defences in place. Half a million homes in the UK are still at high risk of flooding, home insur...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Law-Abiding Give Thieves Easy Ride With Lax Security

We have all done it; popped out of the house for five minutes to visit a neighbour and left the door on the latch. We like to think that where we live is safe as houses. It seems, however, that we should be more careful with our homes and make sure they are locked up even if we are only going next door to borrow a cup ...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Students Targeted By Thieves

Students should ensure that their personal items are insured under the contract of their house insurance, warn experts. Research by a well known insurance firm has shown that student theft is a rapidly growing phenomenon with stealing on campuses across the country costing £126 million a year. Nearly half of al...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Britons Unconcerned By Burglary Threat

Britain's homeowners are not concerned about the threat of burglary despite living in the most burgled nation in Europe, according to new research. A survey in a well known Sunday newspaper showed that the UK has a burglary rate of almost double that of its European neighbours but research from an insurance firm repor...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Insurers Warn Of Halloween Risks

Halloween is a great time for the kids; they get to go out at night when it is dark, dress up in scary (or otherwise) costumes and best of all they get given mountains of sweets! It can be a bit of a headache for parents having to answer the door every five minutes plus the expense in sweets for children you probably d...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Rural Areas 'Cheaper For Home Insurance'

We all know that where you live can influence choices in your lifestyle. For example, which schools your children go to or which train line you use. However, it seems that our postcode can also make a difference to our home insurance premiums as well. A recent survey has found that people living in some areas of the c...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Women With Expensive Handbags 'Vulnerable To Crime'

A designer label handbag – the dream of many women nowadays. They can cost as much as a hundred pounds but give the wearer a sense of status, even better if it is filled with expensive gadgets. However good it looks, though, the designer bag and expensive gadgets can be a draw to thieves and you may lose everythi...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Insurers Stretched After Bad Weather

Every winter Britain is usually faced with enough severe weather to keep insurers busy. Financial providers are always braced for a peak during the coldest time of year, although the numbers of calls some years far exceed expectations. Some months have seen homeowners subjected to everything from floods and strong win...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Eco-Friendly Home Interest Growing

The interest in owning a house on a carbon-free development is growing, says a green housing official. More than 2,000 people have expressed their desire to buy an environmentally friendly house claims a company specialising in zero energy development. If the home insurance industry were to follow the example set by ...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010