Why buy holiday home insurance?

Whether it’s in a secret garden, a coastal resort or a special city, your holiday home is a place that, for whatever reason, is your retreat; your solace. As a holiday home owner, you know the feeling of that moment; that moment when you switch to leisure mode, when work is over, your bag is packed and the getaway to your holiday home begins. When you go to your holiday home, everything alters a tad, from the keys you use to enter the property to your demeanour and choice of clothes.

The insurance you use to protect your investment is no different. While ordinary home insurance is perfectly adequate for your normal residence, it’s not as appropriate for holiday homes as actual holiday home insurance, especially if the holiday home insurance, also known as second home insurance, has been tailored to the specific requirements of your holiday home.

For example, your normal or ‘first’ residence, being the place you go back to every night to spend the majority of your free time, is usually supervised and attended to. Conversely, your second home may often be left vacant for long periods.

When there is nobody in the property, there is an increased chance of forcible entry from opportunist thieves or vandals. Also, with nobody monitoring the premises, you can easily miss a little problem, like a leaking pipe, that accumulates into a much larger problem, like damage from escaped water or sewage.

Chances are you might want to share the use of the property with friends and relatives. You could give someone the chance for a holiday they might never have had or you might just want them to see your holiday home; your pride and joy.

Whatever the reason, if you want to allow family and friends to use your holiday home, you need to ensure that you are protected from the financial implications of damage to your property. No matter how careful your loved ones are, we are talking about your cherished leisure retreat and its contents. Jeopardising this is just not worth it when a product is available that can protect it, while allaying your fears and allowing everyone involved to just relax.  

Your second home also represents an opportunity to make money. If you want to let your property to members of the public, you should give careful consideration to holiday home insurance that offers protection from scenarios like the eventuality that visitors injure themselves and hold you responsible. If your property is overseas, imagine how invaluable an interpretation service would be.

Overseas Assist is an interpretation service that is included in Towergate Connect Overseas holiday home insurance policies, meaning you would never be left scratching your head in bewilderment as you try to decipher a foreign legal document. The service can be used up to four times a year, with the option to purchase more and can also be used by your guests or tenants. We are proud that Jasmine Harman, host of televisions ‘A Place In The Sun : Home or Away’ is backing this service. Jasmine commented "Overseas Assist is an invaluable tool that will help you manage your life abroad. As a translation service, it goes beyond all regular insurance policies, providing clients with help in all aspects of living overseas, from calling the emergency services in a crisis to simply booking a table in a restaurant”.

At Towergate Connect, we have been protecting holiday homes for over 25 years. We recognise your circumstances and our specially-negotiated arrangements with reputable insurers enable us to provide you with dependable second home insurance on a foundation of traditionally high service standards at every stage including when we are underwriting your policy and if you come to make a claim.

A testimony to this, are the many clients who have remained with us for a number of years and are happy to recommend us. David Buckley is a Towergate Connect holiday home insurance customer who also lets his North-Wales holiday home. Towergate Connect has given him a policy that provides dependable 365 days-a-year cover, whether the property is unoccupied, he and his family are there or the public are using his holiday home.

“I chose Towergate as I was looking for an experienced broker of specialist insurance products. I have had the policy since 2002. Premiums are affordable and the company responds promptly, efficiently and helpfully if I have a problem. Customer service has been excellent. For example, a few years ago I submitted a claim, which was handled swiftly and professionally. Staff were thorough, but very aware of my needs in dealing with, what was at the time, a difficult situation that could have resulted in lost rental income. I would have no reservations in recommending Towergate Connect to a friend”.