The cost of gifts exchanged over the festive period could mean that some households need to increase the value of their home insurance policies, an expert has warned.
Andrew Lowe of Direct Line said that the company’s research showed that £18.3 million, an average of £385 per person, was spent over the Christmas period on gifts.
However December is also a boom time for burglars and opportunistic thieves, and people should consider increasing their cover so that, if the worst happened, they would not find themselves under-insured.
“With all the extra possessions in the home, Christmas can be a popular time for burglaries so people need to make sure they are vigilant with their home security,” he added.
Direct Line claims that 42 per cent of Brits store presents in one place, normally the main bedroom, which gives burglars a good chance of finding the entire haul in one go.
Recent research from Sainsbury’s revealed that a quarter of insurance customers do not compare prices when renewing their policies.