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PRESS RELEASE: Holiday Home Owners should check their holiday home properties more regularly during adverse weather.

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Holiday Home Owners should check their holiday home properties more regularly during adverse weather. Specialist Holiday Home Insurance broker, Boshers Ltd suggests that holiday home owners would be wise to inspect their furnished holiday lets more frequently during periods of adverse weather, irrespective of their holiday home insurance policies minimum inspection requirements.

Already this winter the UK has been buffeted by a number of storms, bringing high winds, heavy rain and flooding. The latest storm continues to batter North West England and Scotland and according to the Met Office more inclement weather is on the way.

Holiday Let Owners are well advised to inspect their properties on a regular basis and if at all possible, every few days during this inclement weather. Claims instances and their financial, physical and psychological impact can be reduced or mitigated if slipped slates, lose chimney pots, broken branches, blocked watercourses and drains or burst pipes are spotted in time and rectified quickly.

If you live some distance away from your holiday home consider appointing your holiday letting agent, a holiday home services company, your housekeeper or a friendly neighbour, to regularly inspect the property for you.

Through careful property management and good housekeeping, owning a second home for the purpose of holiday letting needn’t be stressful and insurance premiums can be sustained at sensible levels.

Mark Lavington Cert CII, Director of Boshers Ltd commented that, “during the extremely cold spells last winter, many second homes suffered water damage through burst pipes and the extent of some of the insurance claims were exacerbated by delays in discovering the damage”.
For additional guidance on preventative maintenance for holiday home owners, please refer to Boshers Winter Maintenance Checklist

How to make a claim – If your holiday home or main residence is insured via a Boshers Insurance scheme underwrtten by Ecclesiastical – during business hours, please telephone our dedicated claims staff at Boshers on 01237 427992 or alternatively call the Ecclesiastical claims helpline to report your claim on 0845 603 8381. Out of hours, to report a new claim other than legal expenses claim, please call 0845 603 8381 quoting your Holiday Home Insurance policy number, insurer and state that Boshers Ltd are your broker.

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Carrying out alterations or improvements at your holiday home?

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Many furnished holiday home owners will choose the low season to renovate, improve and alter their holiday homes. Be sure to inform your holiday home insurance provider of such alterations so as not to compromise your cover. 

Sums insured may need to be increased to avoid underinsurance. Check out Boshers holiday home insurance | Guide to sums insured or call us on 01237 429444 should you have any queries.  

You may also find the following posts for holiday home owners of interest:

Follow this link for posts similar to `Carrying out alterations or improvements at your holiday home?‘ and other useful resources for holiday home owners

For further information on UK holiday home insurance visit the website page most relevant to you:

Thank you for reading `Carrying out alterations or improvements at your holiday home’?.

 

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You, your holiday let apartment and your insurance

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You, your holiday let apartment and your insurance.
When purchasing an apartment to holiday let, you’ll rightly focus on the return on investment. As part of this research you’ll establish that there is sufficient demand for an additional holiday let in the location of your choice. As with any business decision it is important to stand back and let your head rule your heart! It’s important to avoid the following pitfalls:

If you are using a mortgage to finance your purchase make sure your mortgage provider is aware of your intention to holiday let the property.

Check with the freeholder / managing agent that there are no restrictions on the use of the property that will prevent you from letting it for short term holidays.

Likewise check with the freeholder / managing agent that the buildings insurance policy for the apartment block includes property owners liability for the shared areas and that holiday letting is an acceptable use of the apartments by the insurer.

At this point it is also wise to check if the buildings insurance extends to cover fixtures and fittings within the apartment such as fitted bathrooms, kitchens, and fitted bedroom furniture and wooden flooring and if so is accidental damage included? In our experience the buildings insurance for many blocks of flats and apartment blocks does not extend to cover the fixtures and fittings within the apartment and certainly not in the event of accidental damage.

Now that you have established the above, how can Boshers help?

We can provide you with a Holiday Home Insurance Contents Policy for your apartment to include cover for:

  • Your general contents
  • Fitted kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and flooring
  • Property owners liability insurance for commercial holiday letting

It is important that you insure for the correct replacement value, remember in the event of a claim your contents will be replaced on a new for old basis, therefore your sum insured must be sufficient to replace everything at the recommended retail price. Likewise with fitted kitchens, bathrooms and bedroom furniture you must insure for like for like replacement including the cost of installation and debris removal.

Follow this link for posts similar to `You, your holiday let apartment and your insurance‘ and other useful resources for holiday home owners

For further information on UK holiday home insurance visit the website page most relevant to you:

Thank you for reading `You, your holiday let apartment and your insurance‘.

Should you have any queries or require a holiday home insurance quotation for your commercially let second home or apartment call us on 01237 429444 or visit us at www.boshers.co.uk/holiday-home-insurance

 

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Boshers | Holiday Home Insurance Shares Images On Pinterest

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Boshers Holiday Home Insurance Shares Images On Pinterest. The latest social media hype is focussed on Pinterest. We at Boshers holiday home insurance are always looking for ways to communicate articles of interest to holiday home owners. Check out our first virtual pinboard for UK holiday home owners.

Boshers holiday home insurance shares images on pinterest
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Tax on furnished holiday lettings

 

If you let out a furnished holiday home in the UK or the European Economic Area (EEA), you may be entitled to certain tax advantages. However, your property must meet some rules to qualify.
Rules for furnished holiday lettings for the 2011-12 tax year
To make sure your property qualifies as a furnished holiday letting, it must be: 

  • in the UK or EEA
  • furnished
  • available for commercial letting to the public, as holiday accommodation, for at least 140 days a year (210 days for 2012-13)
  • commercially let as holiday accommodation for at least 70 days a year (105 days for 2012-13) – the rent must be charged at market rate and not at cheap rates to friends and family
  • a short term letting of no more than 31 days 
Tax advantages of furnished holiday lettings

The tax advantages if your property qualifies as a furnished holiday letting are: 
  • you can claim capital allowances
  • you get the benefit of some favourable Capital Gains Tax rules when you sell or `otherwise dispose’ of the property 
 
If your property doesn’t qualify 

If your property doesn’t qualify as a furnished holiday letting – for example you own a holiday villa outside of the EEA or you don’t let it out for enough days – you’ll be taxed under the residential property lettings rules. 
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Legal case clarifies taxation of holiday lets in the UK

An article on the PROPERTYWIRE website outlines in detail the results of a resent tribunal case relating to the treatment of a holiday let property for inheritance tax purposes. 


A landmark tribunal case ruling has resulted in much needed clarification regarding the taxation of holiday lettings and has also criticised the conduct of the UK tax authorities. 


The case revolved around whether or not the letting of a holiday cottage consisted wholly or mainly of holding an investment. Property consisting of a business or an interest in a business carried on for gain and consisting of something other than the making or holding of investments (relevant business property) is entitled to relief from inheritance tax. 


The property in question was a large bungalow overlooking the sea on the Suffolk coast in England. The property could accommodate up to eleven people and was typically let for les than two weeks at a time. HMRC had determined in 2008 that the property was subject to inheritance tax. The taxpayer appealed to the Tax Chamber of the First-Tier Tribunal, claiming that the property was entitled to relief as a `relevant business property’.  To read the full article click here 


Holiday let owners looking to protect their business would be wise to choose a holiday home insurance policy that is built around a commercial property insurance wording, tailored to the risks involved with operating commercially let UK holiday homes. Call the Holiday Home Insurance Team at Boshers on 01237 429444 for advice and quotations or visit HolidayHomeInsuranceQuote.co.uk    

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Top Ten Coastal Property Investments

The Telegraph has published two great articles. It’s top ten of coastal property investments. and it’s top ten affordable seaside investments.

The articles contain some stunning photos of coastal towns and villages across the UK, all are favourites for holiday home staycations. Boshers are proud to provide holiday home insurance for many properties across all twenty locations. 


  

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Boshers are proud to offer Ecclesiastical home insurance as recommended by Which?

Which? Recommended Provider for home insurance
The UK’s leading consumer rights group Which? have awarded Ecclesiastical Recommended Provider status for their home insurance cover and customer service.
Their home insurance has been judged by Which? experts to be a quality insurance product backed by great customer service.  Strong positive feedback from Which? members who bought Ecclesiastical’s home insurance was a deciding factor.
Ecclesiastical Home Insurance
Ecclesiastical Home Insurance includes all the following benefits:
  • Up to £500,000 limit as standard on Buildings Insurance
  • Up to £60,000 limit as standard on Contents Insurance
  • Contents Insurance includes Sentinel® card protection for lost or stolen credit & debit cards
  • Up to £50,000 legal protection at no extra cost.
  • High levels of cover as standard
  • >5 Star Rated product by Defaqto, the independent financial research company
One of the UK’s top ten corporate donors**.
Ecclesiastical’s home insurance cover is 5 Star Rated by independent research company Defaqto.
With Ecclesiastical, you can rely on a claims service that has a reputation for excellence.
Boshers are proud to be one of a limited number of brokers able to provide Ecclesiastical home insurance. Our holiday home insurance, property owner insurance and business insurance clients can benefit from this award winning cover for their main residences.
Call 01237 429444 for a home insurance quote today or visit www.boshers.co.uk   

** Source: The Guide to UK Company Giving 2009/10, Directory of Social Change.
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Riot advice from Ecclesiastical for their policy holders, including Boshers Home Insurance and Holiday Home Insurance Customers

During the unfortunate incidents in London and other major cities in the UK over the last few days many homes and businesses have been devastated by fire, theft or general malicious damage. If you have concerns that your property or business may be at risk over the coming days the following advice should help you minimise the risk of damage from riots or subsequent looting:

Liaison with your local police authority to gather the most up to date intelligence.

You should carry out an audit of your security to ensure that premises are adequately protected. Particular attention should be paid to the ground floor and basement level, but not forgetting windows, emergency escape doors and roof-lights accessible from external fire escape staircases, scaffolding and roofs of adjoining buildings.

Remember to brief your staff – aim to minimise opportunities for confrontation by discouraging doorstep cigarette breaks, avoid lunching out and instruct them to walk away from provocation.

Review your contingency plan so that you are prepared in the event of building damage, and for emergency repairs, boarding-up, cleaning-up operations, etc.

A lot of damage has been done by arson, to help prevent this you should make sure that all exteriors of buildings are cleared of combustibles and waste materials to which the public may have access.

Be particularly aware of any unusual or suspicious activity and ensure you maintain tight control over any entrances or exits to your property.

If you are unlucky enough to have been affected by these events we are here to help you. The majority of our policies will provide protection against any loss or damage caused by riot. Please follow the guidelines below:

Report any damage to the police at once as there is a 14 day limit for notification under the Riot Act 1886, obtain a crime reference number and inform them that you intend to make a claim against them for the cost of any loss or damage under the Act.

The Act places a responsibility on the Police Authority for any damage caused by riot. The Act defines Riot as “when 12 or more people have gathered to use or threaten violence for a common purpose”. It may be that police authorities will not accept that the damage you report is as a result of “riot”, however, it is important you make the intention to claim under this Act clear at the time you notify the police of any damage, from thereon we will take on any recovery action on your behalf.

Having reported the matter to the police, please contact us on 0845 603 8381 immediately, we are here to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Our recommended supplier, Solaglas, are prioritising boarding and make safe works. They can be contacted directly on 0800 474747.

Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc (EIO) Reg. No. 24869. This company is registered in England at Beaufort House, Brunswick Road, Gloucester, GL1 1JZ, UK. EIO is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority and is a member of the Financial Ombudsman Service and Association of British Insurers.

Find informative articles for holiday home owners here

Visit https://www.boshers.co.uk/ for more information about us..

 

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Holiday Home Pre-Season Maintenance Checklist

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Ensure your holiday home is safe to let and reduce the risk of holiday home insurance claims in 2011. We have compiled this holiday home pre-season maintenance checklist as an aide memoire, it is not an exhaustive list so feel free to leave your own comments and suggestions below.

Your holiday home

  1. Do you have GAS APPLIANCES? If you do, have you arranged for your GAS SAFETY registered engineer to (a) service your gas appliances and central heating boiler in accordance the manufacturers instruction?; And (b) to carry out an annual gas safety check? For more guidance click here
  2. Do you have Oil Fired Heating? If you do have your heating engineer service your applicances and boiler in accordance with the manufacturers instructions and carry out a safety check. Be aware that heating oil thefts are on the rise! For more guidance click here
  3. Do you have an open fire, stove or wood burner? If so have you had your chimney swept recently?
  4. Mains water tap – ensure you can turn it on and off. Do your guests know where to find it incase of an emergency?
  5. Inspect your roof for signs of slipped slates or tiles and have repairs carried out where necessary.
  6. Have you checked your smoke detectors and changed the batteries if not hard wired? Diary for periodic checks. 

Your holiday home garden

  1. Arrange for your drains, gutters and downpipes to be inspected to ensure they are clear of leaves and debris which may cause blockages.
  2. Repair broken fences, gates and boundary walls.
  3. Consider cleaning garden paths, patios and steps to remove any build up of moss, lichen and algae, to reduce the risk of slips and trips.
  4. Check your garden furniture, is it fit for purpose? If your garden furniture is damaged, replace it now for you or one of your guests has an accident.

Your holiday home risk assessments

  1. Fire risk assessment – have you updated your holiday home fire risk assessment? make sure you record your results. For guidance click here
  2. Portable electrical item checks. Include a visual check of your portable electrical items, checking for damage such as fraying power cables. If in doubt have your portable electrical items inspected by a qualified electrician or replace them with new ones as necessary.
  3. General risk assessment – ensure that your general risk assessment is up to date and that you have thought about the use of saunas, hot tubs, spa pools, childrens play equipment and swimming pools where appropriate.

Boshers Ltd | Holiday Home Insurance Specialists have comiled this holiday home, holiday cottage and cottage complex maintenance checklist as a useful aide memoire for owners of commercially let UK holiday homes. It is not designed to be exhaustive and Boshers Ltd will not be held  responsible for errors or omissions.

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