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Christmas holiday home interior

Boshers Christmas Opening Hours

Boshers Christmas Opening Hours   

The team at Boshers would like to wish all our insurance customers, suppliers and business partners a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. You’ll find Boshers Christmas Opening Hours below, together with information on how to report a claim when we are closed.

2023

Christmas holiday home interior
Wed 20th Dec – 0830 – 1300
Thurs 21st Dec – 0830 – 1700
Fri 22nd Dec – 0830 – 1700
Sat 23rd Dec – Closed
Christmas Eve – Closed 
Christmas Day – Closed
Boxing Day – Closed
Wed 27th Dec – 1000 – 1600 
Thurs 28th Dec – 1000 – 1600
Fri 29th Dec – 1000 – 1600
Sat 30th Dec – Closed
New Years Eve – Closed

2024

New Years Day – Closed     
Tues 2nd Jan – 0830 – 1700
Weds 3rd Jan – 0830 – 1700
 

Claims – out of hours assistance: If you are unfortunate enough to need to inform your insurer of an incident which will or may lead to a claim over the holiday period outside of Boshers Christmas Opening Hours please check your policy document for the insurers 24 hour claims help line.

For further claims assistance and out of hours phone numbers visit:

If you are a Boshers Holiday Home Insurance client you can download a copy of your holiday home insurance policy document in downloads by clicking through to the following page: holiday home insurance

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

 

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subsidence

Subsidence claims surge following hot summer

subsidence Having faced freezing temperatures and snow drifts in late March, the summer of 2018 couldn’t have been in greater contrast when it comes to the weather. Britain baked in record breaking temperatures amid a hot dry spell that seemed to go on for months. Large swathes of land were so parched that fires erupted across the country in places such as Manchester and Dartmoor.

But, while we all basked in sunshine, could there have been an unsuspected consequence? Are some homeowners now paying the price for this hot weather? The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has reported that during July to September 2018, subsidence claims reached a 12-year high. Claims reached the same levels experienced during a similar heatwave in 2006.

10,000 households made claims totalling £64 million. The increase potentially and partially related to the drying out of properties and foundations during the heatwave.

So what is subsidence and how do you spot the signs? Importantly, what do you need to be watching out for in your home or holiday cottage?

What is subsidence ..?

Subsidence occurs when the ground beneath a property moves, collapses or shrinks. This causes additional stress on the foundations of the building it’s supporting.

Wondering how the weather could potentially cause subsidence in a property? All ground contains water; when the ground is subject to long periods of heat that water begins to be lost, causing the ground to shrink (a little like a sponge without any water). As the ground shrinks, the foundations on which the property were built are strained and pulled in different directions, with this stress potentially leading to problems with the overall structure of the building.

How do you spot potential subsidence?

  1. The tell-tale sign of subsidence is the sudden appearance of cracks within the property
  2. These may well be more prevalent around doors and windows
  3. Any cracks will often appear thicker than a 10 pence piece
  4. Cracks will usually be diagonal in nature due to the forces being placed on the property walls; often be wider at the top than the bottom
  5. If you have wallpaper in your cottage you may find that this begins to rip or crinkle as the wall shape distorts slightly.

What to do if you’re worried about subsidence

It’s important to highlight that not every crack is as a result of subsidence – both new and older properties will move slightly over time and have only visual cracks as a result, which won’t be of any structural concern. We recommend that if you do have any concerns about subsidence in your home or holiday home you report them to your insurer. You may need to have a structural survey undertaken to ensure that everything is as it should be. A full structural survey is also advised before purchasing a home, buy-to-let or holiday home property.

To discuss how our specialist holiday home insurance could keep your cottage covered, please give our helpful team a call on 01237 429 444.

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insure your home and holiday home

Why insure your home and holiday let together?

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insure your home and holiday home As specialists in holiday let insurance we advise thousands of holiday cottage owners across the United kingdom. Providing them with policies tailored to the unique needs of their holiday homes. We also offer many of them that same level of service when it comes to insuring their own home. Whether you live onsite or miles from your holiday let, there are benefits to having your insurance under one roof. So here are a few good reasons to insure your home and holiday let with one insurer.

Simplicity is bliss

Having a single provider brings with it simplicity. All of your policies can be brought in line with a single renewal date. Meaning both payments can be taken at the same time. This can bring peace of mind, remove uncertainty and reduce the level of admin you need to undertake in relation to insuring your home and holiday let.

A lack of grey areas

This simplicity extends to when you need to make a claim. If you live on the same site as your holiday cottage(s) there can sometimes be a degree of confusion as to who you need to contact. For example, if an accident were to occur between your house and your holiday home, where is the boundary drawn and which policy should you claim under?

Having it all under a single provider allows you the comfort of knowing who to contact, no matter what the circumstances or the query you may have.

What if you live onsite?

Holiday letting can take many forms, such as an annexe attached to your home, or a complex of holiday cottages in your grounds. If you live onsite it is almost always best for you to insure your home and holiday let property with the same insurer so there is no doubt who will deal with a claim when one arises.

What if you live miles away from your holiday cottage?

It’s not uncommon for holiday homeowners to live a considerable distance from their cottage.  In this case, having your home and holiday home insurance with a single provider can be particularly beneficial when you use the property for your own vacations. In this example you’ll always know that anything you take with you such as personal possessions, valuables and sports equipment including bikes can be covered without ambiguity.

Continuity of service

The good news is when you contact us you’re likely to speak to someone you’ve dealt with before. Our holiday homeowners are never passed from pillar to post; no matter what your question or which policy you’re wanting to talk to us about, you’ll speak to an experienced member of the Boshers team.

The benefits of specialism

We specialise in holiday home insurance and speak with cottage owners every day of the week. We bring our knowledge and experience to ensure that your home and holiday let both have the most suitable cover. Should the worse happen, we always aim to support you in getting back on your feet. Our understanding of your circumstances plays a big role in ensuring we’re able to achieve this. Speak with our team today. They’ll highlight other reasons to insure your home and holiday let together through Boshers.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home and property insurance to holiday cottage owners across the country. For more information on our policies have a look around Boshers website. For a quote or to ask any question please give our team a call on 01237 429444.

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Ecclesiastical Insurance

Meet our scheme underwriter | Ecclesiastical Insurance

Ecclesiastical Insurance We like to be upfront, which is why we’re clear about who underwrites our Holiday Home Insurance policy. We’ve worked with Ecclesiastical Insurance for over 25 years. We’re proud to have a great professional connection with one of the most ethical and trusted providers in the business.

It’s important that you know who Ecclesiastical are, so here is a list of facts about the insurer who provides one of the most comprehensive holiday home insurance policies in our industry:

  1. They have a high customer satisfaction rate

Ecclesiastical recently topped Fairer Finance’s home insurance customer satisfaction survey. They received a 73% customer happiness rating. This score is almost 15% higher than the Bank of Scotland, who came second.

  1. Insurance Company of the Year

Ecclesiastical were the proud winners of Insurance Company of the year at the 2016 Better Society Awards. The ceremony celebrates the efforts that commercial companies make in order to help create a better society.

  1. 93.5% claims acceptance

You will want an insurance policy that supports you when things go wrong. Ecclesiastical accepts 14.5% more claims than the industry average of (79%), most noteworthy 99% of UK customers are satisfied with how claims are handled*.

  1. One of the only companies with the CommunityMark

Ecclesiastical gives back to the community and do so in a number of ways. As one of only 34 companies in the UK with the Business in Community Mark, they are recognised for their leadership and excellence in community investment.

  1. They’ve donated £50million in two years

Ecclesiastical Insurance is a commercial business with a charitable purpose, granting a significant proportion of profits to their charitable owner the Allchurches Trust. As fantastic supporters of charity, between 2014 and 2016 they donated £50million to good causes and aim to give a further £100million by the end of 2020.

  1. Leading insurer for Grade I listed buildings

If your holiday let is a Grade I Listed building, then you really are in safe hands. No other insurer in the UK is better for protecting heritage properties, leading the way in listed buildings, meaning their specialist knowledge of a Grade I listed building’s needs is second to none.

  1. Chartered Insurer

Ecclesiastical is one of the few insurers awarded Chartered Status by the Chartered Insurance Institute which means that they are recognised as demonstrating a commitment to professionalism. Above all this places them in an exclusive group of less than 200 UK insurance businesses.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance underwritten by Ecclesiastical Insurance. For more information on how a specialist insurer can help and support your holiday cottage business give us a call on 01237 429444.

Boshers are proud to be one of a limited number of UK brokers to offer Ecclesiastical Home Insurance:

* souce Ecclesiastical claims satisfaction survey 2015

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Cockermouth Flood RNLI Rescue

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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Flooding infographic

Be Flood Aware

Be flood aware

Be flood aware! The UK weather continues to challenge us! If your home or holiday home has been affected by the recent flooding our thoughts are with you. Insurance companies, their claims teams, loss adjusters and revival companies are at full stretch.

Our Home Insurance and Holiday Home Insurance scheme underwriters Ecclesiastical have issued advice for policyholders. For more information click here


How to prepare for flooding an infographic by Ecclesiastical Insurance

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

Follow this link for posts similar to `Be flood aware’ 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 `Be flood aware‘..

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Flood Alerts And Warnings In Force – be flood aware!

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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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