Water damage more common than burglaries, insurer warns

Homeowners planning to go on holiday are being warned to take precautions to ensure their sunshine break doesn’t turn out to be a damp squib.

Figures released by NFU Mutual reveal that water damage is a more common occurrence than burglary, with the average of cost of claims in excess of £3,300.

A survey of their professional house sitters revealed that leaking plumbing and faulty lavatories are the most common causes of escape of water disasters when owners leave their homes.

Under-floor plumbing was reported to be particularly problematic, while bursts to both hot and cold water storage tanks along with faulty shower fittings ranked behind broken lavatories as the major faults spotted and prevented by the home-sitting service.

Matthew Scott, chief claims manager at NFU Mutual, said: “It’s not just cold weather that can burst pipes and lead to a ruined home interior – ageing or poor quality plumbing and fittings could be the catalysts for a water leak incident at any time of year.

“Carrying out a full check of your plumbing before going away could save you a great amount of distress, inconvenience and cost when you return from your break.”