Park-homes are becoming increasingly popular – and if you’re a broker with a park home owner as a client, then make sure they’re well aware of the specific risks they face.
New research from
Towergate Insurance has highlighted the particular dangers that park home owners can face – specifically as it relates to frozen or burst pipes.
According to its research of three years’ worth of claims data, in 2015 it paid out over £588,000 to park home owners across the country to cover the cost of escape of water damage, caused by frozen or burst pipes. The new statistics also showed over the past three years the total number of claims has tripled, with park-home owners across the country claiming for £2,500 each on average.
In addition, the brokerage giant released data on a regional level that suggests owners in Gloucestershire are most at risk from escape of water with the county topping the list for the highest number of claims in the UK, followed by Hampshire and Kent.
To help mitigate the risk, Towergate issued the following tips that you can pass on to your clients.
- Fix dripping taps - even a small trickle can result in a frozen pipe.
- Find your property's internal stopcock or valve and make sure you can turn it off if necessary. Most stopcocks are fitted under the kitchen sink and close by turning clockwise, but check with your site owner if unsure.
- If you find that a pipe has frozen, turn off the water at the stopcock and turn on a tap that the frozen pipe leads to.
- Check your boiler has been properly serviced.
- Minimise draughts from outside and close doors and windows to unheated parts of the property.
- Leave the heating on low when you are away, or leave on a timer. If you’re going on holiday ask a friend or neighbour to check the property regularly. Thankfully, a plentiful supply of neighbours is one of the great benefits of living in a park home!
- If your home is being left unoccupied for more than 30 days, drain the water systems prior to leaving. This is important as your policy may not provide cover for escape of water and frost damage when the home is unoccupied for more than 30 days.
- If you’re leaving your property for more than a few days, ensure that all electrical items are unplugged.
- Make sure that you’re up to date with gas safety checks.
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