The most common static caravan insurance claims

It is often said that prevention is the best way to avoid common losses. In this article, we look at the most common losses, and provide tips on what you can do to try and avoid or minimise them.

1) Storm and Flood damage

Flood and storm damage account for almost 35% of all the claims we see at Compass and nearly half of the claims payments made.

Storm – Uninvited gusts

Extremely high winds have been known to flip a caravan over. Trees can fall on them and completely destroy a holiday or park home. Even flying branches or hailstones can do a lot of damage. So, what can you do to avoid storm damage?

As storms are virtually impossible to predict, unfortunately, you can’t do a lot other than ensure your caravan or lodge is well maintained. This in itself will reduce the chance of roofs lifting or damage to windows and skylights.

Parks are usually diligent in tree maintenance but if there’s an overhanging branch which worries you, we’d recommend you just raise your concerns with them to ensure that they take action or reassure you with information on their maintenance programme.

Flood – Rain, rain, go away!

Parks tend to be in beautiful places which often means they are close to a river, lake, or the coast.

With extreme weather caused by climate change becoming increasingly common, even parks which have never flooded previously potentially could for the first time. Flash floods can also create havoc, with too much surface water which can’t drain away quickly enough, which can happen on any park, even those nowhere near bodies of water.

Again, there’s little you can do about the weather and when it rains it sometimes pours. However, the good news for you is that this risk would have mainly been considered by yourself, your park, and your chosen insurer before you purchased your policy.

Compass generally offers flood cover without any issue, but a small number of policies will have restrictions, such as a higher excess or the mandatory installation of a floatation device.

If you have concerns about flooding, you can reduce the risk of a loss by ensuring there’s nothing stored under your holiday or park home or left in the open. You can also make sure sheds are watertight and secure.

2) Escape of water

Floods and storms are not the only ways that water can damage your caravan. Water escaping from pipes or systems results in 15% of all our claims and 20% of our claims-related costs.

Even a minor escape of water can cause significant damage. The best way to protect against this type of loss is to adhere to conditions stipulated in the policy conditions,  especially in winter.

We’d suggest you get into the habit of turning off the water supply and opening taps in your holiday home each time you leave to go home between visits. It only takes seconds and could avoid some significant damage if there’s a slow leak.

In the Winter, you need to take specific steps to ensure there is no residual water which could freeze causing severe damage. This requires a full drain down which is your responsibility, although it’s often a service you can purchase from your park or a professional plumber.

This is the one to watch and to get familiar with, the information can be found in your policy conditions section of your policy.  In the cold snap just before Christmas 2022, Compass paid out £1.2M in such claims!

3) Accidents happen

Our next most common claims type is for accidental damage. While such incidents represent 30% of the claims we see, they tend to be small, so only represent 12% of total claims costs.

These accidents include spillages on carpets, broken windows, pet damage, and heavy objects falling on sanitaryware causing breakage.

We do appreciate that accidents sometimes happen, so luckily, our New For Old policies cover these scenarios.

4) Vermin

Compass covers damage caused by vermin, but not every insurer does, so take care here.

Vermin damage accounted for around 3% of our claims last year. Rats, mice, and other creatures love the warmth and comfort of a caravan/lodge, especially during the Winter, so taking steps to prevent them from getting into your holiday home is well worth the effort.

5) Fire

Although these claims are low in frequency (less than 2%) they can be costly and usually result in a total loss, and even worse in injury.

It might surprise you to know that on a sunny day and in certain conditions, sunlight reflecting from a mirror to a wall can lead to scorch marks or even fire. It’s rare but could happen, which is why it’s best to leave voile/net curtains in place on a sunny day to avoid direct sun.

Most holiday homes are well equipped with fire extinguishers so it’s best to check from time to time that they are present, just in case!

Summary

Experience tells us that you can’t predict when an accident is going to happen, no more than you can predict the weather and the damage it may cause. The best course of action is to combine some good prevention with a market-leading Compass policy to give you the peace of mind that should the worst happen you are covered.

We’d love to chat with you about how we can provide the best level of cover to you.

Call our friendly, UK-based team on 0344 274 0277, email us via [email protected] or get a quote online.