France has traditionally lagged behind the UK in using smoke detectors in homes. It’s estimated that only 5% of houses in France are fitted with a smoke alarm, compared to 90% in England. An alarming statistic considering house fires are responsible for 800 deaths per year. Furthermore, you are twice as likely to die in a house fire that has …
Should you choose a local broker for your overseas holiday home or insurance from a UK based company? It’s a decision that many property owners face. If you are based in the same country where your overseas property is then it makes sense to choose a local insurer that you can visit should you need to discuss your policy. However, …
Before you jet off to sunnier climes, here are 30 or so resources on money saving tips for holidays abroad and advice should something go wrong. Enjoy… Flights Cheap flights are a becoming a distant memory, but there are certain ways to get cheap flights and avoid ‘hidden airline fees’. There is also expert advice if you have problems with …
The prolonged summer heatwave in Spain and Portugal has caused the worst wildfires in decades. Vast areas have been reduced to ashes, with tragic impact on both nature and property. The destruction In Portugal, the largest forest fire the Algarve has seen destroyed huge parts of Tavira council in the east Algarve. More than 26,500 hectares of forest and dozens …
Taking a road trip to an overseas holiday home can be a great adventure but, whether you’re using your own vehicle or a hire car, driving rules and regulations abroad can differ wildly to those in the UK. Even a trip to Europe, where driving may seem familiar, has potential pitfalls. Know the basics Before setting off it’s important to …
Many French holiday home owners will soon be visiting their properties for the first time since they locked them up for winter at the end of last year. When they visit spring will be in the air…the days longer, the sun shining and the garden will be coming into life. All the signs that temperatures in parts of France plunged …
There are logical reasons for having both buildings and contents insurance for your property abroad with the same insurer. Primarily, claims will be dealt with by one insurer so there won’t be disputes about which insurer is responsible for settling claims – as is often the case with overseas insurers. Insurance rules are not universal. The insurance procedures and cover …
Residents of Lorca in the Murcia region of Southern Spain are today surveying the damage after two earthquakes struck in quick succession. There are reports that at least eight people have died and another 167 are injured. The magnitude-5.2 tremor toppled several buildings in the historic city of Lorca, crushing cars under tonnes of rubble. Wednesday evening’s 2nd earthquake came …
If you own a holiday apartment in Spain, France or Portugal that is on a complex, check your building insurance – it could be inadequate. It is common practice that part of a holiday apartment owners community/maintenance fees goes towards the community buildings insurance. However, there is a common misconception from apartment owners that the community building insurance is sufficient …
The devastation that forest fires cause during the summer heatwaves is apparent. Russia has suffered a great loss and fire-fighters in Portugal are continuing to battle forest fires that are sweeping through the country. Infact, July was the worst month for fires in Portugal since 2005, with 5,524 registered across the country. Recent reports from Spain also indicate that July …
For the second time this year France has witnessed devastating flooding. Following the worst flash floods seen in southern France for almost 200 years, torrential rain caused mud to pour through towns and villages in the Var region. Floodwaters reached more than six feet in some areas causing substantial damage – holiday home owners are urged to check their properties. …
If the credit crunch, the ash cloud or BA strikes have affected your overseas holiday home rentals and it now stands empty for longish periods of time, you may wonder whether you you’ll need to make special arrangements for your overseas house insurance. You may wonder whether you’ll need special insurance when your property is unoccupied and what your obligations …
The clock is ticking for owners of holiday homes and gites in France to register their property with the local mairie before 1 July 2010 deadline – homeowners could face a fine from €45 to €450 if they fail to do so. Following the introduction of a tourism law, which was passed in July last year, anyone who runs a …
If you have apartment insurance in Spain through a community block policy or via a Spanish bank which provides the mortgage, then this insurance is likely to cover the buildings structure against perils, such as fire and flood. But what about public liability insurance for your Spanish apartment? Most community insurance and foreign policies don’t cover public liability or provide …
If you own a flat in France an apartment in Spain or Portugal then no doubt you will have concerns about who is liable should the apartment above have a water leak, from a washing machine or leaking pipe for example – which causes water damage to your apartment below. This is how most holiday apartment insurance companies in the …
Following the recent storm Xynthia which caused damage estimated at €1bn in France, holiday home owners in the areas recognised as natural disaster zones have been given an extension to submit insurance claims with their French insurer. The deadline is March 31. In France, normally a five-day limit applies to general storm damage claims – extended to 10 days to …
Following the devastating mudslides and floods that swept the Portuguese holiday island of Madeira, holiday home owners are urged to check their property insurance abroad covers flood and storm damage. Winds in excess of 70mph, hours of torrential rain, streams of water and mud swept through the capital Funchal, destroying homes, cars and felling trees. Adverse weather has also battered …
Before you choose an insurance policy from a company in France, you should be aware that the practice of cancelling French insurance can be complex compared to the process we are used to in the UK. Unlike the UK, in France you can’t simply let a insurance policy lapse or cancel at the last minute with a phone call. Insurance …
The Association of International Property Professionals –AIPP (the industry body for the international property market) has released the 2013 edition of its annual guide, “How To Buy Overseas Property Safely – The Consumer Guide from the Industry Body”. With the amount of contradicting advice out there, combined with horror stories of developers going bust and leaving investors out of pocket, …
Reading through French house insurance policy details is a task that many property owners skip when taking out a policy, especially when it is written in a foreign language. Not only is there a risk of not understanding what is actually covered, there are also unfamiliar policy conditions and exclusions that could leave you uninsured A “burning issue” that many …
Following the tragic events earlier in April when the earthquake hit several towns in central Italy, owners of holiday homes abroad are urged to check that their house insurance covers earthquake damage, as many popular second home locations are prone to natural disasters. Earthquakes in Spain, France, Italy, Portugal and even the UK, don’t happen as often as they do …
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