It had never occurred to us that the era in which our homes were built might affect the chance of them being burgled. But the stats reveal that it does, and to quite a large degree.
New research from MoneySuperMarket reveals that Art Deco homes (built between 1920 and 1939) have almost double the amount of insurance claims per 1,000 houses in comparison with houses built in the 1980s. Isn’t that shocking?
Whether it’s the large flat windows, experimental shapes or curved walls, something about Art Deco homes is attractive to burglars. Closely followed in the ranks by the grandeur of Georgian homes, it seems these elegant styles are suggestive of wealth, and may leave you more at risk than homes from other periods.
Here's the results from all the property styles studied, where does yours sit in the rankings?
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Burglary rate per era:
The research looked at 1.5 million home insurance enquiries between February 2018 and January 2019. They found the greatest number of 1930s houses are found in Birmingham, followed by Harrow and Manchester.
There are many factors that impact the price you pay for home insurance, including the condition of the building, the location, and also the age of the house. Surprisingly, 30 per cent of us don’t know when our homes were built, meaning we could be paying the wrong amount for our insurance. If you know when yours was built, use this handy guide to see approximately how much you should be paying...
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Average home insurance premiums for homes from popular eras:
Helen Chambers, head of home insurance at MoneySuperMarket, comments, 'To help reduce the risk of burglary, we recommend investing in security measures such as alarms or CCTV. While there is an initial cost to this, not only will it decrease the likelihood of theft, but it can also help to lower the cost of your insurance.
'When searching for home insurance, the most important thing is to ensure you answer all questions to the best of your knowledge, so you can get an accurate quote and the best deal available for your needs. We’d also recommend shopping around before renewing, as 51 per cent of us could save up to 43 per cent on home insurance.'
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Do you know which period your home is from? Find out how old your home is with our guide.
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