Don't Underestimate Your Home Contents

MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwire - Aug. 17, 2009) - British home owners are under-estimating the value of their home contents, according to Swinton, the UK's leading high street retailer of home insurance.

The poll of 1,200 Swinton home insurance customers found that 61% of those surveyed had no clue how much it would cost to replace their contents if a disaster struck.

Swinton is advising homeowners to keep hold of receipts and guarantees and make a note of model names or numbers which can be a big help if they need to make a claim. Swinton is also advising homeowners to list their contents in a logical order i.e. go through one room of their home at a time, listing everything as they go along to get an accurate estimate and ensuring they don't miss anything out. Taking pictures or video footage of each room can also help back up a contents insurance claim.

Swinton's top tips for evaluating home contents insurance:

- Don't overlook anything, such as hoovers, mirrors, luggage, musical instruments, expensive wine, flooring, camping equipment and exercise equipment, which can be easily forgotten.

- Inform your insurer of any changes to the value of your contents straight away i.e. if you buy a new TV or bike.

- Don't forget the contents in the garden such as sheds and tools, which could be expensive to replace.

- Don't over-estimate your contents, as this could result in unnecessary expensive premiums.

Steve Chelton, Insurer development manager at Swinton.co.uk said: "Homeowners should take time to evaluate the cost of their home contents efficiently, as a significant gap between the actual replacement cost and the level of cover taken out could mean it is unlikely they will get the full value of any items that are damaged or stolen."

About Swinton

- With 580 branches nationwide Swinton is the UK's largest high street insurance retailer

- Unlike many other companies in the financial services industry, Swinton is committed to keeping its branches open for business, and part of the community

- Swinton provides a one-stop-shop for the insurance and related needs of its clients, offering home, car, caravan, business, holiday, motorbike and even classic car insurance

- With a dedicated team of advisors on hand at every branch to search a panel of insurers to offer quality cover at competitive rates.