Archive for Overseas
Posted on 10/03/10, filed under Overseas | No Comments
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 declare flood damage to the insurer if the government decrees a state of catastrophe naturelle (natural disaster).
When choosing holiday home insurance in France, owners are often confused whether they should insure with a French based company, or a UK based French insurer.
Stringent claims timescales for submitting claims to French insurers are yet another… read the rest of “French home insurance claims for storm damage” >>
Posted on 01/03/10, filed under Overseas | No Comments
Overseas holiday home owners are urged to check their properties for storm or flood damage following the violent storm “Xynthia” which battered France, Spain and Portugal yesterday – leaving 51 people dead.
 The bulk of the casualties and damage was in France, hitting the Vendee and Charente-Maritime regions in southwestern France the hardest.
Fierce rain and 150mph winds caused rivers to burst their banks and sea walls to collapse, flooding properties and leaving up to a million homes without power. The deadliest storm in a decade.
Prime Minister François Fillon has declared a state of catastrophe naturelle and a ministerial decree to this effect should be published within 48 hours.
Claims experts at Schofields holiday homes… read the rest of “Storms batter holiday homes in Europe” >>
Posted on 23/02/10, filed under Overseas | No Comments
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 other parts of Europe this winter, with parts of Spain and France also being flooded.
 Many owners of overseas property who lock up and leave their homes over winter are often unaware of the extent of the extreme weather that pounds properties in Europe, as they only visit when the sun is shining.
Although these owners… read the rest of “Flood & storm insurance for property abroad” >>
Posted on 27/01/10, filed under Overseas | No Comments
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. You can’t let it lapse or cancel at the last minute with a phone call.
Insurance in France automatically renews, so if you are thinking of changing to a UK insurer because of the premium, limitations in cover or simply because you want the policy in English – ensure you cancel your French policy first.
If you don’t follow the correct cancellation procedure you will be liable to pay the years premium, even if you have a new policy… read the rest of “How to cancel French home insurance ” >>
Posted on 09/10/09, filed under Overseas | No Comments
The Association of International Property Professionals –AIPP (the industry body for the international property market) has released the 4th edition of its annual guide, “Buying 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, can make buying property abroad a complex process. The guide outlines common pitfalls to avoid and how to buy overseas property safely. It’s a useful guide which potential property buyers should read before they purchase property abroad.
It provides independent and expert advice and covers areas such as:
- 5 pitfalls to avoid
- The role of the agent &
Posted on 01/10/09, filed under Overseas | No Comments
 Following the torrential rain that hit Spain earlier this week, which forced hundreds of people to evacuate their Spanish holiday homes, there are reports that several properties have been flooded.
Torrential rain and storms swept along the whole of Spain’s Mediterranean coast, trapping people, causing power cuts and a forcing a number of rivers to burst their banks.
If you haven’t done so yet, get your holiday home checked by your key holder for any flood damage and inform your Spanish insurance company of any damage.
Update: There are some photos of the flooded Polaris La Torre Golf Resort near Murcia, which show the damage that flood water can cause… read the rest of “Holiday Homes in Spain Flooded” >>
Posted on 18/09/09, filed under Overseas | No Comments
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 the issue of not understanding what is actually covered, there are also policy conditions and exclusions that could leave you uninsured
 A “burning issue” that many French property owners are unaware of, is the requirement of some French insurance policies that properties have chimneys swept once a year. Homeowners face the risk of being uninsured following a chimney fire, if they can’t prove that chimneys are swept annually.
To avoid being uninsured, it is essential to check if your French insurer has this clause in your policy… read the rest of “French Insurance Chimney Sweeping Clause” >>
Posted on 21/07/09, filed under Overseas | No Comments
Following the blazing forest fires that caused destruction across the Southern Almeria region of Spain last week, overseas property owners are urged to check that they are adequately insured.
 Thankfully, it appears that none of the Spanish property owners who were forced to evacuate their homes suffered losses, but it highlights the destruction that wildfires can cause.
Damage caused by fire can be horrendous and very expensive to repair, often a complete rebuild is required. There are concerns that thousands of second home owners are significantly underinsured, as the ‘estimated’ buildings sum insured does not reflect the accurate cost of rebuilding their property. More worryingly, there are reports that homeowners are lowering… read the rest of “Raging Fires Threaten Overseas Homes” >>
Posted on 21/04/09, filed under Overseas | 5 Comments
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 in say Japan, but they’re becoming more common and the destruction they cause was unfortunately evident in Italy.
In addition to ensuring your overseas property insurance covers rebuilding following earthquakes and catastrophic events, you should pay attention to the earthquake excess. On some European policies the excess deducted from a claim following earthquake damage is a % of the sum insured, often 5%. So if your… read the rest of “Earthquake Insurance - Is Your Holiday Home Covered?” >>
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