Spain Top Theft Hotspot.

Unapproved Building Work
Contingency fund – make sure you leave yourself saving in place should the building go over budget, 10-15 per cent is the recommended amount. Not obtaining planning permission or ensuring that building regulations are complied with may make a property unsaleable and, more seriously, structurally unsound. A good move is to ask an estimator to do this for you, such as www.estimators-online.com. Top five unapproved projects discovered by homebuyers. Unapproved Building Work BRITS WASTE 313MILLION ON UNAPPROVED BUILDING WORK. Read more...

Direct Line customers
05/04/2006 Direct Line has launched a new benefit that will allow motorists to match their NCD on subsequent cars that are insured with the company. Direct Line has already launched a range of new benefits this year including a unique Named Driver NCD that enables named drivers to build up their own NCD if they are driving someone else’s car and a 10% discount for anyone who has a car stored at the same address as another Direct Line policyholder. Read more..

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Direct Line Life Insurance

Direct Line Travel Insurance Uk

Direct Insurance Insurance Line Travel Uk

Spain Top Theft Hotspot.

Spain Top Theft Hotspot.

13/09/2005

More than one in 10 British holidaymakers (12 per cent) have experienced petty theft overseas and a further 27 per cent know someone who has fallen victim to this crime, according to new research from Direct Line Travel Insurance.

1Spain has the highest number of thefts overall, as 38 per cent of Britons who have experienced this crime abroad recently have done so in Spain, followed by France (14 per cent), Italy (seven per cent) and Greece (five per cent).

Money (41 per cent) is the most frequently stolen possession, followed by purses and wallets (34 per cent) and cameras (18 per cent). Jewellery (16 per cent) and clothes (12 per cent) are also among the top targets.

According to respondents, theft from empty hotel rooms is the most common method employed by thieves (30 per cent), although 13 per cent of victims have faced the ordeal of being mugged or pick pocketed on the street.

Homeowners to fork out
The leakiest gutters were in the West Midlands, with almost 40 per cent of homes dripping when it rains, with 15.6 per cent happy to let them continue dripping. A third of people have had to repair their roofs over the winter, with more than one in ten of them spending up to £250 to sort it out. Yorkshire and Humber homes were worst off from the winter winds, with 40 per cent of homes suffering roof damage costing up to £5,000, compared to just 24.1 per cent in the South East. Read more...

A further five per cent have had their possessions stolen while enjoying themselves in a bar or restaurant.

And the financial cost of petty theft can be considerable, with more than a third of losses (34 per cent) in excess of £200, and one in 10 costing the victim more than £500.

But it also has an emotional impact with one in six (15 per cent) saying their holiday was ruined as a result of the theft. Almost a fifth of victims of petty theft questioned (18 per cent) found themselves unable to relax and enjoy themselves and close to a quarter (22 per cent) said they felt vulnerable afterwards.

However, British holidaymakers are taking steps to protect themselves against such crimes. 84 per cent take out travel insurance and more than half (51 per cent) secure their valuables by locking them away in the hotel safe.