Caravan Insurance

The surprising frequency with which houses can be affected by damage and loss makes home insurance a must, according to a new report.

According to research by Churchill, 3.2 million homes are afflicted by some form of disaster or accident each year, meaning that every household needs to make a home insurance claim of some form around six times during its lifetime.

The most common cause for a claim being made is simply accidental damage, which can occur in a number of forms, ranging from spilt food and drink to damage to electrical equipment and DIY-related accidents.

Martin Scott, head of home insurance at Churchill, explained: "Whilst the smaller household accidents are inconveniences which affect us all a number of householders will suffer a major disaster and the effects could be devastating.

"Householders without the reassurance of home insurance can spend years rebuilding their lives should such disasters occur."

Bearing out Mr Scott's words is that fact that around half of all households fall victim to burglars at some point, while on average every home sustains some form of storm damage during its existence.

Other forms of more serious damage that can afflict households include fires, which strike one house in ten, while subsidence - a particular worry in the face of this summer's expected droughts - affects one in 17 and flooding one in every 33.