shutters

[Nicos]

Thanks.

I have contacted our vendors and asked them to have a word with their

insurance company to see what their requirements would be for us.

We have decided to stay with their company for this year as the house has been insured with them for the past 20 years.

Hopefully they won't require anything to be done before the vendors

move out, although our Agent seems to think it will be required.

Will let you know how we get on incase it's any use to any other newbies!

[Deimos]

As an aside, living remotely from other houses I do not close my shutters when not there (not even when away on holiday) - as it is a real announcement to the world "I''m away on holiday and house is unoccupied for a decent time". I've also got some of those clever boarding panels for the windowed sections of doors - which I also never use for the same reasons.

I would always be boring and suggest that people check with their own insurer and insurers/areas/etc. will affect things so what applies to one situation may easily not apply to somebody else.

Ian

[Andyphilpott]

When I bought my house it had upvc shutters already and although I would prefer wood really I am not going to pay out for that. The upvc is easy to clean and maintenance free so I will put up with the aesthetic downside. The shutters are a boon both in winter and summer as additional insulation and virtually all houses in my village have them.

As far as insurance is concerned, my policy indicates that I must have lockable shutters on all windows less than 2 metres above ground level and that they should be closed whilst the house is unoccupied. The locks are just the simple latch which clips closed from the inside. Nothing specified for windows above that level. This must make sense as far as the insurers are concerned as it is certainly an improved level of security and assessment of risk is what they do!

On the general issue of insurance I work on the basis that I should not trust insurers. They had requirements for locks as well as the shutters so I photographed everything and sent the pics to the brokers and obtained their written confirmation that what I had was acceptable to them. That should avoid any dispute later although naturally I hope that it will not come to that.

I think my place is pretty secure by way of its location - it is 300 years old, in a narrow street - too narrow for cars - and with local neighbours all around they would soon hear the noise of anyone trying to break in!

Andy