After a busy week sorting out the chaos left in the wake of floods, fires, accidents, break-ins and missing luggage, anyone who works in insurance deserves time off to relax.
It’s a chance to forget about fraudulent claims, lapsed policies, missing evidence of ownership and all the other details that have to be dealt with before a case can be settled.
But before you polish your dancing shoes or pull on your cycling shorts, have you ever stopped to add up the amount you spend on your hobby? Or worked out what would happen if something went wrong?
Perhaps it’s time to put your professional know-how to work closer to home.
James Anderson, a commercial claims handler who found his current role through s1jobs, has had recent experience of working out the true cost of a hobby.
“When a relative died I had the job of sorting out his model train collection. It was very valuable, eventually selling for more than £10,000. So for the 18 months it was stored in my garage I took out an additional policy to cover it in the event of fire or theft.”
James’s foresight highlights the fact most home contents policies don’t provide cover for expensive hobbies.
It’s one thing to be a Strictly fan who spends Saturday nights glued to the telly, but take up ballroom dancing and you’d best have deep pockets – sequins don’t come cheap. Latin dance shoes can cost £150 and a made-to-measure Swarovski-encrusted ballroom dress £2000 – yet it only takes one burst pipe behind your wardrobe to ruin the lot.
And, if you spend your weekends surfing, parachuting or scuba diving, it’s not just your wardrobe that’s at risk.
Horses have a tendency to bite and hurtling downhill on a mountain bike can be the fastest way to months with your leg in a stookie.
Then there’s the threat your pastime could pose to someone else. Smash a greenhouse with your drone and you’re liable for the damage.
And if a visitor to your garden open day stands on a carelessly-discarded rake you could end up with a law suit for the comedy bump on his noggin.
That’s why it’s always worth reading the small print of your holiday, health or life insurance before you go all-out to enjoy your hobby.
So before you – or your clients – indulge in anything more dangerous than knitting, make sure you have it covered.
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