- Unruly wildlife has caused more than one home insurance claim in recent years
- So did bad weather: one homeowner saw his shed completely blown away.
- Another person claimed that their baby ruined their sofa by vomiting “violently” on it.
Badgers vandalising garages and pigeons smashing patio doors are among the strangest home insurance claims of the past five years, according to price comparison website Confused.com.
Most home insurance payouts are caused by accidental damage and there are some really unusual claims.
One unfortunate person spotted a badger tunnelling under their garage, causing it to collapse, according to Confused.
And another unfortunate home insurance customer said an even more unfortunate pigeon crashed into the patio doors, causing the glass to shatter.
Another saw his shed blown away completely due to the strong winds.
You screwed up: Accidental damage causes most home insurance claims, according to Confused
Meanwhile, a father has reported that his sofa was left ruined after his baby “violently” vomited on it, in a scene they can only describe as “disgusting”.
Insurers have paid out more than £4.1m for accidentally defrosted food in the past five years and 200 claims have been made for TV aerials that had fallen off a roof.
However, most insurance claims are due to less unusual events and it is worth knowing what these are.
What causes most insurance claims?
Confused said 21 percent of claims were for accidental damage, 18 percent for water leaks, 12 percent for broken fridges and freezers, 11 percent for damage caused by storms and theft respectively, and 7 percent for floods.
Although not the most common claim, water damage is the most expensive problem that can happen to a home.
Confused said insurers have paid out more than £1.7bn in water damage claims in the past five years alone.
More than £76m was also claimed for water leaks due to the freeze, including burst pipes.
Most damage claims related to damage to carpets (27 percent), interior walls (23 percent) and food (21 percent).
But roofing (18 per cent) and gardening items (18 per cent) were not far behind. The average value of damage claims amounted to £284.
While a home insurance policy is not a legal requirement, the majority (86 percent of 2,000 respondents) said they had at least a buildings or contents policy.
Matthew Harwood, home insurance expert at Confused, said: ‘Our latest research reveals some very interesting reasons why people have needed to trust their home insurance provider.
‘There are also times when you won’t need to claim on your insurance. For example, if the cost of the repair is cheaper than the total amount of the deductible.
‘But the most important thing to consider when taking out a policy is whether it will cover you if you have to make a claim.
“You need to make sure you’re paying for the right level of cover. This is important if you live in a storm-prone part of the UK or if you live in an older home that needs some TLC.”