Get a grip on your assets this Christmas

Dec. 11, 2011 - PRLog -- The festive season traditionally sees a sharp increase in domestic burglary as homes are filled with valuable presents.

Research suggests that January is the worst month for domestic burglary as thieves are on the prowl for expensive items in the home. There are 11%* more burglaries in January than the annual national average, figures reveal.

Despite the recession, Christmas spending also remains high. Brits are predicted to spend an average of £560 celebrating Christmas this year**.

With this in mind, homeowners are now able to protect their assets with Readyclaim, which has been developed as an affordable way to enable every household to have a virtual catalogue of their home contents, such as big-ticket electrical items, clothing, furniture and jewellery, with the aid of icons.

Homeowners simply take digital images of their assets in each room, plus any relevant documents including invoices, valuations or receipts, and attach them to the asset icon which can then be uploaded to the company's secure server.

More than simply a contents calculator, the system has been launched to ensure that everyone insures the true value of their home in a bid to combat claims disputes.

Tim Roots, founder, said: “Readyclaim is a useful tool for homeowners throughout the year but Christmas is a time when most homes are full of expensive items such as new PS3’s, the latest iPhones and iPads and Plasma TVs.

“In the unfortunate event of a burglary, not being able to prove the value of your contents or being under insured can cause serious problems if you have to make an insurance claim, as your insurance company may not pay out the full cost to replace lost or damaged items.”

Insurers will ask for proof of ownership in the event of a substantial claim, including receipts and photographs, warns Roots.


“On average, a British household will spend around £560 on presents and other seasonal products meaning the worth of your contents significantly increases.

“By using the system, homeowners are given total peace of mind, knowing that they have an accurate and real-time account of their assets stored on our secure server, thus removing the chance of long, expensive and drawn out insurance disputes.”

Homeowners can set up a readyclaim home account quickly and easily, which costs just £11.99 a year or £23.99 for three years, which can accessed by PC and an iPhone or Android app.

To open an account, visit the website www.readyclaim.co.uk where you can also download an app.

Notes to editors:

High resolution images and further information are available from Emma Kirkaldy at The Smart Agency on 01423 876 371/07983 714 001 or emma@thesmartagency.co.uk

Sources:
*According to HSBC

**According to Crimestoppers

# # #

The Smart Agency is a PR and marketing company based in Leeds and Harrogate, UK. We specialise in personal finance, insurance and business-to-business public relations.