By John Healy of Healy Insurances

Christmas isn’t far away now and households will be filling up with gifts for young and not so young.

Should you review your household contents cover in advance of the festive season?

Most insurers will cover a seasonal increase for the Christmas period. This increase can range from 10% to 20% depending on the insurer's policy wording. For example Aviva, Zurich, Axa and Liberty increase the contents sum insured by 10% for the month of December whereas Allianz and RSA increase the contents by 10% for December and January. Your sum insured for contents should include food and beverages.

Your contents cover should be adequate to cover all your personal possessions in advance of the holiday season. Your calculation should include all moveable household contents, for example white goods, clothes, personal possessions and furniture.

Valuable property such as jewellery, watches, paintings, musical instruments and the like will be covered as standard under your contents cover but there will be a maximum value. Usually this maximum value is one third of the contents sum insured with a maximum set value for any one article, set or collection.

I would advise that any high value items should be added to your policy and specifically itemised under the “all risks” section. The item is then covered against loss inside and outside the home.

It is important to note that when storing gifts the amount covered will not be as high if gifts are stored in your vehicle or an outdoor shed.