5 tips to avoid fire damage to your property

04 Jan 2023
Private life
Brandschade

The number of serious house fires has noticeably increased in recent years. Why? Because we live differently than we did, say, 20 years ago. Our current homes are full of electronic devices that are constantly being charged. Moreover, we all too often forget to adjust our insurance policies. For instance, we note that as many as one in five homes is underinsured. Our advice: check whether your current policy still provides sufficient cover. Adjusting the policy where necessary is an absolute must, but you can also easily avoid damage adapting your daily habits.

The number of serious house fires has noticeably increased in recent years. Why? Because we live differently than we did, say, 20 years ago. Our current homes are full of electronic devices that are constantly being charged. Moreover, we all too often forget to adjust our insurance policies. For instance, we note that as many as one in five homes is underinsured. Our advice: check whether your current policy still provides sufficient cover. Adjusting the policy where necessary is an absolute must, but you can also easily avoid damage adapting your daily habits.


1. Install sufficient smoke detectors

Since January 2020, it has been mandatory to hang smoke detectors in every rental and private home. It protects you and provides peace of mind in case something goes wrong. It is not for nothing that smoke detectors are invariably included in the sales agreement and/or notarial deed.


2. Do not use overloaded distribution plugs

It is familiar to us all. You plug in an appliance and soon notice that the one plug is not enough to power all the appliances in your living room, kitchen or bedroom. The distribution plug is a handy and rewarding solution for this. But don't forget to unplug that power plug when you no longer need those appliances. Or even better: avoid them as much as possible so as not to overload the grid.

3. Keep your appliances dust-free

We all sometimes forget to dust off electronic devices when cleaning. However, when dust comes in contact with electricity, that too can cause a fire. So cleaning well is the message, and be sure to go over all appliances with a dust rag.

4. Avoid charging devices overnight

Many of us are in the habit of charging our smartphones at night, but this can lead to overheating and fires. Therefore, charge your devices only during the day. As soon as a device is charged, unplug it. In addition, make sure your electronics are always in sight when charging. Batteries of electric bikes are all too often charged in the garage, but this too poses risks. 

5. Take pictures regularly

If you do get hit by damage in or to your home, make sure that the assessment that follows can proceed smoothly. Take regular photos of your most valuable possessions, inside or outside. Overview images of a garden, a room, etc. are always useful. The more evidence there is of the condition before the damage, the easier your case can be handled. Therefore, keep purchase receipts as much as you can as well. Keep these photos and documents in a place that itself is not susceptible to damage. In a secure, digital Cloud environment, for example.

Related articles

Adobe Stock 259920819

5 onmisbare waarborgen in een autoverzekering

Entrepreneur, 
Private life
Kan u het zich voorstellen? U zit achter het stuur van uw nieuwe wagen, klaar om de weg op te gaan. Voordat u de motor start, wil u er natuurlijk zeker van zijn dat u goed verzekerd bent. Een goede autoverzekering is namelijk van essentieel belang om uzelf met een gerust gevoel in het verkeer te begeven. Het beschermt u tegen de financiële risico’s van schade en biedt u gemoedsrust, zodat u vol vertrouwen achter het stuur kan plaatsnemen.
Kantoor Kortrijk

Nieuwe kantoorlocatie voor Hillewaere Insurance Kortrijk

General
Onze Kortrijkse cluster, bestaande uit 2 kantoren onder leiding van Jochen Blondelle enerzijds en Bruno en Frederik Cambien anderzijds, bundelen hun krachten en verhuizen vanaf 24/01/2025 samen naar een nieuwe kantoorlocatie in het Cotton Park Business Center. Op die manier bouwen we beide kantoren en teams verder uit, versterken we onze lokale expertise en optimaliseren we onze dienstverlening.
Adobe Stock 307771829 150dpi

Nieuw aansprakelijkheidsrecht sinds 01/01/2025

Enterprise, 
Entrepreneur
Sinds 01/01/2025 is er via het Nieuwe Boek 6 een aanpassing gebeurd in de wetgeving omtrent buitencontractuele aansprakelijkheid. In het kader van uw beroepsactiviteiten heeft dit een belangrijke invloed. Een schadelijder kan zijn claim, wegens het slecht uitvoeren van een contract, sedert deze datum niet langer alleen uitsluitend tot uw bedrijf richten, maar ook rechtstreeks tot uitvoeringsagenten zoals bestuurders, werknemers, directieleden, stagiairs, zelfstandige freelancers of medewerkers zoals CEO, CFO, projectleiders etc of onderaannemers. Door deze aanpassing in de wetgeving is het noodzakelijk dat u als ondernemer binnen uw onderneming een aantal maatregelen neemt.