Holiday properties 'more at risk of burglary when occupied'

Holiday homes owned by people from the UK are more likely to be burgled when they are occupied, a new report has suggested.

While most people might believe that their foreign holiday homes are most vulnerable to thieves when they are unoccupied, research from Saga actually indicated that most burglaries occur when the property is being used.

In fact, the survey showed that almost three-quarters (71 per cent) of claims for thefts at holiday properties relate to incidents when the home was being used.

What's more, thefts are usually larger when the holiday home is in use - with the average claim amounting to £2,250 compared to the £1,370 on a property that is empty.

Andrew Goodsell, the chief executive of Saga, commented: "Many people mistakenly believe that their holiday homes are more at risk when they're unoccupied, however our research clearly shows that this is not the case.

"The majority of burglaries are opportunistic thieves that rely on us being in the holiday mindset, a door left unlocked whilst we go for a swim is a perfect opportunity for them to strike, but could so easily be avoided."

Recently, the National Association of Realtors reported that more people from the UK were taking advantage of the US property slump and picking up holiday homes in the country.

Overseas Property News posted on 15/07/2008 15:42:29