NORTHBROOK, Ill., Dec. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Festive, joyful
and togetherness are just a few words that come to mind when
thinking about the holidays. However, a new Allstate poll –
released just in time for the 2016 holiday season – shows
"hazardous" should be at the top of the list, too.
Allstate's fourth annual national holiday home hazards
surveyi also reveals first-time homeowners are often
slightly ahead of their more experienced counterparts, as well as
renters, when it comes to preparing their homes for potential
holiday hazards. Still, each group has room for improvement,
especially since more than half of adults say their home is one of
their most important possessions.
"It's easy for people to get so wrapped up in decorating,
cooking and making other holiday preparations that they forget to
take important precautions," said Steve
Sorenson, Allstate's executive vice president of product
operations. "We urge you to prepare your home for the holidays now,
so you can safely enjoy the season with the people most important
to you."
Deck the Halls to Prevent Hazards
First-time
homeowners are particularly excited about showing off their new
homes, as nearly 90 percent expect to host holiday celebrations,
compared to 62 percent of experienced homeowners and fewer than
half of renters. A few precautionary measures can better protect
the hosts and their guests. Allstate's survey found:
- Unalarmed about alarms. Just 56 percent of
first-time homeowners, compared to only 47 percent of more
experienced homeowners and 37 percent of renters, have tested or
plan to test their smoke alarms and/or carbon monoxide detectors to
prepare their homes for the holidays.
- Unaddressed home damage. Only 46 percent of
first-time homeowners, compared to one-quarter of adults, have or
plan to prepare for the holidays by inspecting and repairing their
home interiors for leaks or damage. Likewise, 47 percent of
first-time homeowners, compared to 23 percent of adults, have or
plan to inspect and repair their home exteriors – including
windows, roofs, gutters and chimneys.
- Fearless about freezing. Only 56 percent of
experienced homeowners and 44 percent of renters typically keep
their homes heated above 65 degrees to prevent pipes from freezing,
although this is common practice for 62 percent of first-time
homeowners.
- Circuit overload. Just 37 percent of first-time
homeowners, 23 percent of experienced homeowners and 21 percent of
renters usually limit the number of lights per outlet or power
strip to prevent a live Christmas tree fire.
- Too close for comfort. Placing their live tree
away from heat sources to minimize fire risk also is more common
among first-time homeowners. A total of 45 percent say they
typically do this, compared to just over a quarter of adults.
Not taking proper precautions can lead to costly damage.
Allstate claims data show the following are among the hazards that
strike more often during the holiday season:
Increase
During
Holidaysii
|
Most Costly
Holiday Claimiii
|
Median Cost of
Holiday Claim
|
Burst Pipes From
Freezing
|
396%
|
$1,199,173
|
$5,500
|
Fireplace-Related
Fires
|
133%
|
$849,705
|
$10,149
|
Candle
Fires
|
68%
|
$388,381
|
$12,915
|
Electrical
Fires
|
22%
|
$1,067,456
|
$22,683
|
Weight of Ice and
Snow
|
6%
|
$338,694
|
$1,854
|
'Tis the Season for Theft
Nearly 60 percent of
consumers will do their holiday shopping online, with the majority
taking advantage of free delivery, according to the National Retail
Federation.iv Allowing those packages to be left out on
the porch makes them easier to steal. More than 20 million
Americans have had deliveries swiped from their doorsteps,
according to a study conducted by Princeton Survey Research
Associates International.v
Allstate found that, when ordering items online or by telephone
during the holiday season:
- Packages for the taking. Nearly four in 10
homeowners – both first-time and experienced – frequently allow
delivered packages to be left out on their porch or stoop. About
three in 10 renters do the same.
- Unsafe delivery. Only 41 percent of first-time
homeowners often make sure someone will be home to accept the
package, something that happens even less with more experienced
homeowners and renters.
- Work is not an alternative. Just 13 percent of
first-time homeowners, compared to 10 percent of experienced
homeowners and 9 percent of renters, frequently have packages
delivered to them at work.
Holiday trips also may become holiday home hazards. While
travelers take some precautions before departing, they may also
leave behind opportunities for theft:
- Nobody home. Just 16 percent of first-time
homeowners, 17 percent of renters and 27 percent of experienced
homeowners say they plan to stop their mail and/or newspaper
delivery before taking a holiday trip.
- Unlocked homes. Eighty-one percent of first-time
homeowners, compared to 80 percent of renters and 77 percent of
experienced homeowners, plan to ensure all of their doors and
windows are locked before they leave on a holiday trip.
- Unlocked vehicles. Nearly 70 percent of
first-time homeowners, but only 59 percent of experienced
homeowners and 45 percent of renters, say they will make sure
vehicles left in their driveway or garage are locked.
Think no one will notice you're not home? Think again – and
don't risk making your home and valuables easy targets, especially
since Allstate found the following happens more frequently during
the holidays:
Increase
During
Holidays
|
Most Costly
Holiday Claim
|
Median Cost of
Holiday Claim
|
Missing Property
from Garage
|
37%
|
$5,919
|
$1,697
|
Burglary
|
6%
|
$153,505
|
$2,911
|
Theft From
Unlocked Vehicle
|
2%
|
$24,002
|
$1,177
|
Social Media Oversharing
Social media also can unlock
opportunities for holiday home hazards. First-time homeowners –
about three-quarters of those surveyed are millennials – are more
likely to take risks on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other
popular sites over the holidays.
Forty percent of first-time homeowners spend more time on social
media during the holiday season, compared to the rest of the year.
This is the case for only a quarter of experienced homeowners and
24% of renters. Those who post may provide very personal
details:
- Look at me! Seventy-one percent of first-time
homeowners say they're likely to go on social media to share
pictures or video of themselves at their holiday travel
destinations, compared to half of renters and 44 percent of
experienced homeowners.
- On the road again. About a third of first-time
homeowners say they're likely to share details about their travel
itinerary, such as being at the airport or on their way home –
information that only 22 percent of renters and 19 percent of
experienced homeowners say they're likely to share.
- Showing off presents. And 65 percent of
first-time homeowners, versus 38 percent of adults, say they'll
probably post presents they received.
Oversharing on social media can send a message to criminals that
a home may be unoccupied – information holiday travelers should
keep confidential. Allstate found:
Increase
During
Holidays
|
Most
Costly
Holiday Claim
|
Median Cost of
Holiday Claim
|
Theft of
Silverware, Flatware
|
64%
|
$15,462
|
$3,216
|
Theft from Locked
Vehicle
|
7%
|
$35,021
|
$1,408
|
Jewelry Missing
From Home
|
5%
|
$25,000
|
$1,712
|
Allstate's Top 10 Tips for Holiday Home Safety
To help
make the holidays festive, joyful and safe, visit Allstate's
Holiday Decorator for a fun, interactive lesson on how to avoid
disasters that can come with decking out your home. Other tips to
protect against potential holiday hazards include:
- Install new batteries in and test smoke alarms and carbon
monoxide detectors.
- Inspect the inside and outside of your home for leaks or other
needed repairs to avoid home damage and insurance claims.
- To prevent frozen pipes, keep your home heated above 65 degrees
and open cabinet doors to expose pipes to warm air.
- Have chimneys and furnaces inspected annually before the
holidays to make sure they're safe for use.
- Read the fine print on your holiday lights to avoid overloading
outlets or power strips, and when lighting up the outside of your
home, only use lights and extension cords specified for outdoor
use.
- Schedule deliveries for when someone will be home – or have
packages delivered to a neighbor or friend who is home during the
day.
- Routinely lock your home and vehicle, even if you're only
leaving for a short time.
- Stop mail and newspaper deliveries during holiday travel, or
have a friend or neighbor pick them up daily.
- Avoid "checking in" to vacation locations or activities on
social media.
- Wait until you return home to post photos and/or video of your
holiday trip, and ask family and friends not to tag you on vacation
photos they post while you're away.
For more home safety tips and information, visit The Allstate
Blog. Also, Mayhem, a familiar face in Allstate ads, is getting
into the holiday spirit with the release of his original holiday
album "A Very Mayhem Holiday." The album will feature seven
original holiday songs and will be available to enjoy at
MayhemCarols.com or www.pandora.com/AllstateMayhemCarols.
About Allstate
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is
the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer,
protecting approximately 16 million households from life's
uncertainties through auto, home, life and other insurance offered
through its Allstate, Esurance, Encompass and Answer Financial
brand names. Now celebrating its 85th anniversary as an insurer,
Allstate is widely known through the slogan "You're In Good Hands
With Allstate®." Allstate agencies are in virtually
every local community in America. In 2015, The Allstate Foundation,
Allstate, its employees and agency owners gave $36 million to support local communities.
_____________________________
i The 2016 Allstate Holiday Home Hazards
survey was conducted by FTI Consulting from October 6-16, 2016. The survey was conducted
among N=1,015 adults (home/condo owners and renters) and an
oversample of N=224 first-time home or condo owners who purchased
their very first home in the past year.
ii Percentage change based on holiday
season versus non-holiday season homeowners, condo and renters
claim frequency nationally during the three-year period of
Jan. 15, 2013-Jan. 15, 2016, with the
holiday season from Nov. 15-Jan.
15.
iii Costs are the amount Allstate paid on
the reported claims, based on national holiday season homeowners,
condo and renters claims data over three years, with the holiday
season from Nov. 15-Jan. 15,
2013-2016.
iv National Retail Federation,
https://nrf.com/media/press-releases/retailers-prepare-post-election-holiday-shopping
v InsuranceQuotes.com,
http://www.insurancequotes.com/home/holiday-hazards-120215
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SOURCE Allstate