When is your home most likely to be broken into? When is your home most likely to be damaged due to fire, accident or severe weather? At Hood Insurance Agency, an insurance agency in Lynnwood, Washington we have compiled a month-by-month guide to the most common property damage and crime claims:
Answering the question: when are burglaries and property damage most likely to happen?
January
January is usually when homeowners make the highest number of claims for water leaks due to freezing temperatures and burst pipes.
February
Valentine’s Day is notorious for house burglaries, as thieves love the opportunities presented by couples out for a romantic evening.
March
Cars are the target in March. Car thefts rise by 14%!
April
Easter Sunday sees a slight 7% increase in accidental damage claims compared to a typical Sunday.
May
May sees a 10% increase in accidental damage claims, but burglaries drop by 14pc.
However, warmer weather and the Memorial Day weekend also brings more bikers on to the roads and that leads to 35% increase in motorcycle accidents compared to a normal weekend.
June
Fathers’ Day sees an 11% rise in accidental damage claims as fathers play with their new toys.
July
Home burglaries increase 12%, probably due to the warm weather, when people are more likely to leave windows open.
August
Back to school time sees a 10% increase in accidents in the home.
September
Good news! September brings a drop in accidental damage incidents by 6%.
October
With the sun setting sooner, burglaries start to rise. Household thefts increase by 5%. But Halloween is the real trick, with claims for malicious damage rising by 160%!
November
Claims for burglaries peak in November – a 22% increase! – as families are away for Thanksgiving. It is also one of the worst days of the year for fire claims – up 60% above normal, largely due to cooking accidents.
December
Christmas Day sees the worst increase in fire claims, up by 120%. However, you’re least likely to have your home broken into on Christmas Day itself. Interestingly enough, five safest days for auto theft are from Christmas Day to December 29th. Perhaps even the bad guys take a vacation?
We hope you have a safe year – one that does NOT include any homeowners’ or car theft claims!