Experts warn homeowners against neglecting this often-forgotten task in Jan

Home insurance experts warn homeowners not to neglect to recalculate the value of their home and check their home insurance policy at the start of January to ensure their belongings are secured for the New Year.

It's the New Year, and with that inevitably comes a new fountain of opportunities, responsibilities, and admin to do – a lot of it. The holiday season has just passed us by, and while many of us indulged in the festivities and gift-giving, if someone in your household has received a high-value gift, don't forget to ensure your belongings are within your home insurance policy.

Jessica Willock, home insurance expert at Confused.com warns that if you or another member of your household had been gifted quite an expensive present, it might be worth contacting your insurance provider to check whether it sits within your contents insurance policy.

'For more expensive gifts, check your policy to see what your single item limit is set at – for most, the cap is £1,500. So any item with a value higher than that must be listed separately within your policy. If you don't and the worst happens, your item may not be covered,' she warns.

Whether you're a homeowner or renting, it's important to understand what exactly your policy protects against, so you won't find yourself asking the question, 'What does home insurance cover?' in the future.

'We would also advise that after events such as Christmas where expensive gifts are often received, homeowners should re-calculate the value of their contents. Especially if more than one person in the home has received some high-value gifts. This way you can be sure the policy is still accurate.'

If you're wondering, 'Do I need home insurance?' we think the answer is pretty clear, and it's better to be safe than sorry. However, if you already do have home insurance then it's also equally as important to ensure that you're maximising its full capability. The last thing you want is to unknowingly set yourself up for an unwelcome surprise if you forget to tick it off your to-do list now. 

So we encourage you to go ahead and get to it while it's still early in the year. You'll thank us later.