Long Summer Holiday Spells £2bn Clean-Up Bill

New market research has revealed that parents will be left with a £2 billion clean-up and repair bill after dealing with their little darlings through the long summer holiday.

Home accident claims, ranging from broken windows to trashed furniture, leap up almost 25 per cent over the school summer holidays.

More than 80 per cent of parents say that they have spent up to £100 in the past year repairing damage caused by their children. Almost ten per cent spent up to £200. Another 15 per cent said that their bills had topped £500 while a truly unfortunate two per cent have ended up spending up to £5,000 for repairs. Almost half (48 per cent) of the domestic catastrophes were caused by kids playing indoors, while a fifth (19 per cent) happened when they were running around.

"Having the kids at home for the summer holidays can test even the most patient parents," said a spokesman for the leading high street bank which commissioned the research.

"Our research shows that once children turn the house into their playground, they really are bulls in a china shop and the scene is set for all manner of accidents."

"Luckily most of the damage will be nothing more than a broken vase or stained carpet, but, in some cases the repair bill can come as a real shock."

Stained furniture was the most common mishap, followed by smashed ornaments, soiled walls, broken furniture, shattered windows and smashed up electronics.

The real lesson here is not to leave children unsupervised for a long time, and to keep dangerous items out of reach. However, it is also important to get insured. Home insurance might not be a legal requirement but it really can come to the rescue where children cause havoc in the home. While it might not prevent a broken window or a soiled carpet, it can easily save pounds in the pocket.

Find the best home insurance quotes to see you through the long holiday online.

If you would like to know more about home insurance why not ask AnswerBank Insurance.