Householders have been warned that being away from their property for more than 30 days at at a time could mean their home insurance policy is void.

Britons intending to take an extended holiday of more than 30 days have been told to check the details of their home insurance policy.

According to Sainsbury's, more than a third of the products on offer will only cover a home for up to 30 days of unoccupancy. The firm used the recent burglary at singer Amy Winehouse's flat as an example, citing the fact that she had been in St Lucia for more than 30 days when the theft took place.

Additionally, Sainsbury's discovered that 4.79 million Britons intend to spend more than a month at a time away from their home this year.
Peter Staddon, head of technical services at the British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA), said that individuals going abroad for long breaks, such as older people escaping the winter, must "let people know".

"Perhaps switch off your utilities at the street level to avoid flood damage or unwanted charges and set your heating to come on if the temperature drops below about 12 degrees C," he added. "A lot of personal properties, including buildings and contents policies will have a maximum unoccupancy limit of 30 days, so look at your policy, check what it says then call your advisor and ask them what you need to do. "