The summer holidays are a time every child looks forward to but for their parents, this could be a time or breakages and bills.

Hundreds of families could be hit by bills for more than £500 due to their children causing damage to their homes. The number of insurance claims for accidental damage in the home rise by 10 per cent over the summer holidays compared to the rest of the year. This is according to a leading insurance company who also discovered that claims tend to peak over the bank holiday weekend.

The average cost of the damage caused over this period, which is mainly down to children and animals, is £550. It was discovered that the most common claims were as a result of spilt drinks on carpets and sofas, damage to electrical equipment, damage to spectacles and also damage as a result of their children’s games of football and tennis. Insurers found that claims for broken windows rise by 20 per cent during the summer holidays than the average across a whole year.

Many of the homeowners who had suffered at the hands of their offspring and who have, as a result, made a claim, have found that they have been turned down because their home insurance policy didn’t cover them for accidental damage.

Accidental damage insurance covers you for any accidents that happen in your home, by your children, yourself or anybody else who may enter your home. There are a few insurance policies that include a degree of accidental cover but the majority, especially the cheaper ones, do not. If you want accidental cover, you will have to add it on when you are searching for insurance quotes. The cover can be added on to buildings insurance as well as to contents insurance so it is well worth looking into this when you are searching for your insurance, especially if you have young children or pets in the house.