Beware of dinner party damage
October 2010Entertaining family and friends at home is something South Africans are well-versed at doing, especially in the summer months. With the tougher economic times of late, many individuals are opting to hold more economical dinner parties at home rather than eating out at restaurants.
However, according to Melody Redman, general manager of Budget Insurance Brokers, eating in is often not nearly as economical as one thinks – in fact, one British study has shown that UK residents are spending the equivalent of 15 dinners at London's premier restaurants, just on food alone.
"Dinner party guests are another financial issue altogether," says Redman. "According to research by Sheila's Wheels Insurance in the UK, 77% of people surveyed have caused dinner party damage. Topping the list of regular party mishaps are broken glasses and red wine spillage - more than two out of every five people surveyed admitted that they'd smashed a glass, often when trying to be helpful by cleaning up."
Other dinner party disasters include dropping food on the carpet, something half of all guests do; walking dirt into the home; dropping and breaking crockery; leaving water marks on wooden furniture; damaging couches and other large furniture; leaving burn marks when smoking; blocking the toilet and breaking precious possessions.
"Adding insult to injury is the finding that a third of respondents said they would rather lie to their host than own up to a mistake, while two out of five people admitted that they'd hidden the damage they caused. Twenty-eight per cent went as far as blaming their partner for a dinner party mishap," Redman adds.
Entertaining at home - and the possible ensuing damages - can put a heavy strain on your wallet, and it is important that hosts are aware of these outcomes.
"Home contents insurance provides cover for loss or damage to household goods and personal possessions. This cover also includes cover for the breakage of mirrors and glass that are part of a stove, oven or furniture, when broken by accident; the breakage of a television set when broken by accident and your guests' belongings stolen at your home," Redman advises.
Budget Insurance Brokers offers tips on how to best to avoid dinner party damage
Forward planning is vital when it comes to dinner parties, which includes removing precious items from harm's way, and having home contents insurance cover in place as a second line of defence.
- Have carpet shampoo on standby and paper towels ready to manage any red wine spillages.
- Supply coasters for drinks.
- Serve up in the kitchen rather than at the table and avoid dishes where guests help themselves.
- Keep expensive items in another room when entertaining.
