Brits take 21 unnecessary risk in their homes each week – including the risk of smoking in bed

A survey of 2000 adults found that nearly a fifth (18%) admitted to turning on light switches after showers while still wet.

More than a third (34%) of people regularly fall on their bathroom floors.

Another risky move people make is to leave their windows open when they go out for a day (26%), and to stand on a rickety seat to catch a web crawler on the ceiling (23%).

18% of garden furniture owners neglect to secure their items in case of storms.

Other risky moves include jumping on the last few steps of a staircase (23%) and not fitting smoke alarms, or making sure that they work (12%)

Seven out of 10 people take at least one risk each day at home. Nearly a third of those surveyed can recall a time when they took a chance that didn’t work out.

Tara Foley, retail CEO at AXA UK, said: “You never know what’s around the corner, and it’s worrying to see a high proportion of homeowners regularly making decisions that can be hazardous at home.

“Risks surrounding our homes are so common that people often don’t consider the dangers they present, but that doesn’t mean Brits should let their guard down and allow themselves to be caught out by easily preventable disasters.

“It is important that people take precautions around the home to protect themselves from accidents which could end up being costly and even dangerous.”

The study also found that 40% of the respondents considered themselves to be risk-takers during their day-today lives.

51 percent admitted that they took risks without considering the consequences.

Unlocked doors and wet floors are not the only dangers that third of these people take on.

53 percent of these financial risk-takers have taken out savings to buy non-essential goods, while 35 percent have put off renewing their contents or home insurance.

Preventing possible disAsters

OnePoll.com also found that 24% are not currently covered by home or contents insurance policies – despite the fact that 38% live in areas susceptible for flooding or other extreme weather events.

Even those who have a policy, 46% are not sure what their contents or home insurance covers.

While 42 per cent don’t carry out basic checks and maintenance around their home to prepare for adverse weather conditions, with 33 per cent believing taking countermeasures to prevent disaster is too costly.

However, AXA UK has found the average costs of repairing flood and storm damage could significantly outweigh the cost of preventing disaster, with flood damage repairs totalling an average of £36,000 and storm damage totting up to more than £1,000 to repair.

Tara Foley added: “The cost-of-living crisis has made it even more crucial for people to protect what matters most to them.

“With extreme weather events looking likely to increase in the UK, it is important that people prepare their homes against floods and storms and they check their insurance cover.

“Investing in home maintenance, such as checking roof tiles ahead of a storm and flood-proofing your property, can help stop damage from happening as a result of adverse weather conditions.

“Disaster can strike in all forms, especially during winter months, but having the right home insurance cover in place can also provide a vital safety net in case the worst happens.

“We encourage people to carry out regular checks and maintenance on their homes and that they make sure their home insurance policy covers them for any eventuality.

“Not doing so can leave people vulnerable to having to spend significant amounts of money on repairing home damage or replacing valuables.”

Top 30 most dangerous home risks

1. Strolling on a damp floor
2. Turn on the washing machine and leave the house
3. Leave the mains water off when you go on holiday
4. Left windows unlocked
5. Leave the curtains open while on holiday
6. To catch a spider from the ceiling, I sat on a chair.
7. Jumped down the last few steps of your staircase
8. To reach the top shelf of the kitchen units, climb up onto the top of the cabinets
9. With wet hands, turn on a light switch
10. Put the dishwasher on, and then leave the house
11. Left your gutters ‘just one more month’ before clearing them
12. Save your money for a luxurious item
13. Didn’t secure a heavy piece of furniture, like a wardrobe, to the wall behind it
14. Have you checked your roof tiles before a storm?
15. Not maintaining a list with emergency contacts
16. Don’t leave your garden furniture unattended in the face of a storm
17. While you’re out, leave something in the oven.
18. Walking on wet decking
19. Winter car service not available
20. All day, left the front door unlocked
21. Don’t leave your car unattended in the garage during a storm
22. I walked around the loft on the beams
23. A clear windshield on your car is a must.
24. It is important to make sure you have the right tyres in place for wet and/or icy road conditions.
25. Not checking car lights and battery
26. Before a storm, make sure all windows, doors and gates have been securely closed
27. Left a cable trailing across the walkway
28. You left the garage door unlocked
29. Overloaded a plug socket using multiple multi-plug connectors
30. Installed smoke alarms, or made sure they still work