Frequently asked questions – home insurance
About your home insurance cover
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Can I have immediate cover from my home insurance?
- Yes, providing you have a debit or credit card you can start your cover immediately and if you wish to pay by direct debit you will also need to have your bank details to hand.
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How can I pay for my home insurance policy?
- You can pay using your credit, debit or solo card or you may prefer to pay by spreading the cost using Direct Debit.
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Do I pay an excess if I make a claim on my home insurance?
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In most cases an excess will be payable and this could
vary by the type of claim. There are usually 2 types of
excess applied to an insurance policy.
Compulsory Excess
This is an amount set by your insurer that you must pay in the event of a claim. The amount may vary from £50 for accidental damage and theft to £1000 for subsidence and the exact amount will be confirmed prior to purchasing your policy and will also be detailed on your policy documentation.
Voluntary Excess
This is the amount you may choose to pay over and above the Compulsory excess and in return you will receive a discount on your premium. -
When can I report a claim?
- You can rest assured that if the worst does happen, you will have immediate access to the claims service. All claims lines, including Legal Service Claims and Home Emergency Cover are available 24 hours a day, 365 days.
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What does Buildings Insurance cover?
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This is the cover you need to protect the physical
structure of your home, and permanent fixtures such as
kitchen units and bathroom suites, against fire,
lightning, explosions, earthquakes, smoke, riots, theft,
subsidence, storms and floods.
Also included are a number of extras, so if your home is damaged by something covered by your policy and is uninhabitable, you will be covered for additional expenses like alternative accommodation for you and your family while your home is repaired.
Limits and restrictions apply, please refer to the policy wording for full details. -
How do I calculate how much cover I need?
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Buildings:
You need to insure your property for the amount it would cost to rebuild it (along with any outbuildings such as garages) - and not the market value. (The market value of a home is dependent on many factors, including locality, local amenities, size of plot, etc, and therefore bears no relation to the actual rebuilding costs).
You may find your home's rebuilding costs in any valuation report or survey that was carried out when you took out your mortgage. If you do not have a survey report, you may wish to instruct a surveyor to carry out a survey for you. The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors will advise you of members in your area. The Association of British Insurers also offers useful advice and information on-line, together with a guide to calculate rebuilding costs.
Unfortunately we are unable to provide any advice on the cost to rebuild you home.
Contents:
As a guide, Contents are all of the items you would be likely to take when moving out, plus your carpets. This includes curtains, furniture, electrical appliances, valuables, clothing and personal effects. Your Contents sum insured must represent the total current replacement cost of all such items in your home. -
Do I need to know the rebuilding costs of my property exactly?
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No, we understand that calculating your rebuilding costs
can be difficult and that’s why our insurers offer
policies that provide automatic cover levels to remove
the worry.
Our insurers calculate your premium using a number of factors such as number of bedrooms, type of property and year the property was built and then provide an automatic level which varies by insurer.
However, before purchasing your policy you need to ensure that the amount shown is adequate for your needs. -
What does Contents Insurance cover?
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Generally, all of the items you would be likely to take
when moving out, plus your carpets. This includes
curtains, furniture, electrical appliances, valuables,
clothing and personal effects.
They are all covered for loss or damage from fire, lightning, explosions, earthquakes, smoke, riots, theft, subsidence, storms and floods.
Some insurers cover extras - accidental damage to home entertainment goods like your television and computer, cover for freezer contents, replacement locks if your keys are lost or stolen, cover for contents in your garden, and extra cover for wedding gifts if you or someone in your family gets married. You may even get extra cover over the festive season.
It's all covered on a new-for-old basis with the exception of your clothes, linen and pedal cycles.
Limits and restrictions apply, please refer to the policy wording for full details. -
Do I need to know my contents replacement value exactly?
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No, we understand that calculating your contents
replacement costs can be difficult and that’s why our
insurers offer policies that provide automatic cover
levels to remove the worry.
Our insurers calculate your premium using a number of factors such as number of bedrooms and the type of property to provide an automatic level which varies by insurer.
However, before purchasing your policy you need to ensure that the amount shown is adequate to replace your contents as new. -
Are the contents of my garage or outbuilding covered?
- Yes, providing the building is locked - you will need to check your policy for full limits and conditions.
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Do I need to specify all my valuable items such as jewellery or computers?
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No, you only need to specify items that are worth more
than £1500 and come under the definition of a
"valuable".
An example of a "valuable" would be
- Antiques
- Articles of gold, silver and other precious metals and stones
- Clocks
- Pictures, sculptures and other works of art
- Collections of Stamps, coins or medals
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Am I covered if I work from Home?
- Your contents insurance policy will usually provide cover for office equipment used for occasional clerical work only (where no clients visit the home).
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Are Pedal Cycles covered under Contents?
- If the bicycle is stolen from your home, (including its garages and outbuilding) this is usually covered under the contents. However, if the bicycle is stolen while away from the home, it will only be covered if you have selected Personal belongings cover. Limits and restrictions apply; please refer to the policy wording for full details.
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Are my contents covered outside of my home or if I take them on holiday with me?
- No, not automatically. Your contents insurance usually covers items that are temporarily away from home but in another building, like your office. You'll need to take out Personal belongings cover for items such as your jewellery, money, credit cards, luggage, mobile phones, laptops, clothing, sports and musical equipment to make sure they're protected while you're carrying them around with you.
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What is Personal Items Cover?
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If you add this optional cover to your contents cover,
it gives you extra protection for your portable
possessions, such as pedal cycles, jewellery, glasses,
laptops, musical instruments, cameras and mobile phones,
when they are outside of your home both in the UK and
abroad for the limit shown in your policy documents.
For example, if you have a new camera it's covered by your contents policy while it's in the house. But take it out for the day to take pictures of your family at a wedding and you'll need Personal belongings cover.
You will need to specify certain items to ensure they are covered by your policy, such as
- Any items individually valued over £1000
- Any pedal cycles, mobile phones, laptops, sports equipment, musical instruments, video camera or contacts lenses regardless of their value
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What is Accidental Damage cover?
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If you put your foot through the ceiling while you're up
in the loft, the extended Accidental Damage extension to
your buildings policy would cover this. And if you
accidentally dropped a tin of paint onto your sofa while
decorating, the extended Accidental Damage extension to
your contents policy would ensure this was covered.
Limited Accidental Damage cover is usually provided automatically but we advise the inclusion of the extended Accidental Damage cover for peace of mind which can be provided subject to payment of an additional premium. -
Do I get Accidental Damage cover automatically?
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Buildings
Buildings insurance often provides some limited Accidental Damage cover for the following:- Accidental breakage of fixed glass forming part of your buildings (including the cost of necessary boarding up before replacing broken glass)
- Accidental breakage of fixed sanitary fittings
- Accidental breakage of ceramic glass in cooker hobs of built-in units
Contents
Contents insurance often provides some limited Accidental Damage cover for the following:- Glass tops and fixed glass in furniture
- Ceramic glass in cooker hobs
- Mirrors
- Television sets, video, audio and computer equipment
- Radio and television aerials or satellite dishes
For payment of an additional premium you can enhance your policy to include extended Accidental Damage cover for peace of mind(see above). -
What is Family Legal Protection?
- If you need legal advice, this optional extra insurance will give you 24 hour access to a team of experts. You can talk through any private legal issues with them in confidence and, if you have a case for claiming for something like faulty goods or employment disputes, the policy will pay up to £50,000 of your legal costs.
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What is Home Emergency cover?
- If you need emergency property assistance, this optional extra insurance will give you 24 hour access to a team who can appoint a qualified tradesman 365 days a year. The policy will provide emergency cover in situations such as your primary heating system failing, failure of the electricity or gas supply or infestation of pests. Please call for full details of the cover available
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What if I change my mind about this policy?
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All products have a 14-day right of withdrawal - please
refer to your policy documentation for full details,
including any charges or fees that may apply.
You can also cancel after the 14-day withdrawal period - you will be charged by the insurer for any cover provided - again please refer to your policy documentation for full details, including any charges or fees that may apply.
You will not get a refund of any of your premium if you have made a claim during the period of insurance, or if you have a pending claim. If you are paying by instalments you must pay the balance of the full annual premium.