National Society

Some people get confused at the different forms of insurance available for their home. For example, there is buildings cover and there is also contents cover.

The simple difference is that the buildings insurance is exactly what it sounds like – it covers the actual building and nothing else. Contents cover is everything that is inside it that is not nailed down, as the saying goes. Most people will look for both.

When you are looking for home insurance quotes, look for each type of home insurance in turn. For example you could start with buildings insurance and then move on to contents insurance. Neither one is required by law; although in practice most people need buildings cover in order to be approved for a mortgage on their property. If you are going to get both types of insurance look out for potential deals for getting both with the same company. This can be a good money saver and it can also make life easier for you as you will only have the one company to deal with.

Once you have the difference between the two types of home insurance clear in your head, you can look for home insurance quotes that will suit you. Most companies will provide the basic details of their policies for you to look over before you get a quote. You may find this useful too when it comes to comparing different ones.

When you apply online for a home insurance policy, you will receive a quotation based on the information you give the insurance company.  You must make sure all the information you provide is accurate, otherwise the quote you receive might not match up with your requirements.

It is also your responsibility to check all the details of any quote you receive as this will enable you to make sure they are correct.  If you spot any errors, be sure they are corrected before you agree to take out a policy. In addition to this, you should check all the information given when you do agree to a specific policy and your documents arrive in the post. It is very rare for any errors to be made but you should always have the peace of mind that you have checked everything thoroughly.

For instance, you may have provided a certain piece of information in good faith when you asked for the home insurance quotation.  However, if you later discover this information is incorrect, you must bring this to the attention of the insurance company. By making these checks before you start paying the premiums for a policy, you will be able to ensure the changes are made in good time.  This will speed up the process of getting exactly the right policy agreed with you, so your monthly premiums can begin.

Most people are familiar with how home insurance works; landlord insurance is similar but with a number of differences.  Landlord insurance is specifically aimed at people who are renting out a property they own and is designed to cover many of the things that landlords usually deal with.  It is aimed at covering landlords against situations they usually would end up paying for – such as maintenance or the destruction of property by their tenants. 

There are different features available from different insurers although many feature buildings cover.  Some forms of insurance will include public liability which will pay out costs should one of your tenants successfully claim against you for an injury.  There is also contents cover which can ensure that the furniture being used by your tenants is covered in the event of damage.  Many insurance providers will offer accommodation costs in the event that your property becomes uninhabitable, perhaps due to fire or flooding.  Usually glass and lock insurance is covered as standard within your policy.  Whilst all of these facilities may be available in your policy it is very important to check the financial limits on your policy to ensure that you are covered to the appropriate value of your house. 

Whilst this may not be an issue for some properties, landlords who have multiple properties, such as flats within a block of flats, should carefully examine the total financial security they are offered with their present landlord insurance.

Homeowners who decide to undertake a remodelling project would be wise to consider their home insurance policy in the planning stage.  For one thing, if you anticipate that the value of your property will rise after the remodel, talk to your agent about changes in coverage.  Improving your property without a change in coverage could leave you underinsured.  If you subsequently suffer a loss, your building cover might not pay what’s needed to rebuild.

Another consideration is how much of the remodel you’ll accomplish yourself.  Unless you are a license-holding professional, major work should be left to professionals.  Unfortunately, too many homeowners have tackled more than they should have and suffered a loss as a result.  If you take down or move a load-bearing wall and your home is subsequently damaged, you’re likely to discover that your policy excludes payment for this type of problem, since it was completely avoidable.  Leave the major work to professionals.  There is usually plenty of other work in a remodelling project for homeowners to accomplish without tackling something that could invalidate your policy.

Speaking of remodelling professionals, when hiring someone to do work for you, take the time to check their licensing.  Just because they say they have a license doesn’t mean that’s still true or that the license is still in force.  Unfortunately, many homeowners have hired a ‘licensed’ professional to discover later that he or she was not licensed.  A few minutes on the phone to your local Citizens Advice Bureau should point you in the right direction for the specialty of the contractor you’re considering hiring.

When you approach an insurance company to ask about home insurance, you will be given various options.  Most have a wide range of policies to choose and a choice of excesses.  The higher the excess, the less the premium will cost.  Payment terms are often flexible as well, with most companies offering a choice of monthly, quarterly or annual, which operate for the life of the policy.

Obtain several home insurance quotes and make a careful comparison of what each of them offers.  Insurance companies are all different and if you look carefully you should find a good match for the kind of insurance you wish to buy.

When you ask for home insurance quotes, be sure to ask specifically about any special insurance cover you require.  If you have a house that is subject to flooding, for example, be sure to get a quote that either includes it as standard or to which it can be added.

Read through the quotes carefully to make sure you are comparing apples with apples.  Do not bother trying to compare policies that do not include what you need against those that do.  It will only confuse the situation and will not be helpful.  Tell the agent or broker what you need by answering all their questions about your property as fully as possible.  Insurers can provide you with information about anything that you might wish to cover, but if they are not aware of it they cannot help.  It is better to know exactly what you are buying cover for, at the time you purchase it, rather than after the disaster has struck and you find you are not insured.

Compare home insurance companies and their policies to see which one will give you the best cover for the cheapest premium.  Do some good research to find out which company will give you exactly what you want for the right price.  At the moment, there is fierce competition among insurers, so you should be able to negotiate great rates or improved levels of cover.

When you begin to compare home insurance providers to find the best value, make sure you are comparing apples with apples and oranges with oranges.  There are several different levels of cover to choose from and some are likely to have exemptions.  For example, do not bother to get a quote from a company that does not insure properties located in a flood prone area, if that is where you live; it won’t make any sense.

If you go through a comparison form on the internet, you may have a large number of quotes to choose from.  This works well if you know what you are looking for and are able to sort out the information correctly.  Some people prefer to contact several different insurance companies to find out what each has to offer, individually.  If you are new to insurance and the internet intimidates you somewhat, phone calls to individual companies or a broker might work better for you.

If you are comfortable surfing the web, you can find search and comparison sites that require you to fill in information boxes about your property and a search will be performed for you.  From the results, you will be able to compare and choose the policy that will work best for you.

The AA says that home insurance prices have hit an all-time record at the beginning of this year, mostly due to the severe weather and the damage severe weather can afflict on homes and other properties.  The average price for home insurance is 7.7 per cent higher than at the same time last year.

The two reasons why home insurance prices are climbing are both a result of the weather conditions.  Right now insurers are charging higher premiums in anticipation of bigger losses this year.  But insurers are also trying to re-build their reserves after the incredibly high cost of claims that were paid out last year, when a number of natural disasters struck homeowners in the UK.

Flooding is one of the prominent factors here.  Last year flooding across the UK caused billions in damage to homes and businesses.  Some insurers are now reluctant to include insurance against flood damage to properties in some areas where the risk of flooding is relatively high.  That said it is crucial that households living in flood prone areas go to long lengths to find an insurance policy that offers the level of coverage that they need.

Even though the prices of home insurance policies have been going up, there are still a number of very good deals in the market.  Home insurance quotes can substantially vary in price, so comparing home insurance policies before you buy is very important.

It might not be obvious, but buying buildings insurance or content insurance for a second home is a whole different matter than buying house insurance for your primary home.  The reason for this is that insurance companies believe that the risk of adverse events occurring at such a property is higher than the risks involved in insuring a primary residence.

The concern insurers have with a second property is whether it will be occupied regularly and if rented out to holidaymakers, for example, if the occupants will take as good care of it as the owner would.

Empty properties attract criminal behaviour, problems may go unnoticed until they become severe and can they can be subject to general neglect with further costs down the line.  A property that is let may have occupants that do not take care to identify and repair problems in the same way that an owner would and may generally neglect a property.

It is for reasons such as these that finding home insurance quotes for a second home is different than for your primary property.  You may need to find a specialist provider that will consider insuring your second property, usually at a higher rate.  An online price comparison service for home insurance quotes usually makes the assumption that the property is the only one that you own.

Always remember to make completely sure that the cover you are actually paying for is what you think you are paying for.  Read the small print of the policy and talk to the insurer if anything is not clear to you.

Flooding is a serious problem in parts of the UK and in the past few years many areas have experienced substantial inundations with the associated damage to buildings and contents.  In areas prone to flooding it is clearly sensible to take out buildings and contents insurance, but it is also important to protect your home against flooding if you are to avoid the expense of repairing damage to the fabric and contents of your property.

Leaving the protection against financial loss resulting from flooding entirely to your insurer might not be the best idea.  If your home floods it may become a complicated and expensive process to get a damage assessment done and to make a successful claim against your insurer.  It is far easier to take preventative measures, in addition to an insurance policy, to reduce the likelihood of having to make a claim to the absolute minimum.

How can you protect your home and its contents from flood damage?  Keeping informed of flood risks is important and many government agencies release updates regarding areas at risk of flooding.  Should there be a flood risk you can take steps, such as clearing drains, installing valves in pipes and stocking up on sandbags and other flood protection measures.  It could also be worth removing your most valuable belongings from the house prior to any flood.

Remember to always make sure your house insurance policy does in fact cover flooding, as some specifically exclude it.  Specific details will be included in the small print of your home insurance policy.

If you are a homeowner, buildings and contents insurance is vital.  Buildings insurance provides you with the maximum protection for your home.  Contents insurance ensures that all your personal possessions are covered.  Standard buildings and contents insurance policies provide cover for theft and damage caused by fire, flood, storm or earthquake to both your home and personal items.

There are many insurance companies that offer buildings and contents insurance.  Buildings and contents insurance are often available as a package and many companies will offer a discount if you take them out together.  However, it is vital that you check through the policies carefully to ensure that you will be provided with sufficient cover for your home and personal items.

Comparing a number of companies will give you an idea of which ones offer the best deals for home and contents insurance combined.  You can use comparison websites that feature dozens of different home and contents insurance companies.  It is easy to compare policies and obtain quotes to see which will provide you with everything you need to keep your home and possessions protected.

You should take some time to properly compare home and contents insurance to see what you will and will not be covered for.  It is essential that you check for any restrictions that may apply to your personal circumstances.  It may be that you have to opt for specialist home or contents insurance in order to find a policy that matches your specific requirements.