How am I meant to know all the answers on home insurance quote questionnaires??

Kay.Samuels

I moved into a rented house in November and still don't have contents insurance sorted. (why is there not a sad embarassed face?)

I have tried several times now to get through the forms on home insurance quote comparison sites and my head starts spinning! Maybe I am being daft but how am I meant to know:
what year my house was built,
what the roof is made of,
if street is neighbourhood watch,
what kind of alarm I have (house has an alarm but I don't have the code and couldn't use it because of cat),
how much cover I need for all my contents,
etc.

stevemarsh1976

year of build will be on your survey
- roof will likely be tile or slate but have a look should be fairly obvious
- if you dont know if you in a neighbourhood watch scheme then your not as in order to obtain such a discount you need to be an active member.
- put down you dont have an alarm as you dont know make and model or even activate it then for all sence and purposes you dont have one
- level of contents is tougher the best method tho i doubt anyone really undertakes such a task is to go round your house and add evrything up. A more basic option and a rough estimate if its your house is £8000 a room. or there are online calculators you could use if you google them.

what I would sya is be carefull not to underinsure as the onus is very much on you to get this right so over exagurate if your unsure..

glider3560

Kay.Samuels wrote: »

what year my house was built,

Ask your landlord. My previous flat had a bundle of papers in one of the cupboards which had original plans for the building. Failing that, contact the Land Registry.

Kay.Samuels wrote: »

what the roof is made of,

Go outside and have a look. Do a Google image search if you aren't sure what different types of roof look like.

Kay.Samuels wrote: »

if street is neighbourhood watch,

You would probably know if it is.

Kay.Samuels wrote: »

what kind of alarm I have (house has an alarm but I don't have the code and couldn't use it because of cat),

Choose No Alarm if you have one that doesn't function or isn't used.

Kay.Samuels wrote: »

how much cover I need for all my contents,

Walk round your house with an Argos catalogue (or somewhere similar) and add up absolutely everything, including carpets and furniture.

Some insurers don't ask all these questions when you go direct as they make certain assumptions. The comparison website asks these questions as it needs to cover all angles.

Kay.Samuels

Thanks for these replies, I have just done the walking through my house - very helpful idea and easy to do.
Will look up land registry for year of build, don't like to bother landlord.

"Some insurers don't ask all these questions when you go direct as they make certain assumptions. The comparison website asks these questions as it needs to cover all angles." Very useful to know, I may just go to a few insurers direct as I want some cover in place as quikly as possible and doing the comparison sites takes more time and attention than I have at the moment. Autistic son off school for holidays and bouncing off the walls!

stevemarsh1976

Speak to a local broker they will ask similar questions as they have to cover for all insurers but can walk you through it. Just give yourself 10 minutes at some point and a broker can usually then go away and come back when its more convenient for you with some prices etc.

Kay.Samuels

How do I find a broker stevemarsh? Do they charge a fee? Not used one before.

Quentin

You won't be charged for using a broker for home insurance. (They get paid by the insurer if you take out a policy).

You will find one local to you in yellow pages, but ask around your circle and see if you get any recommendations.