Anyone got home insurance through halifax/RBS

PasseySam

Hi,

We are currently buying a house and hoping to exchange contracts next week (fingers crossed!)

I have been following martins advice and comparing home insurance using the comparison sites, but am finding it a bit daunting as the prices come out so different with the same insurers using the different comparison tools even though I am trying to put the same info in each time.

Overall policies from Halifax and Bank of Scotland (both underwritten by the same company) seem to come out cheapest in all the comparisons, but I was wondering if anyone had experience of insuring through them and any recommendations?

In particular the Bank of Scotland one says it has unlimited buildings and contents cover to make sure you can rebuild your house and replace your contents if something happens. This seems too goo to be true especially when they offer one of the lowest quotes and also don't charge extra if you pay by direct debit monthly, so it is making me suspicious that it is a ploy to get you take out the cover but then it would be difficult to claim.

Does anyone have any recommendations/suggestions/feedback on this? I haven't taken out buildings insurance before as we lived in a leasehold flat so I am a bit scared that I'll make a mistake and if something happens we won't be covered.

Thanks,

Miss_Qwerty

Can you just clarify, in your title it says RBS but in the text Bank of Scotland. They're 2 different companies, which one is it?

I've had RBS home insurance before and it was ok, I had no problems with them.

PasseySam

Oh I think the online quotes said Bank of Scotland - didn't realise they were different as Halifax is also part of Royal Bank of Scotland I thought. It is all a bit confusing, especially as the policies are listed as being underwritten by the same company too!

Did you make any claims on your insurance with RBS?

brokeinyorkshire

Hi.

I worked in the call centre for Halifax Home Insurance.

You get £50.00 if you take out Buildings and Contents cover combined and £50.00 at every renewal as long as you stay claim free.

The cover IS unlimited overall although there are limits on things like High Risk Items.

I am not trying to promote their cover but getting fifty quid is always a bonus.

I personally am with the RAC and i like them. They are reasonably priced and offer comprehensive cover.

FlameCloud

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) is a completly different company to Bank of Scotland- RBS nothing to do with them.

The policies are generally as good as you'll get in the mass market- there is very little to differentiate them from most policies however the wording of some of the exclusions is very odd, the EoW one for example.

MyRubyRed

I was with Halifax for many years as I have my mortgage with them but found that the premiums were increasing by massive amounts despite no claims being made. I did a comparison and got building and contents insurance £300 CHEAPER than Halifax

keith1950

Hi, have a look at Sainsbury's Home insurance,at present you can get £50 cashback through Quidco and £50 of shopping vouchers from Sainsbury's. When I did it I got a price of £149 for building's and content's and got £70 cashback with £50 of Sainsbury vouchers- net price £29 !!

Brodiebobs

keith1950 wrote: »

Hi, have a look at Sainsbury's Home insurance,at present you can get £50 cashback through Quidco and £50 of shopping vouchers from Sainsbury's. When I did it I got a price of £149 for building's and content's and got £70 cashback with £50 of Sainsbury vouchers- net price £29 !!

these are underwritten and handled by the Halifax/BOS call centres so mostly similar cover to them.

The policies seems to work out cheaper when first taken out as they are doing a push for new customers but keep an eye on them as can jump up at subsiquent renewals, but the unlimited cover is def a bonus as most companies ask for a rebuild figure.

MyRubyRed

Def agree that the new customers get the best deals so I now change every year and have brought down cost year on year.

keith1950

I also change every year, my best one so far was two years ago with Lloyds Tsb-full cover including accidental for £135 with £120 cashback. I find that by doing everything through Quidco or Topcashback ( various insurances, switching power suppliers, and other shopping) I can get over £1000/year in cashbacks.

PasseySam

Thanks everyone for replies - sounds like maybe I'm worrying too much about it perhaps

Think I'm just worried and feeling under pressure to decide before we exchange contracts so I can get insurance in place from exchange, so worried about making a rash decision. Guess I'm worried about either mistakenly giving the wrong information (especially as we don't live there yet!) or missing something in the small print that then would make it hard to claim if we needed to. If I did answer a question wrongly (such as the types of locks on the doors) or we changed the locks later, is it OK to just phone up and amend the details and alter the policy after it has started?

Might check out the cashback options too, and also check out sainsburys as I think shopping vouchers would come in very handy especially following the expense of moving house!

Thanks everyone, helpful as always!