Home insurance - end terrace versus Semi

cathiewhit

We have just registered a claim for storm damage (roof). It appears that our house is registered with the insurance company as an end terrace when it is actually a semi-detached. when corrected, the adviser informed us that this may affect the claim.
Why would this be, would the home insurance premiums be different?

dunstonh

the adviser

over use of the word adviser.

Why would this be, would the home insurance premiums be different?

If facts are different to what you state on the application then the generic response is that it could impact the claim. This can range from a complete refusal to a reduction in the amount paid or no difference at all. The person you register the claim with is not as adviser or anyone qualified to make a decision. They just record the facts and make you aware of the position.

If there is no difference to the premium with this insurer and they would have accepted the risk anyway, then its unlikely to have any impact on your claim other than a warning that you have to be careful about the information you give insurers. If a material fact was wrong, it could have been a disaster for you.

vaio

Read the FOS rules on disclosure http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/ombudsman-news/46/46_non_disclosure_insurance.htm there are many varieties but the general rule is claims get paid unless there is evidence of deliberate fraud

Physically it makes no difference that I can see, in both instances you are attached to one other house. Statistically it might as maybe one sort is higher risk than the other as so if they had known it was SD they would have charged a different premium.

To put your mind at rest on a bank holiday try running a couple of dummy quotes through their website, one as ET & one as SD and see what (if any) difference it makes. If the SD premium is higher they could ask you to pay the extra you should have previously paid (or maybe try and pro rata the claim).

If you are really lucky the SD premium will be less than ET so you could argue you are entitled to a refund (wouldn't hold your breath on that one though)