Uninhabited Building Insurance Required Whilst Renovating

wing.nut007

Hi asked this one in the insurance threads but figured people looking under DIY threads may also be able to help.

Recently exchanged on a property that will require a fair amount of modernisation and whilst doing this we won't be living there.

I need to get buildings insurance organised however all the providers I've spoken to require you to be living there. Having applied for a CAT C council tax exemption and had it granted its pretty obvious I won't be and I'm not willing to chance it should I need to make a claim and it get rejected on a technicality.

Can anyone recommend any competatively priced providers / brokers that might be able to help?

Many thanks

keystone

CLICKY for but one example. The reason a lot of insurers won't touch it and why its more expensive anyway is that a large proportion of the claims they receive are fire related.

Uncle google can sort a lot more out for you.

Cheers

Hopeful_5

Wing.nut, you need a FFLEE (fire, flood, lightening, earthquake and explosion) policy. It will also cover you for liability. You won't be able to get it from the likes of Direct Line but small brokers should be able to help. You could try Adrian Flux.

Good luck with the house - there's a renovation thread on here.

Hope

QTPie

Hi

We just completely gutted a property whilst not living there (completed 4th August, moved in last weekend).

We had buildings (and contents - the discount meant it was worthing having both despite not having any contents here) with LloydsTSB. We had to notify them that we werent living at the property and then tell them when we moved in. With the various discounts se were eligible for, Lloyds were a lot more reasonable than our old insurers, Directline.

QT

arroli

We are in same situation, our renovation expected to take 12 months
Ive taken out insurance with Renovation Zone...I did try several other companies for quotes, but as our property is a small cottage (and not a huge barn conversion) a couple of companies just werent interested in insurance.

Renovation Zone staff helpful, able to buy on line..received all documents in the post, together with public liability insurance to place in cottage whilst others are working there...info on safe handling of goods, machinery etc...

Our own tools and equipment covered too..

http://www.renovationzone.com/about_renovation_zone.asp

dave82_2

The problem we had with Selfbuildzone/Renovationzone is that they only offer 12 month policies so it can be expensive if you are only doing a few months of work.

Most policies allow you to be out of the house for 60 days so you might be ok?

Finally we tried Adrian Flux but they wouldn't touch as as the work has already started. If you haven't started yet call them first!

dave82_2

P.S. the other major problem we have had is even the ones that do offer empty house insurance won't cover us for mallicious damage as the door isn't a 5 lever mortice deadlock.

QTPie

Really worth checking out Lloyds TSB.... Good coverage without too much in the way of restrictions/conditions (to give us the same level of cover, Directline insisted on an underwriter doing a security survey of our home, things being kept in a safe, specific door locks and an alarm etc). Lloyds didn't require a survey, did give a discount for having an alarm (but not required) and were less restrictive on door locks...

They had no problem with the house being vacant for renovations...

QT