Who Will Insure My House?

paintmywagon

Can anyone help me?

During the storms the other week we thought we should check our insurance policy to make sure we were covered for storm damage. We discovered our policy had been discontinued in 2005!!! When we tried to renew it they refused because of the subsidence in approx 1989. It's probably the strongest house in the area now it's been underpinned. We new about the subsidence and the underpinning when we bought the house in1991. The insurance company that had always insured the house, and paid for the underpinning, said they would take us on, so we have been with them ever since. We've had no movement and they know about the situation, but refuse to insure us. No one else will insure us either. We have been told we will more than likely have to get a structural engineer out to assess the building, unfortunately we can't afford it. We are looking to remortgage and then sell, but this seems unlikely to happen if we can't get insurance.

Any ideas anyone, I'm desperate?

Thank you.

maclean2

Hi - suggest you try

https://www.bureauinsure.co.uk

Although I have no direct experience of them they are well established in insuring subsidence affected properties and their website explains they require a survey fee of about £150.00 most of which is refunded if they cannot insure you.I do no know their pricing levels but do expect it to be higher than for an unaffected house possibly with an increased subsidence excess.

It may be worth taking things up at a higher level with the previous insurance company if you have not already done so.Don't accept the "computer says no" answer from a call centre but write to their Household Underwriting Manager asking them to review the position pointing out they dealt with the subsidence claim and were quite happy to continue insuring it for quite some years.

Best of luck

dunstonh

A direct bedroom rated policy is likely to result in a "no" as they tend to cherry pick the easy stuff. You need a home insurance policy from a broker who would have access to more traditional plans which do consider houses with a history of subsidence.

paintmywagon

Hello mclean2 and dunstonh

Thanks for your replies, i'm very grateful and will certainly try your suggestions.

Keep your fingers crossed for me.

xxx