Insuring house during probate and selling

BooJewels

I'm actually just reading the renewal documents, as it renews at the end of this month.  It's with Vasek Insurance.  It's quite expensive, compared to the insurance in force before it became unoccupied when my father first went into care, but I did some ringing round myself and also used a local broker - who herself used them for her mother's empty property - and all of the prices were almost the same - but the details in the endorsements varied and these were by far the more palatable.  

The incumbent insurer wouldn't take it on because I couldn't certify that the 5 lever mortice lock on the front porch door wasn't to the appropriate BS - rather like in that advert.  It had been fitted in very nicely and a little wooden shim covering the actual plate with the kitemark on and I wasn't prepared to lever it off to check, or change the lock and send them photos.  Even when I pointed out that the lock was largely an irrelevance as the main front door itself was extremely robustly secured and the porch was so flimsy, leaning on it would negate the need for any sort of lock and contained nothing other than bird food and some modest gardening tools.

Just getting to the endorsements, I see that it actually says that if the heating has a thermostatic control it must stay on to a particular temperature, or if not, all gas and water turned off and drained for the winter.

getmore4less

We had a handy student adult/child we could move into what would have become an empty property.

That made insurance easier and no council tax when that kicked in. 
The house was close to where they lived  and their education establishment.

Robert_McGeddon

BooJewels said:

We too need facilities staying on, as it's going to take us months to clear it for selling and my sister and I (Covid-notwithstanding) usually stay there for a few days at a time to make the best use of time, as she lives locally and I don't.  It's actually good for the house as we truly wake it up and cook, light a fire and use the shower etc., which loses it that vacant property feel and smell.

It sounds almost as if the property isn't unoccupied! For a "normal" occupied house insurance typically covers periods of absence of up to perhaps 28 days, e.g. for holidays.

Are you getting a rebate on council tax? If so, this probably exceeds the increased cost of insuring an unoccupied property.

BooJewels

@Robert_McGeddon - the arrangements are correct for the current circumstances.  If nothing else, no one has stayed over since lockdown and our stays are nowhere near enough to change the situation - but enough to need facilities.

poppystar

Thank you all. Have gone with Vasek. Having weighed up all the pros and cons it seemed the best move and worth the extra cost. 

BooJewels

Thanks for the update.  I did the same weighing up and Vasek came out on top, as their endorsements and terms were the most sensible and practical.  It's the single biggest expense we have on the house at the moment, but it's worth it for peace of mind. 

Another expense we consider well worth it, is to retain the services of my Dad's gardener to cut the grass and keep it all tidy, as it has a large front garden, so this would quickly telegraph an empty property if it got unkempt - and he was fond of my father, so keeps a good eye on things for us, as he passes the house several times a week.  My sister visits most weeks and does some tasks and she also fills all the bird feeders - so it has a look of busy activity in the garden. 

I also bought a load of plug in timers that can be set randomly and put them on lamps with low energy LED bulbs - the electricity costs us about 12 quid a month to keep the house lit in that manner.  I even got one of those LED TV emulators which works quite well, but largely because we have one room with an opaque glass divider, so can put it the far side of that, so it does look like a TV on - and we rigged it with a document folder in front, to spread the light into a TV shape too.  A worried neighbour rang me when we first installed that, as Dad didn't answer the door (he'd gone into care, but not everyone knew), but they knew he was in there as the TV was on!

poppystar

BooJewels said:

Thanks for the update.  I did the same weighing up and Vasek came out on top, as their endorsements and terms were the most sensible and practical.  It's the single biggest expense we have on the house at the moment, but it's worth it for peace of mind. 

Another expense we consider well worth it, is to retain the services of my Dad's gardener to cut the grass and keep it all tidy, as it has a large front garden, so this would quickly telegraph an empty property if it got unkempt - and he was fond of my father, so keeps a good eye on things for us, as he passes the house several times a week.  My sister visits most weeks and does some tasks and she also fills all the bird feeders - so it has a look of busy activity in the garden. 

I also bought a load of plug in timers that can be set randomly and put them on lamps with low energy LED bulbs - the electricity costs us about 12 quid a month to keep the house lit in that manner.  I even got one of those LED TV emulators which works quite well, but largely because we have one room with an opaque glass divider, so can put it the far side of that, so it does look like a TV on - and we rigged it with a document folder in front, to spread the light into a TV shape too.  A worried neighbour rang me when we first installed that, as Dad didn't answer the door (he'd gone into care, but not everyone knew), but they knew he was in there as the TV was on!

Ditto with biggest expense on house but it has bought some piece of mind and ease which is welcome. The final thing that swung it was the need to check only once a month in summer and two weeks in winter - it’s not that I won’t check more often but it is nice not to have to worry if it’s gone to eight days and I haven’t been able to make the journey (and actually there is a saving on petrol costs to offset against the higher cost too!) . The clarity of the conditions was also a plus point over other potential insurers.

One can only hope, as with any insurance, that in the event of a claim it remains a good decision. The broker I eventually used did say a previous client had made a claim without issue. 

Lights are on timers although not heard about the tv emulators - thanks for the heads up! A gardener is on my to do list. The neighbours have also just got themselves a very large dog who was clearly disturbed by hearing me in the house so another plus there!

thanks again

thepurplepixie

I needed cover for an unoccupied house in March, I went with a specialist company and the only worry was the inexpections as no travel after lockdown.  They were fine about it and said they wouldn't enforce it.  They didn't make any stipulations about water or gas, it was a bit more expensive than the normal policy but not by much.  I can't remember the company name but I found it by doing a google search for insurance for unoccupied house.

thepurplepixie

Inspections not inexpections, why does autocorrect make up words.

Just noticed you have gone with Vasek, I have used them in the past and they were very good.  The only reason I didn't use them in March was they were inflexible about the monthly checks and it was awkward with no non essential travel, they said it was essential but my local police force were being very rigid so I didn't want to chance it.

BooJewels

I can fully understand that @thepurplepixie - I'm in the same position myself with my husband Shielding and haven't been to the house myself since March (and I really need to as we've loads to do), but thankfully, my sister who is now joint owner with me, lives locally, so she visits, usually weekly.  I do the admin from here, she fills bird feeders and waters plants etc.

@poppystar - I sincerely hope that none of us get to find out about these insurance companies - as you say, the true measure is in how they respond when things actually go wrong.  I was encouraged by the fact that the broker herself used them and she did so, as the couple of claims she'd managed with them for clients had been well handled.  

Good news about the neighbours new dog - not ideal really, if you're living there, but may be a blessing just at the moment.    We have good neighbours there too and a few of his friends locally make a point of walking down his path and looking in periodically too.  We make a point of moving things round when we go - and my father always had cut flowers in the house, so I bought a wide selection of faux flowers and we use his extensive selection of vases to make up different arrangements when we visit and now he has things in flower in the garden, actually cut them in vases too.

Now, if I could just get the burglar alarm contract sorted . . . .