Wood-boring Insect Insurance Cover

rollon65

Does anyone know any source of stand-alone insurance cover against wood-boring insects, other than Rentokil, with whom I have had cover for more than 40 years now?

Back in 1972 I had to have treatment from them as a pre-condition of my mortgage and as a consequence of not being able to find an alternative have been paying their ever-rising premiums ever since.

Responses much appreciated as my renewal date looms.

Thank you.

Sandtree

After 40 years surely the mortgage is paid off and so its now a free choice if you want insurance?

Googling shows a few other options, cannot recommend any of them particularly but any reason why you've dismissed them?

eddddy

Did your mortgage lender really require that you take out this insurance? (I can believe that they required you to get woodworm treatment with a guarantee, but not insurance.)

It sounds to me a bit like a "up-sell" that an eager wood treatment company sales rep would make to earn a big chunk of commission.

How much have you paid in premiums over 40 years, verses the cost of a potential woodworm treatment?  Woodworm treatment generally just involves spraying timbers (after lifting a few floorboards).  It would be very unlikely that woodworm would leave timber so weak that it needs replacing or reinforcing. So it shouldn't be hugely expensive.

rollon65

Hello eddddy & Sandtree,

We had a survey of the property done before purchasing the property back in 1972 and a significant woodworm attack was found in the roof timbers. This became ensconced in the "Matters to be attended to" conditions of our mortgage offer.

In our twenties, my fiancee and I needed the security of knowing that our first home as husband and wife was not about to collapse around our ears and were fully in agreement with paying £330 ("back in the day money") in order to have this worry in our new lives together eliminated.

This became an ongoing threat and did indeed materialise as an insurance claim with Rentokil Insurance when I noticed woodworm exit holes in the skirting board of our hall, adjacent to the bathroom (where subsequently we occasionally noted the presence of flying adults).

The proximity of the hall skirting board infestation (which was treated under a Rentokil Insurance claim), led me to take the side of our bath off, lift some of the revealed floor boards and douse the underfloor area with a Rentokil Woodworm Treatment myself, for fear of seeing a massive insurance premium increase as a consequence.

My insurance renewal date is something like 10 days in front of me and I have yet to discover an alternative provider, for what just could turn out in the future to be an expensive bit of remedial work.