Struggling to get home insurance if repairs are required

Deedoodee

I’ve been looking at quotes for home and contents insurance in anticipation of exchange. Some work on the house is required (external cracks and roof repairs were identified in the survey). 

I’ve looked on some comparison websites. with the addition of ‘waiting for repairs’, none of the mainstream insurers will provide a quote on the comparison site or on their own sites. The quotes I’ve been able to get are at least 6x the cost as without. 

Do most people expect this sort of thing to happen and just pay the higher premium in the first year? 

user1977

How serious are the defects we're talking about? Unless it's something relatively material I wouldn't have thought it relevant to insurers.

Deedoodee

user1977 said:

How serious are the defects we're talking about? Unless it's something relatively material I wouldn't have thought it relevant to insurers.

The questions didn’t ask for any details beyond are building repairs to walls or roof required? 

canaldumidi

The comparison sites run simple automated quotes based on non-contentious properties and people. As soon as issues like subsidence, potential flood, criminal record or as here, building work is mentioned very few insurers will quote via the comparison site.

These applications often have to be referred to the underwriters, hence can't easily be automated.

Either approach a preferred insurer direct, or speak to a specialist broker.