Contents Insurance for Unoccupied House

Clare_Jenkins

My mother has recently passed away and the insurance company have drastically reduced the value claimable on the house contents and only fire and theft is now covered. Surely this is a common problem when people die that a house is left unoccupied for a time. We have not decided whether to sell the house and have nowhere to store 50 years of accumulated belongings. Anything of value such as silver or china has been removed, there is no expensive equipment such as computers or hi-fi but no company seems to want to take this on. The property is visited every day by a neighbour. Any suggestions?

Savvy_Sue

If you can find anyone willing to do a 'sleepover' at regular intervals, then I think you can validly claim that it is not unoccupied. I realise it's not that simple, but a few years ago I was splitting my week between our house and a friend's house, as he had moved but still had most of his stuff there, and I was still working from his spare bedroom - or was it the lounge or the garden shed?

I know while it is unoccupied you're supposed to have the utilities turned off.

Don't know if that helps at all. Have you contacted Help the Aged or Age Concern or even Saga to see if any of them can offer advice on this? There may be companies willing to do contents cover in this situation, but I would guess they would be few and far between.

telly-addict

If you're struggling to get cover from an alternative insurer, I would press the point with the current insurer. Make it clear that you need to continue cover in full while the estate is sorted out.

They may have reduced the cover automatically, but if you explain the situation you should (hopefully!) receive a sympathetic ear. If you don't, I would suggest that you follow the insurer's complaints procedure and threaten to take the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service. I would be most surprised if you had to push things this far.

The insurer should be able to endorse your policy to say that it is currently unoccupied. They may stipulate that utilities have to be turned off (as pointed out by savvy_sue) and may limit theft cover to forcible and violent entry.

But I would definitely press the current insurer. Don't accept no as an answer - refer to a supervisor, if necessary.

Hope that this helps. Good luck.

esalan

Clare, I've had exactly the same problem as you recently. Virtually nobody will ensure you and in the unlikely event you find someone, the price will be exhorbitant!

Your best bet is to contact your late mother's insurers and ask them if you can continue the policy yourself. Cover will be reduced, but the price may well be affordable. Hope this helps you.