Insuring empty property

jsh99

Hi all

Any good recommendations of companies who insure empty properties whilst awaiting probate and eventual sale please?

Trawling comparison sites but just wary of making lots of calls due to the 'unoccupied' status so doubting most usual insurance companies will cover it.

TIA

p00hsticks

I found that the current insurers would honour the policy until the end of the term, although they did impose extra conditions like removing valuables, etc 

After that I found these ,although I seem to recall that the conditions were quite onerous and the cover limited. 
https://www.homeprotect.co.uk/unocc-hse

poppystar

I used Vaseq and went through a broker (not necessary but I was wary of online companies I’d not heard of). The companies who specialise in this type of insurance all have different conditions you have to meet such as regular checking, having the heating on at a particular temperature etc. I chose Vaseq because they only wanted checks done every two weeks rather than every three days and I would have had to travel some distance each time or ask neighbours. They also wanted the loft left open and heating at 13 degrees both of which were easy conditions to meet. So shop around and find something with cover and conditions you are happy with. It can be expensive but I got a refund when the house sold without any problem. 

sassyblue

I got mine through a broker with Abacus.  They have been very reasonable at £541.  Some quotes were ridiculous.

Green_hopeful

Saga insure my aunt and have been reasonable about insuring it while she is in a nursing home. They know she isn’t coming out. We have to visit the house weekly or drain down the water. Watch out if you drain down the water we got a plumber to do it at my in-laws and it didn’t drain properly and flooded the sitting room. Somewhat ironic. We vaxed it up and it is ok. Good job the estate agent let us know. 

Daniel54

I used Towergate (insurer was RSA ).They were not super cheap but had less restrictive conditions than several others,so it was a fair traidoff.

Jowwie

I used broker Adrian Flux. Cheapest I found (two years ago) , but I had to visit the property frequently. This type of policy may only work for you if you live close.

https://www.adrianflux.co.uk/unoccupied-homes/

GDB2222

Be aware that some/many of these policies impose the condition that they will not cover water escape during the winter months. Or, they will cover it only if the heating is left on at a moderate level. 

In practice, therefore, you may want to drain the water system completely, including any hot water cylinder. 

kipsterno1

GDB2222 said:

Be aware that some/many of these policies impose the condition that they will not cover water escape during the winter months. Or, they will cover it only if the heating is left on at a moderate level. 

In practice, therefore, you may want to drain the water system completely, including any hot water cylinder. 

Or keep the heating on at a moderate level to prevent damp build up.

jsh99

Thanks all -- insurance about to fall due and current insurers have written to say they will no longer insure an empty property.

Will have a call around,  once a week to visit is fine and heating has been left on anyway.

Swiss_Danny67

Father in law has gone into palliative care and will not be returning to his home.  So I phoned the insurers to warn them and they cancelled the current cover on the spot. Their specialist insurer quotes for an empty policy, with an OK increase, but when I read the small print, the actual underwriter imposes an exclusion for all but fire damage, so water, vandalism etc excluded. The blighter didnt mention this exclusion, so I think I'll be using the cooling off period to cancel.  I'll call homeprotect (my own insurers for that secoind home) tomorrow.