Home Insurance Discussion

dacouch

Your Insurers are responsible for the contractors and their work.

Have a good read of this from the Ombudsman.

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/technical_notes/household-insurance-repairs.html

You may also find your Insurers offer some sort of warranty on their contractors work beyond what the Ombudsman requires of them, so have a look at their website as well

DBK1

Last year I was really annoyed with myself as home insurance auto renewal came and went. I've spent this morning getting quotes and trying to get actual age of house. It seems I can cut my bill by £700 from £1000 per year. My insurer tells me they can only knock £100 off. He went into what their policy offers that others don't but it didn't seem much to me. If it seems too good to be true ( new insurance) am I actually missing something? Any advice welcome.

dacouch

DBK1 wrote: »

Last year I was really annoyed with myself as home insurance auto renewal came and went. I've spent this morning getting quotes and trying to get actual age of house. It seems I can cut my bill by £700 from £1000 per year. My insurer tells me they can only knock £100 off. He went into what their policy offers that others don't but it didn't seem much to me. If it seems too good to be true ( new insurance) am I actually missing something? Any advice welcome.

Do yourself a favour and have a read through each Insurers "Summary of Cover" which lists the main parts of the cover and the significant exclusions.

Also have a look at the Defaqto ratings which give you an idea of the level of cover each Insurers offer (Bear in mind it's not that hard for an Insurer to tailor their policy to achieve the right parts of cover Defaqto look at but it gives you a good idea) http://defaqto.com/star-ratings/home-insurance

Which have a good guide and the link also has a link to their survey of their members as to who are the best Insurers.

The cheapest policy is not always the best.

It looks like you're saving yourself £600+, spend an hour or so reading which will help you understand what House Insurance covers and what to look out for. This will help you buy the best cover this year and in the future when you need to shop around.

http://www.which.co.uk/money/insurance/reviews-ns/home-insurance/

DBK1

Thanks, Dacouch. I will study those links. I was even considering getting a house survey done again, but probably over the top.

It's good to know I can look up what is and isn't covered.

Thanks again

dacouch

DBK1 wrote: »

Thanks, Dacouch. I will study those links. I was even considering getting a house survey done again, but probably over the top.

It's good to know I can look up what is and isn't covered.

Thanks again

When did you last mortgage your home?

If you look at the survey the mortgage company did, they will have worked out the exact rebuild cost. You would then just need to index link it.

Note inflation in building costs is a fair amount higher than normal inflation.

It's a very good idea to check your contents to ensure you have enough cover and to list any items. If you have a big claim this can be invaluable for you as it's very difficult to remember everything and is helpful to the Insurer.

There are some websites that will help you do this if you want some pointers.

If you can't be bothered, try making a quick video of each room and zoom in on any expensive items eg tv & jewellery and if possible zoom in on any serial numbers. This is handy if you need to make a claim and can also help the police reunite you with your items and secure a conviction if they're stolen.

If you do make lists or film your items try and keep a copy away from your home so you still have a copy if your house burnt down. Or keep a copy in the cloud, for instance you could email copies to your hotmail address

Sazzle789

Hi, I am struggling to get a competitive quote for buildings and contents cover because I live in a converted flat and the building has approximately 65% flat roof. And I don't know how to describe what the roof is covered with, whether it counts as asphalt or felt. I think it's felt with green mineral covering but I don't know what that means or how I fill that in on the comparison sites! I certainly don't seem to be eligible for any offers, discounts or cashback Appreciate any tips or advice.

dacouch

Try a local broker (Avoid Swintons)

If possible take a picture of the roof as it will help them identify it.

Are you sure your calculations as the percentage of flat roof is correct?

richmanu7

Couple of weeks ago our bedroom ceiling came down!!, its an old manor house converted into 5 flats, we are on ground floor, flat above, ..the room above us is a kitchen had bldgs insurance assessor round who said it was wear n tear, lathe plaster ceilings do come down!!
was not hap[py with this as we are certain the cause is the flat above, as over the past years we have had stains on ceiling where damp has come through.
Got an engineer involved, who removed several bits of the wooden lathes to expose the joists and floorboards to the flat above, sure enough damp stains everywhere on the floorboards and joists. Although no damp or leaks now, have got assessor coming back on tuesday to re inspect.
It was suggested to me that we can claim as a retrospective claim, ie after the event, would this be on the bldgs ins. or would it be a claim against the owner of the flat above.
all help and guidance much appreciated, thanks.

bbk87

richmanu7 wrote: »

Couple of weeks ago our bedroom ceiling came down!!, its an old manor house converted into 5 flats, we are on ground floor, flat above, ..the room above us is a kitchen had bldgs insurance assessor round who said it was wear n tear, lathe plaster ceilings do come down!!
was not hap[py with this as we are certain the cause is the flat above, as over the past years we have had stains on ceiling where damp has come through.
Got an engineer involved, who removed several bits of the wooden lathes to expose the joists and floorboards to the flat above, sure enough damp stains everywhere on the floorboards and joists. Although no damp or leaks now, have got assessor coming back on tuesday to re inspect.
It was suggested to me that we can claim as a retrospective claim, ie after the event, would this be on the bldgs ins. or would it be a claim against the owner of the flat above.
all help and guidance much appreciated, thanks.

You always claim on you own policy, then your insurance recover the costs from neighbour insurance.

solidfaith90

Thanks for the post