Insurance for unoccupied home

longforgotten · 22 October 2019 at 8:18AM

Need some advice please for buildings cover for my Mum's home. It's been unoccupied for three years now and I have decided to put it on the market ASAP.

The insurance is up for renewal and, after my solicitor said the company I currently have insurance with is 'awful, I thought I'd try Aviva. Unfortunately they do not do insurance for unoccupied properties.

I thought that I read somewhere on this site of an company MSE thought was good for this type of insurance. I just can't find it now

Any advice would be much appreciated as my renewal date is looming.

Dymphna60 · 22 October 2019 at 10:07AM

I certainly found a broker the way way to go . Also had complications of within a certain distance of water and a listed property.
I did try google and calling but it all got too complicated.
Log of visits required but did find company couldn’t really tell me what would be proof .
I take a photo on my phone to go with each log entry and hope it is enough.

longforgotten · 22 October 2019 at 6:55PM

Decided to use a local insurance broker. Very friendly and helpful. I should have gone to them sooner instead of worrying about it

System · 22 October 2019 at 8:20PM

Interesting that you say that Aviva don't insure unnocupied properties. I insured my late father's house with Aviva for 17 months until July this year. I then changed that to landlord's insurance when I let the house. I found them helpful and very efficient.

garth549 · 23 October 2019 at 1:32PM

A lot of insurance companies will insure unoccupied homes, but with a LOT of endorsements! (meaning they will exclude a wide range of cover!)

I took out a policy a while ago and luckily I checked it through before it went 'live'. After all the exclusions basically nothing was covered except fire. Policy was essentially worthless.

You're far better using a specialist insurer or broker. I've always found Towergate connect good, but I've no experience making a claim or anything with them.

Uxb1 · 23 October 2019 at 2:25PM

Try specialist holiday home type insurance - as other have said probably via a broker.
Expect to see various inspection clauses, heating on frost protection between certain dates with the loft hatch left open sort of thing.

I_Love_comps · 23 October 2019 at 2:46PM

I used Towergate when I was selling my moms house. I would recommend them.

Insurance for unoccupied home

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free