Home Insurance Discussion

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  • rainbowstar
    rainbowstar Posts: 32 Forumite
    Hi there, I was wondering if any of you could advise me on contents insurance. My fiance and I require contents insurance for the flat we are renting. I have called several companies and received all different quotes - ranging from under £150 to over £400 :confused:
    The problem is, I don't really know what we're looking for with regards to options. These companies just keep spouting out information and I'm not sure what it all means:
    Accidental damage cover? Legal expenses? Excess? Food cover? Cover outside the home?
    Any advice would be much appreciated!!

    Thanks!
  • lammie
    lammie Posts: 1 Newbie
    Hi there!

    I wanted to bring up a topic close to my heart - home insurance and the (quite frankly) fraudulent way it is advertised these days.

    I had an insurance policy with a particular company, who advertise heavily on tv, advising that you can cover all manner of different types of accidents or damages. I paid an extra premium for more cover and thought everything was fine.

    Then I had a flood. I initially phoned up with a query to find out if I had to arrange the plumber, etc., and they told me that they couldn't answer my question without a claim being made - so I did one. When the flood was eventually sorted out, I had to add a few damaged items, but was told that I had to raise a separate claim, which I did. It was all sorted out and I thought it was fine.

    Then, a few months later, another part of my water system decided to burst and so I raised a further claim. I thought that this many claims would make my premium go sky-high, but I never once thought I wouldn't get cover at all. None of the claims were for huge amounts - a couple were for just over £100.

    As this third claim was going through, I received a letter from them stating that they were no longer prepared to cover my house and contents and that I had to make other arrangements. Knowing that mortgages are given based on you having adequate insurances, I scoured through the websites to try and get a quote. I couldn't get one company to cover me. Not one! As you can imagine I was panicking like mad, but the rule over all major insurance companies is, that you cannot claim more than three times in three to five years. If you do, they WILL NOT insure you. Not increase the premiums - just plain refuse to cover you.

    I have kicked myself long and hard about falling into this trap of going for a company that offers to cover everything, but I find it hard to accept that they will then refuse to cover you further without sufficient notice! Why are they not told to confirm this rule when you take out the cover? Why are they not forced to warn you every time you make a claim? If I had know that it would so severely impact my ability to get insurance, I would have probably been much wiser and got some of the work done privately or not at all.

    Fortunately, I finally found a company prepared to cover me - when they asked what additional cover I wanted, I refused all of it - after all, what is the point if it damages your position so much?

    I just want to warn others - when insurance companies advertise that they cover garden furniture, watches, get your locks changed or for accidental damage to your windows - they all add up to making you impossible to insure.

    I hope this stops anyone else falling into the same trap I did!
  • netdumdum
    netdumdum Posts: 392 Forumite
    Just going to renew my home insurance through Quido.

    Never used before, if I insure with Barclays Quido say they will give £125 per completed application, does this mean if I do seperate building and contents cover they will give me £250 cashback?

    Seems to good to be true.
    You can't con an honest man!
  • dmheard
    dmheard Posts: 4 Newbie
    Have arranged my Buildings and Contents insurance through Specialist Household Limited, based in Southampton, for many years now and they ALWAYS come out much cheaper than any other quote I've ever had. They are a friendly and helpful broker who are able to ensure all your needs are correctly covered and do all the work for me. After using all of Martin's suggested methods of getting the best quote my renewal premium was £110 less; and that's without any haggling! May be worth giving them a call. 02380 736 266 or quotes@cover1.com
  • redglass_2
    redglass_2 Posts: 771 Forumite
    edda wrote: »
    Yes -it is possible and can sometimes be cheaper.

    There are snags. I was insured with 2 different companies for buildings and contents and I lost the key of my (double-glazed, locked) back door. Locksmiths said it would be very expensive to break in and I would need to claim on my insurance. Buildings insurance insisted the key was a 'content', while the contents insurance people said the door was the essential problem and was part of the building! In the end the key turned up (whew!).
    'Whatever you dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin now.' Goethe



  • Jodie1975
    Jodie1975 Posts: 65 Forumite
    :confused: Hi Everyone. Very new to this but hopefully I'm in the right place. I've just received my home (buildings and contents) renewal from my current provider (the Halifax) which seems to me to be expensive. They total over £700. The only problem I have is that my house is underpinned and the Halifax are aware of this although we do not live in a high risk area. The way I see it, my house is a lot less likely to fall down than the neighbours!! Anyhow, does anyone know of insurers that are willing to insure underpinned properties and that give reasonable renewals quotes on properties that are underpinned. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks!

    I'm on here looking for the same thing. We are with Liverpool Victoria as they are the only company I can find that will insure us. I'm looking for others to get some quotes.
  • Help, I need some advice. My Mother who is in her seventies has decided to switch her home and contents insurance to another company which is due to begin on the 1st July. Her home contents policy is currently with Norwich Union and she telephone to cancel the policy on 22 May. In order to have insurance cover until her new policy begins she will have to pay premiums that will cover her until 12 July. This is in effect a 7 week period of notice. My Mother has now been informed that she will be charged £35 for administrative fees for cancelling this policy.

    Is this legal?
  • callumella
    callumella Posts: 38 Forumite
    Hi, Go Easy Its My First Post!!!!!!!!!!.

    Got My Home Ins Renewal 315 Pounds From Nu. Got The Identical Cover From Directline For 225 Pounds + A Years Family Travel Ins + 100 Pounds From Our Friends At Quidco.

    So 125 Pounds In Total For My Years Home And Travel Ins.

    Ha Ha.
  • zzzLazyDaisy
    zzzLazyDaisy Posts: 12,497
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    Hi, two questions please....

    1) I am with Direct Line. Just had renewal quote, but it is quite a bit higher than if I go through quidco and do it online. So, is it ok to refuse their postal renewal quote and then go online as a 'new' customer and get cashback through quidco?

    2) The quidco site seems to pay two lots of cash back for the buildings and contents insurance if taken separately. I wish to stay with Direct Line for both, but can I get away with taking two separate policies both with DL but doing each separately to get both lots of cash back?

    Many thanks in advance

    Daisy
    I'm a retired employment solicitor. Hopefully some of my comments might be useful, but they are only my opinion and not intended as legal advice.
  • booklover
    booklover Posts: 897
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    Forumite
    Hi

    I have just recently started using Quidco and am in the process of trying to find House and Contents Insurance.

    I have had a quote from Direct Line that seems very good. I need to know if it is straightforward to get the cashback from Quidco and is it £100??

    Many thanks in advance

    Fiona
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