Questions and answers
What does buildings insurance cover?
How much should I insure my contents for?
How much should I insure my buildings for?
What's the difference between buildings insurance and contents insurance?
What are the minimum and maximum contents sums insured?
Can I have a discount if I don't make any claims?
Do you have accidental damage cover?
Can I cover possessions away from home?
Business use? Will you cover me if I work from home?
What must I do if my circumstances change?
Do I have to pay an excess ? If so how much?
What is the definition of high risk items?
Are the contents of my shed and garage covered?
Are pedal cycles covered ? If so, to what value?
Do I get a discount if I have extra security fitted to my property?
What’s the maximum number of bedrooms you will cover me for?
What can I do if I decide I want to cancel my policy?
Can I choose the excess that I want to take?
Can I get insurance for my mobile home?
Can I insure a property outside the UK?
Can I insure a buy-to-let property?
How do I make a claim on my buildings and contents insurance?
Do you cover damage caused by earthquakes or tornadoes?
What does buildings insurance cover?
It covers your house and the fixtures and fittings, sheds, summerhouses, garages and greenhouses, which are all within your property boundary and designed and only used for domestic purposes.
How much should I insure my contents for?
You should insure your contents for the amount it would cost you to replace them as new. For further help see our contents calculator.
How much should I insure my buildings for?
Buildings cover is up to the selected sum insured (which is the cost to rebuild the property) this can range from £30,000 to £750,000.
You can find your property's rebuilding cost in the valuation report or survey you had done when you purchased your property. This will need to be increased to allow for inflation since the survey was carried out. To find out more about rebuilding costs please consult the Association of British Insurers (ABI) website www.abi.org.uk or the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) website www.rics.org
What's the difference between buildings insurance and contents insurance?
Buildings insurance covers the structure of your home, garage and domestic outbuildings together with its fixtures and fittings (i.e. fitted furniture, bathroom suites and anything that you would not normally remove if you were moving house).
Contents insurance covers your possessions, such as furniture, furnishings and personal belongings whilst inside your home. You may need to list your high risk items separately on the policy.
What are the minimum and maximum contents sums insured?
The minimum contents sum insured is £12,000. The maximum contents sum insured is £99,000. For further help see our contents calculator.
Can I have a discount if I don't make any claims?
Yes. When calculating your final premium we will take into consideration the number of years you have not made a claim under your buildings and/or contents policy.
Do you have accidental damage cover?
Yes, we do. Full accidental damage cover is offered on buildings and contents as an optional extension for an additional premium.
Can I cover possessions away from home?
Yes, you can protect your possessions away from your home under 'Cover outside the Home’ also known as personal possessions cover away from home. We'll cover your possessions while they're temporarily removed anywhere in the United Kingdom and while they're temporarily removed for up to 365 consecutive days within the European union (while travelling anywhere else in the world for 60 consecutive days).
Business use? Will you cover me if I work from home?
Yes, as long as you only do clerical or administrative work at home. Your policy will then provide up to £3,000 of office equipment within the home under the contents section of your policy.
What must I do if my circumstances change?
You must tell us as soon as possible about any changes in the information you give us, including the sums insured, and about any other new facts we should take into account when providing you with insurance. We may then re-assess your cover and premium. If you don't tell us about any relevant changes, we may reject or reduce any claim or even treat you as being uninsured.
What is new for old?
Items lost or damaged beyond repair will be at today's purchase price. The advantage is that you won't be left out of pocket when replacing items. Please note, 'new for old' does not apply to all your contents, as items such as clothing and household linen need to have wear and tear taken into consideration. (Any cash settlement may also take into account trade discounts.)
Do I have to pay an excess ? If so how much?
Our home Insurance policy includes an excess. This is the first part of any claim you might make which you have to pay yourself. Your excess is shown in your policy schedule.
What is the definition of high risk items?
The definition of ‘high risk items’ is photographic equipment, jewellery, items or sets or collections of items containing gold, silver or other precious metals or precious stones, works of art, pictures, sets of stamps, coins or medals, or furs all belonging to your household or for which they are legally responsible.
Are the contents of my shed and garage covered in my home insurance?
Yes, the policy limit for contents stored in outbuildings within your property boundary used for domestic purposes is £2,000.
Are pedal cycles covered ? If so, to what value?
Yes, pedal cycles are covered, if you take them out of your home they are covered under ‘Cover outside the Home’ . The maximum individual pedal cycle sum insured is £350, unless specified separately under your policy.
Do I get a discount on my home insurance premium if I have extra security fitted to my property?
Yes, if you have approved security locks and/or a professionally installed and annually maintained alarm system, we may be able to offer you further reductions in your premiums.
What’s the maximum number of bedrooms you will cover me for?
Our maximum number of bedrooms covered in the home insurance policy is 5.
What can I do if I decide to cancel my policy?
You’re free to cancel your insurance within 14 days of receiving your policy documentation and we’ll refund all your premium, unless you’ve already made a claim that would lead to a total loss.
If you wish to cancel your policy after 14 days a charge will be made for the cover you have had.
Can I choose the excess that I want to take?
Yes, discounts are available if you want to take an additional excess. This will be in addition to the standard £100 excess.
Can I get insurance for my mobile home?
No, we do not insure mobile homes in the house insurance policy.
Can I insure a property outside the UK?
We can only provide cover for properties in the UK only, including Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands.
Can I insure a buy to let property?
Yes, we offer buy to let property insurance for landlords. Simply call our UK based team on 0800 440 2190 or get a quote online.
How do I make a claim on my buildings and contents insurance?
Our 24 hour claims helpline is designed to give you peace of mind. Our friendly, expert advisers will do all they can to sort out your claim with the minimum of fuss in the shortest possible time.
In the event that you have to make a claim, we want to make the experience as pain-free as possible. Simply call 0844 871 2390 and one of our friendly, personal advisors will be happy to help you.
Calls may be monitored and used for training purposes.
Do you cover damage caused by earthquakes or tornadoes?
Yes, your home insurance automatically includes cover for earthquakes and tornados.
