Make it one of your New Year resolutions to check the small print of your home insurance to make sure you’re covered if the worst should happen. Here at Adrian Flux we offer you a quick and easy guide to ensuring your home is protected.
For most of us, buying a house is the single biggest investment we’ll ever make.
Although none of us like to think about a worst-case scenario in which our home or its contents are damaged or stolen, for peace of mind it’s essential to know that your insurance covers you for every eventuality.
There are two main types of home insurance cover: buildings insurance and contents insurance.
The former covers the permanent structures of your home in addition to any land you might own and may also cover fittings such as fitted kitchens and bathrooms.
When you’re looking to take out buildings insurance, make sure you cover all the checkpoints on the list below:
- Find out what the specified amount or limit is for buildings cover protection.
- Discover how much it will cost to rebuild your home – not just the resale value as the two figures may vary considerably.
- Find out if the policy covers accommodation for you in the event that your home becomes uninhabitable.
- Check your policy covers any outbuildings you may own.
- If you live in a high-risk flood area, ensure you are covered.
- Do you live in a listed building or one with unusual features? Check to make sure that your property is adequately covered.
- Find out if permanent fixtures and fittings are covered by your policy.
- Remember that living in a high crime area may affect the price of your policy.
Building insurance policies generally insure you against fire, flood, earthquakes, subsidence, vandalism, falling objects from aircraft, storms and bad weather, falling trees and branches and the impact of a vehicle crashing into your property.
A broker such as Adrian Flux will calculate your policy on a number of factors, including the area where you live and the type of property you wish to insure.
Working with a large network of companies, Flux is able to insure you against events that aren’t included in standard policies, creating a bespoke policy that suits your individual needs.
As with the majority of insurance policies, you will need to specify the excess you’re willing to pay in the event of a claim, which will impact the amount you pay in premiums. Make sure the amount you agree on is one you’re comfortable with – you never know when you may need to make a claim.
Contents insurance is discretionary but unless you’re a minimalist living in a series of empty rooms, it’s likely the contents of your home will add up to a sizeable sum should you need to replace them.
This type of insurance is designed to protect items that aren’t part of the fabric of your home and includes items such as furniture, curtains and carpets, books, CDs, entertainment equipment and clothes.
When taking out contents insurance, make sure you check the following:
- The specified amount or limit of cover protection.
- Make sure you know the value of your belongings.
- Do you need a separate cover for antiques or valuables?
- Are you covered for accidental damage?
- How far outside your home are your items covered for? Are you covered when you are abroad, for example?
- Are items outside your home, such as bikes, gardening equipment and luggage while travelling covered?
- Does your policy operate a new-for-old replacement service?
The most common contents insurance claims involve incidents such as fire, theft, earthquakes, flooding and vandalism – and with a large proportion of us unaware that we’re under-insured until we need to make a claim, now is the time to review your policy and make any necessary changes. Cutting corners on your contents insurance may save you a little bit of money when you pay your premium, but it can be a costly mistake to have made if you need to make a claim.
Give yourself peace of mind with home insurance from Adrian Flux. One of the leading specialist home insurance brokers in the UK, Adrian Flux can offer you the right cover, at the right price. For more information, call 0800 3698590 or visit adrianflux.co.uk.
You May Also Like …
Think long and hard if you want a to get a dog for Christmas