Home contents insurance covers your possessions against fire, theft and other risks — but many of your possessions may not be covered by a standard home contents insurance policy.
And it may be your most treasured possessions which fall through the net without adequate cover. To get them protected they must be identified, valued and considered individually for non-standard household insurance by your broker.
High value possessions need to be declared
In the case of specialist household insurance broker Adrian Flux, single items with a value of £1,000 or more must be declared and listed individually on your non-standard insurance manifesto.
The insurance protects your possessions and those of close family members living with you, but it may not cover the possessions of someone staying with you temporarily.
Adrian Flux Household Underwriting and Product Development manager Chelsea Shakespeare said: “Every insurer has a different value for what we call a single item limit. However, we as a broker ask for any item to be specified over the value of £1,000.
“This is for ease when quoting to ensure we are covering all high risk items as every insurer is different. The range for an insurer’s single item limit can be anything from £1,000 to £10,000 plus.
“However, no items as such would be excluded from an Adrian Flux home insurance policy. A TV for example would be classed as standard, because just about every household has a TV.
“If in doubt about which possessions you need to declare, get them valued and talk to your insurance broker.
“Price comparison sites don’t give you the chance to talk or ask questions, but dealing directly with a broker you can.”
“Things we would suggest specifying would be anything high risk or valuable over £1,000. That includes things like a piano or other musical instruments, perhaps a high spec sound system, jewellery, a high value bike, or valuable collections such as coins, stamps and wine.”
Photo by Julia Volk from Pexels.
Non ‘standard’ household insurance possessions
Your home contents insurance policy probably won’t give you automatic cover for:
- Personal possessions you take away from home, perhaps to go on holiday
- Things like mobile phones or jewellery
- Medical equipment such as a mobility scooter or hearing aid
- High tech sound systems
- Ride on lawn mowers
- Home computer equipment such as laptops
- The contents of your garage or shed
- The contents of your freezer
- Accidental damage
- Damage caused by general wear and tear, such as spilling red wine on a carpet
Furthermore, if you are moving home, most policies will exclude cover for money, fragile items and bicycles while in transit.
All contents insurance policies have a list of exclusions that will not be covered, so make sure you read each policy document carefully before you buy. If you need clarification, talk to your broker.
You also need to remember that most insurance policies carry an excess. A typical excess is between £50 and £100.
Household insurance is important for tenants too
Before you take out a policy you need to work out how much cover you need on a new-for-old bases, considering the cost of replacing all your possessions. Many people under-insure themselves, so make sure you include everything, including carpets or flooring.
Contents insurance is equally important for those living in rented accommodation. Your landlord will insure the items he or she owns in your rented home, but it will be your responsibility to insure your personal possessions.
Adrian Flux compares household insurance policies for you
When sourcing the best cover for you, your specialist Adrian Flux household clerk will compare policy features in 30 different insurance schemes. They will compare:
- What each policy covers and what the exclusions are
- The premium you have to pay
- The amount of any excess that you will have to pay yourself
- The rate of increase in no claims bonus that you can accrue if you remain claim free
- Any additional conditions, for example, leaving your home unoccupied for long periods
For a value for money quote from a specialist household insurance intermediary call Adrian Flux on 0800 369 8590 or visit the website.