A image of 3 houses with white picket fencing

Building insurance

What is it?
This is a type of insurance which covers the cost of damage to the structure of your property (walls, roof, windows, etc). As well as the 'shell' of the property, buildings insurance also covers permanent fixtures and fittings, interior decoration and underground tanks, pipes, cables, and drains for which you are responsible from your home to the mains supply. Outdoor structures such as garages and fences are also included.

As well as covering for damage to parts of the property, your buildings insurance should also cover the full cost of rebuilding the whole property, including costs such as demolition, clearing the site, and architect's fees, etc. You will often see a rebuilding figure on a mortgage survey but it won't bear any relation to the market value of the property. Don't forget to allow for special features your property might have, such as a conservatory or luxury kitchen.

Buildings insurance usually covers loss or damage which occurs as a result of:

fire
explosion
bad weather, including lightning, storms and flooding
earthquakes
theft or attempted theft
malicious damage or vandalism
freezing or bursting of any part of the plumbing system
falling trees, lampposts, aerials or satellite dishes
subsidence
impact by vehicles or aircraft

Why should I have buildings insurance?
We've all seen pictures in the media about damage to people's homes caused by some increasingly 'freaky' weather - or by objects (usually cars or lorries) colliding with buildings - and thought how awful if must be to have your home destroyed. If you have buildings insurance, at least the damage can be repaired without major outlay on your part.

Aside from such emotive issues, if you have a mortgage on a property, it will usually be conditional on you having adequate buildings insurance which is sufficient to meet the outstanding amount of your mortgage.

Additional Options
Accidental damage

You can extend a buildings insurance policy to include accidental damage cover to the inside of your home. However, anything that is not clearly listed in the policy is not usually covered.

Alternative accomodation

Many policies also cover the cost of alternative accommodation if you have to leave your home while repairs are carried out.

Public liability and legal expenses

If you own the property, you can also be insured against legal responsibility if someone dies or is injured when they visit your property. You can also get cover for damage to someone else's goods or property when they visit you.

How much will it cost me?
There are many factors affecting the cost of house insurance, be it buildings or contents cover:

The sum insured
The postcode of the property (insurance companies work with data about past claims of various kinds in particular areas to assess how much risk a property is at of factors such as burglary, flood, subsidence, etc)
How many claims you have made in the past
Any additional options taken
What the property will be used for (eg: main residence, holiday home, let out, etc)

For both buildings and contents insurance we offer products from a selected panel of providers.

Quick Quote

Name:

Email Address:

Home Number:

Mobile Number:

Call Back:

Home Owner:

Amount Required:

Loan Purpose:

Employment:

Security Code:

Email a Friend

Send to friend

Your message (click here):