Property Insurance Blog

A recent survey took the most popular type of home in the UK, the three-bed semi, and compared the quotes given by insurance companies for different postcodes around the country. Northern Ireland came in top for buildings cover with an average of £119.

The premiums are affected by such variables as the amount of subsidence in the area, and the size and rebuild costs of the house. Some policies were based on the number of bedrooms in the house, but there is also the issue of the cost of rebuilding, which vary due to local construction standards, the cost of labour and the availability and cost of materials. When buildings and contents cover are assed together for a three-bed semi all over the UK, the cheapest average is in Lisnaskea in Northern Ireland, which has an average premium of £223. Compare this to the rather down-at-heel suburb of West Norwood in South-east London, where the number of burglaries and the cost of rebuilding adds up to combined buildings and content cover of £702, and you see how cheap insurance is in Northern Ireland!

Another initiative which has helped people in Northern Ireland insure their home has been the Northern Ireland Tenants Action Project (NITAP), which aimed to make it more affordable and simple for housing executive and housing association tenants to insure their personal possessions. This had been difficult before. Anyone who regularly gets home insurance in the UK will know that many insurance companies put a minimum on the amount that you can insure with contents cover of, say £20,000. This is strange, because not many people have contents worth that amount. What this means is that you are insuring yourself for an amount you don’t need to be covered for, which raises your premiums.

The consequences of this are that many people on low incomes are choosing not to insure their personal possessions and household goods. Tenants claim that the minimum cover demanded by insurers cause high premiums. The scheme set up in Northern Ireland, means that those on low and fixed incomes can insure their personal possessions for as little as 80p a week, whether or not the total value of their possessions falls below the typical requirements for these policies.

Tenants over 60 can insure their possessions for sums as low as £6,000. For others, the minimum is £9,000. This means that the average premium for tenants in Northern Ireland is £75 a year. Also, instead of paying premiums in advance, Northern Ireland tenants can pay fortnightly in many different ways. They can pay at any post office, with a personalised swipe card through Girobank. Also, monthly direct debit can be used, but you get a discount for annual payments.

Unlike motor cover, home insurance is not a legal requirement in the UK. It is, however, a vital precaution against unforeseen bills caused by incidents such as natural disasters or break-ins. It is a false economy to avoid home insurance premiums in order to save cash in the short-term because in case of misfortune you will be left without a leg to stand on and could be faced with some of the heftiest bills you will ever come across in your life. Whether you own your house / home outright or are still paying off your mortgage, the house you own probably represents the biggest investment in your life and one of the most important factors in maintaining your well-being. Everyone wants a roof over their head to have peace of mind free from worries about their house!

If you have a mortgage then your lender will usually insist that your property is covered by full buildings insurance. This is to protect themselves, as if your house were completely destroyed they would need to know that you had the means to finance its repair. Also, a homeless borrower will hardly inspire confidence in a company expecting regular mortgage repayments.

Sometimes people assume that they have to stick with the insurance that they have taken out with their mortgage provider. Unless you took advantage of a special mortgage deal where you agreed to buy their home insurance then you are free to use independent insurers for your house protection. You might be encouraged to take out cover through your mortgage broker, as it is simpler for them. However, you are not obliged to do this by law, so it is well worth looking around for the best deal for your needs and making sure that you obtain the right cover at the right price.

Home security improvement:

All insurance companies will happily offer you a discount for burglar alarms and smoke detectors. Homes with fire and burglar alarms that communicate with a third party monitoring company receive a higher discount on their insurance premiums.

When possible, choose a higher deductible:

To reduce your premium, it is best advised to increase the deductible to the extent you can afford. Your home insurance premium will fall by as much as 20% if you increase the deductible from $200 to $1000.

Multiple insurance – Same provider:

If you consolidate your home insurance and auto insurance with one insurance company, expect a premium reduction between 10 – 15%. This also means you are making one payment for all your insurance needs. Consolidate and win.

Discount for non-smokers:

Some home insurance companies will offer a non-smoker discount to the tune of 15%. Check with your insurance company if they offer a non-smokers discount.

How far is the fire station?

If you live more than 5 miles from the nearest fire station and more than 1,000 feet from a fire hydrant, you can expect a higher premium. Also if you live in the country, you will probably pay higher insurance rate than if you were living in the city.

Type of construction:

The construction type of your home also plays an important role in determining your insurance premium. A wood frame home will cost more to insure than the one built mostly of concrete.

Claims free record and renewal discounts:

If you have not had a claim under your current home owners policy for the past 3-5 years, you will get a 15% discount on your premium. Expect additional discount if your policy has been in force with the same insurance company for 3 years or more.

Conclusion:

I am hopeful you have gained preliminary knowledge on the subject of home insurance premiums. With these helpful tips you will be able to understand and demand discounts on your home insurance premiums. Good Luck!

Forcible and violent entry (F&VE) is the terminology used within house insurance to describe break-ins.

Most home insurance policies will cover you for theft claims made with no forcible and violent entry. That is to say that despite their being a theft there was no sign of break-in such as a broken window or door.

Common claims follow doors or windows being left open or workmen stealing from the household. If you are a tenant, it is not unknown for a previous occupant to retaain keys and commit a burglary. In other examples, you may have your keys stolen which are later used to access your property.

Often home insurance companies also restrict the level of non-F&VE cover available to residents of the home living away in temporary accommodation. The most typical example is students who are covered under their parents home insurance policies. Not having their possessions covered for theft without F&VE is not in keeping with student lifestyles where students are used to coming in and out of each others rooms. Our student claims experience suggests that over a third of theft claims follow no sign of break in to the property. Specilaist student insurance is available in these circumstances.

On a standard home policy covering non students, non - forcible and violent entry cover is normally provided but their can be exclusions with cash being the most likely exclusion.

To find out what cover you have, you should always check your policy. You should also be aware that their is a fine line between a non (F&VE) claim and negligence on behalf of the policyholder which can invalidate claims.

What are the factors involved in flat insurance? Do I need to provide both buildings and contents cover? Who will cover shared flats or flats with student tenants?

The responsibility to insure the building fabric of a flat lies with the freeholder. This means that if you own your flat on a leasehold basis then you only need to insure the contents. The buildings will be covered by the freeholder. In flats with shared areas and gardens, you normally pay a monthly service charge. Out of this charge, the freeholder will also pay for the buildings insurance.

If you are the freeholder of a flat then you need to insure both the buildings and contents of the property. If you are insuring a block of flats, there are specialist insurance providers who can take care of this but you will need to contact a broker as there are not online facilities to provide quotations on this type of risk.

If you are a tenant, renting a flat, then your only concern is the contents that belong to you. Your letting agent might insist that you take adequate protection for your liability to the landlord. This means that you have insurance cover in case you damage the landlords goods and are liable to him. This can be a good idea and while you are not responsible for wear and tear of the landlords property, if you break the washing machine, this cover can be useful. Landlords will expect a certain degree of wear and tear however it is advisable to have adequate protection so that you can reclaim your bond (usually one and a half times a months rent) used when you initially moved in.

Business Owners Policies for the Self-Employed

Who needs a business owner’s policy?

Simple, anyone that runs a business from their home should have one. A comprehensive coverage homeowner’s policy will cover economic losses caused by damage or legal liability but, once a home business is discovered any economic loss that can be associated to your business is your problem. Some homeowner’s policies allow business owners to purchase a policy rider that will cover losses associated with their business. If your homeowner’s policy provider doesn’t offer this option you should consider a separate business owner’s policy.

Suppose your home office gets hit by a bolt of lightening (it happens). The loss from damage to your house, computer and loss of income amounts to 50,000. If your homeowners insurance discovers that you were running a business from that room, and if they sent an adjuster they certainly would, they have the right to refuse any coverage.

On the other hand if you were wise and purchased a business owner’s policy your entire loss would be covered, even the loss of income.

Increasingly important is bodily injury liability. If you have business visitors in your home, a business owner’s policy should cover any liability if they’re injured in any part of your home. Conversely, if you simply had a homeowner’s policy and someone was injured in your home, office or anywhere, they may refuse coverage for any liability. You don’t need to be reminded about how expensive personal injury liability can be, do you?

What about product liability?

Additional product liability coverage can often be added to a business owner’s policy for an extra fee. This covers you in case someone is injured using your product. As you are probably aware, regardless of your involvement in the manufacturing or design process. The price of this coverage can be extremely expensive, depending on the products you distribute, but is definitely worth it. I know you don’t need to be reminded about how expensive product liability can be.

What if I’m not eligible for a business owner’s policy?

Different insurance companies have different criteria for excluding businesses from their policies. If one insurance company turns you down, ask another. Often, companies that allow riskier businesses to purchase policies also charge higher premiums, so it definitely pays to shop around for a policy that fits your particular business.

For many years in the UK, motor insurance has been a competitive marketplace. Consumers have been used to shopping around at renewal time with a host of direct companies available. The internet has further fueled this change allowing more people to access better information when their policy is due for renewal.

House insurance has until recently been a much more stable financial product. The relative stability of pricing, compared to a very fluctual motor insurance market, has meant that consumers have stuck with renewals because the pricing has remained static.

However the internet is also encouraging people to shop around for their home insurance too. The good news for the household insurance consumer is that there are savings to be made on your buildings and contents policies from simply shopping around.

Most people while looking for a cheap deal on their policy also consider the exact cover that they need. If you reflect that you need to be able to replace all of your contents at today’s shop values, you might find that you need more cover than you originally thought. If you fail to insure for the full value that you require, you are ‘under-insured’

Cutting costs by cutting corners can have a serious effect on a house insurance claim. If you are deemed to be under-insured by your home insurance company, they may apply the condition of average.

This works on the basis that if you did not insure for the full value of your belongings, the insurer will pay out only to the sum that you did insure and they will deduct a further payment from the payout equal to the percentage you under-insured.

This might be clearer in an example - Imagine you own £50,000 of contents in your home but choose to insure for just £25,000 because you thought that this was the maximum a thief could get away with. If your home suffered a catastrophic fire and you lost all of your possessions then your insurer could apply the condition of average.

Under this right they can pay out only 50% of the sum insured because that is the value that you under-insured by. In this case they could pay just £12,500 even though you lost £50,000 of your contents.

Insurance companies will always take this on a case by case basis but the only way to protect your home contents is to insure properly to the full value.

At first glance, homeowners insurance may seem perplexing and quite overpowering. Understanding your policy is crucial to know what you are actually purchasing, and also an extremely important part of owning a home. A homeowners insurance policy provides financial security against disasters, as well as insures the home and the possessions kept within.

A basic homeowners insurance plan consists of four major types of coverage. These include: Home structure, coverage for personal belongings, liability protection, and living expenses in the event you cannot reside in your home as a result of an insured disaster.

Earthquakes and floods are not covered by standard insurance plans. To insure your home against these natural disasters, you will need to purchase a separate insurance policy. However, here is a list of catastrophes that are covered by homeowners insurance: fire, lightening, theft, vandalism, overflow of water from plumbing, just to name a few. You need to think ahead when purchasing homeowners insurance. When assessing the amount of coverage you should buy, think about how much it would cost to reconstruct your home if it were completely demolished.

All of your personal belonging are covered if they are stolen or ruined by an insured disaster. A majority of insurance companies will offer coverage for 50% to 70% of the sum of insurance you have placed on your home. Between $1,000 to $2,000 is allotted for expensive items such as furs and jewelry. Up to $500 coverage is also allowed for unauthorized use of credit cards.

Liability protection shields you against legal action for bodily harm or estate damage that was caused by you or family members. This part of the policy pays the expense of your defense in a court of law, and is supported throughout the world.

If you are unable to live in your home due to damage from an insured disaster, most homeowners insurance policies will pay for the additional expenses such as hotel fees and restaurant tabs, while your house is being reconstructed. However, coverage for these extra costs vary with each insurance company.

Filing a homeowners insurance claim can be done with ease if the proper procedures are followed correctly. Periodically reviewing your insurance policy and keeping up to date with what your duties and responsibilities for your specific plan are will assist tremendously when filing a homeowners insurance claim.

First things first when filing your homeowners insurance claim. If a crime has been committed, call the police. Be sure to get a police report and document all the names of the officals that you come into contact with. Your insurance company must now be immediately notified of your impending claim.

When speaking with the customer service representative at your insurance company, it is recommended to ask questions. Most insurance policies have a time frame in which homeowners insurance claims can be filed, so you need to find out the maximum time allowed for filing claims. Here are some other questions that need to be addressed: Is the disaster or mishap you are claiming actually covered under the policy? Exactly how long will it take to process the claim?

While waiting to file your homeowners insurance claim, you as the homeowner are obligated to make temporary repairs. It is up to you to make sure that your home is not damaged any further. Save all receipts from the supplies that are used, and the insurance company will reimburse you for all costs.

The next step in filing a homeowners insurance claim form is producing a list of missing or harmed personal items. Do not throw out any damaged item until the insurance adjuster has paid a visit to your home. Generating a home inventory list and presenting it to the adjuster is also a good idea.

Your insurance company is required to send you the proper claim forms once they have been informed of your claim. After you homeowners claim has been filed, the matter is out of your hands, and all you can do is wait for the company to agree on the conditions of your settlement. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. In most situations, homeowners insurance claims are processed rather swiftly, and state laws instruct that payment be delivered in a timely manner.

Everyone is searching for a way of cutting costs, a method to lower their overall monetary expenses. Saving on home insurance is a reasonable, viable option when choosing to take control of your finances. There are several discounts available; the variety of practices used in saving on home insurance can be endless.

Something you can easily do yourself to save on home insurance, is to be certain that your home is safe. By securing your doors with deadbolt locks, and placing fire alarms and extinguishers in your house, you can save thousands of dollars a year. Also think about installing a burglar alarm that alerts the police, and a sprinkler system. Some insurance companies will even offer major savings of up to 20 percent if a security system is installed in your home.

Consider raising your deductible. The higher the deductible, the lower the premium. An average home insurance deductible will start at $250. If you were to increase your deductible to $500, you could save approximately 12 percent. Raising your deductible to as high as $1,000 could give you a discount as great as 25 percent.

If you have been associated with the same company for a long time, you are probably entitled to a price deduction. Some companies will cut their premium by up to 5 percent if you have been with them for at least three years. You may also be eligible for a discount if you are over 55 years of age and retired. Insurance companies have deduced that older retirees are more attentive to their homes and have more time to maintain them them than employed individuals.

Remember to review your policy annually to make the proper adjustments. Also realize that while several companies may offer discounts, the reductions may not all be identical, or the same amount in all 50 states. If you are not sure, you need to check with your home insurance agent.