Buildings insurance

In short, buildings insurance typically protects the structure of the buildings you're insuring along with permanent fixtures and fittings such as any bathrooms or kitchens.

A contents insurance policy, on the other hand, can cover your personal belongings within your home if they're damaged, destroyed, lost or stolen.

No, you don't have to buy buildings insurance through your mortgage provider. But your mortgage provider might insist that you have a buildings insurance policy in place as part of your mortgage agreement.

A mortgage provider also has the ability to reject your choice of buildings insurer, or a policy if it doesn't offer enough cover. But you do not have to buy the buildings insurance your mortgage provider recommends.

Most standard houses around the UK are generally constructed using brick or stone. If your property is built with alternative materials, an insurer may define it as a non-standard construction.

If this is the case, you can still get buildings insurance, but you may have fewer insurers to choose from, and a policy could be more expensive. This is because non-standard materials may cost more to repair or replace, you might also require a specialist tradesperson to complete the work.

This depends, so it's always important to check the terms of your mortgage. If you own a leasehold flat, the freeholder typically arranges buildings insurance - this usually is included in your service charge.

Sometimes the freehold is shared between leaseholders, in this instance you could consider buying a policy together. This ensures every leaseholders receives the same level of cover. It should also make things a little more convenient should anyone need to claim.

It's likely your responsibility to arrange buildings insurance if you own a leasehold house. Again, every agreement is different, so you should check the terms first before buying a policy.

No, insurers like to use the phrase 'habitable spaces' when referring to rooms. Habitable rooms must have local ventilation and have features such as windows as a means to escape. These rooms are generally water and weatherproof with insulation.

Other non habitable rooms can include underground basements and utility rooms.

Generally, no.

Why? The presence of damp can indicate to insurers that the damp proofing in your property isn't functional, or there's a lack of ventilation. When you buy a buildings insurance policy, your insurer tends to set out a list of assumptions, one of which being that your home is in 'good condition'. Damp could indicate that your home isn't actually in acceptable condition, so insurance providers could counter your claim.

It's also a gradual problem, something insurers are likely to state is a responsibility of the property owner.

Planning renovations or a home extension can be an exciting time, but it's also important to make sure you're covered during the process.

That's because the chances of your home getting damaged are higher. For example, your builder might cause an accidental leak or structural damage. Therefore you must tell your insurer that you're carrying out work. If you don't, you could invalidate your buildings insurance policy. In some instances you may need additional cover or even specialist insurance at an extra cost.

Your insurer will be able to advise either way, they'll also be able to update the cover to reflect the changes you've made to your property.

Yes, you can!

Some insurers might not offer you a policy based on the information you provide. But if you're refused, you could try the Flood Re scheme.

It's a government scheme launched by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) to help homeowners at a high risk of flooding find more affordable home insurance policies.

Most standard buildings insurance policies do offer cover for subsidence as standard, but your home insurance excess payment could be costly.

You must declare whether your property is subsiding or if it's been affected in the past. Not doing so could result in your insurer rejecting a claim, if you make one.

In some instances, to find affordable cover you may require a specialist provider. The British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA) has advice and recommendations on various specialist insurers.

It depends what type of flooring you have and how it's fitted. Carpets for example, are fitted to your floor - but you could remove them and take them to another property. Because of this, they're typically only covered by a contents insurance policy.

Other flooring such as wood and laminate floors are difficult to remove and are generally glued or nailed down. Generally, buildings insurance covers this type of flooring.

Buildings insurance usually covers a burst pipe or an appliance suddenly leaking - it's also known as 'escape of water damage'.

In this scenario, your personal belongings could be at risk too. Contents insurance should cover this, but it depends on the circumstances of the leak itself and whether you have accidental damage cover.

Your home insurance should cover an unexpected escape of water. But your insurer might not accept a claim for a gradual leak. They might point out that you could have identified the leak and acted sooner to fix it.

You should be able to do this by checking the title deed of the property. It represents the proof of ownership and contains several details about your home. If you don't have the title deed, contact your conveyancing solicitor or mortgage broker or try using our house build date calculator.

Failing that, you could also contact HM land registry or the local authority. The HM Land Registry search tool can be a useful resource, but finding any information prior to 1940 can be tricky. You can also buy copies of title registers or plans for £3 each.

Submitting incorrect information about your policy, or not properly maintaining your home can invalidate your buildings insurance.

Either way, it's important you accurately provide information to your insurer and update them if you've made any changes to your home.

There are a number of ways that your policy could be invalidated, such as:

• Leaving your home unoccupied or losing your house keys
• Not informing your insurer of any renovation or extension projects you're doing
• Not reporting incidents minor or major that could affect future claims
• Using your home for business purposes without stating so

Every policy is different from the next, so it's important you read the terms to understand what is and isn't covered.

Generally, you can only insure a home you own - but there are exceptional circumstances whereby having "insurable interest" can let you do this.

It's pretty normal to buy buildings insurance while you're buying a property, mortgage brokers may stipulate this as a condition of your purchase. Likewise, if you're a landlord, it's your responsibility to buy buildings insurance, especially if you're renting to tenants.

In other circumstances, you may need to inform an insurer when a policyholder dies, particularly if you're next of kin.

You can buy a buildings insurance policy on behalf of someone else. But in this instance, their details would be on the policy. More importantly, they'd be the recipient of any potential claim payout - even if you've been paying the premium on their behalf.