It's not a legal requirement, but in some instances you may be required to have buildings insurance in place. Regardless of your situation, it's worth considering both buildings and contents insurance. Without buildings insurance, any damage to your home could cost you thousands.
Mortgage lenders may expect you to have this insurance before you exchange in order to protect against the cost of potential damage to your home. If you own a flat, having buildings insurance may not be necessary.
You may not have a mortgage lender requiring you to have buildings insurance anymore, but it's still really worth considering. Look at it like protecting your investment, you could risk spending thousands by not having a policy in place if something happens to your home.
As a landlord, it's worth considering specialist buildings insurance. A standard policy could be invalidated if something happens to your property while you're renting it to a tenant and you need to make a claim.
This is someone who is named in a will as legally responsible for handling the estate of a person who has died. This process is known as probate and the property may be left unoccupied. There is a specialist home insurance policy to cover a property in this type of situation.
If you're renting a property, your landlord should have buildings insurance in place as it is their responsibility. Instead, a contents insurance policy is worth considering as it covers the cost of replacing your belongings if they’re stolen or damaged.
Typically a freeholder or a management company can arrange buildings insurance and charge you service fee. This isn't always the case, so you must check your agreement. If you're responsible for finding cover, there are specialist policies available to you.
Buildings insurance generally covers structural parts of your home such as the roof, walls and floors. This also extends to permanent fixtures such as fitted kitchens, bathrooms and built in wardrobes.
Most policies vary based on the insurer, so you should always check you're happy with your level of cover. If not, you can look at optional extras you may require.
There is no set list of issues you can claim for on your buildings insurance policy. You'll need to check with your insurer what is covered, some policies may offer protection for other structures such as driveways and garages.
If you're extending the property, you may also want to consider cover for the extension work. But you'll need to make your insurer aware of this before you buy.
Accidental damage is unlikely to be covered, it's usually available as an optional benefit for an extra cost.
Otherwise known as policy exclusions, each buildings insurance policy has its own list of what you won't be able to claim for. Generally, most insurers won't include cover for:
Personal belongings aren't covered by buildings insurance and a separate policy could be required unless you get a policy that combines both.
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The rebuild cost of your property is typically estimated with a number of factors in mind, including:
An older property or a listed building could increase the rebuild cost. Specialist materials may be needed to carry out building work and planning approval could be necessary for properties of significant architectural or historic interest.
Most properties are built from brick or stone with a slate or tile roof. Using other materials could be more expensive due to their availability and specialist nature.
All of these factors can relate to the size of the property. There are several types of houses in the UK such as terraced, semi-detached and detached. The number of doors, windows and rooms are considered as the more there are, the more it could cost to replace them.
There are other parts of a property that could affect the rebuild value such as a conservatory, porch, solar panels and garage, for example. The more features you have, the greater the rebuild value could be.
There are a number of ways you can reduce the cost of your buildings insurance policy:
In most cases you'll have a range of optional benefits you can include in your policy, but these likely come at an extra cost. Exactly what is included as standard can vary between insurers, so it's worth checking your policy before you buy.
Optional benefits include:
Usually a buildings insurance policy covers you for sudden damage by weather, fire or crime. It wouldn't cover accidental damage such as stepping through the ceiling while working in the attic, for example. Adding this to your policy can help cover unintentional incidents.
Taking a case to court can be expensive, the legal expenses benefit is there to help cover the costs. There are a number of ways it can help, but most importantly for buildings insurance it covers disagreements about property.
There for emergency issues or urgent repairs, it covers the cost of needing to call out a tradesperson to fix the issue.
Boiler breakdown cover helps protect you from repair costs when your boiler breaks down. It can cover urgent repairs, callout charges, labour and spare parts. It's worth considering especially for boilers not covered by warranties.
You may find yourself in a situation where your home has suffered damages from a storm or flood. If your property is unsafe to live in, you may need alternative accommodation until the damage is fixed. This is exactly what this type of cover provides.
There are a number of factors that can determine what you pay for buildings insurance. Before you begin, it's important to have documents at hand and information on the following:
The size of the property and number of rooms are taken into account. Generally, the larger the house, the higher the rebuild cost.
Insurers will ask if your home or any outbuildings have a flat or partly flat roof. This is because of the risk they pose in the event of a storm or heavy rainfall.
Listed buildings are tricky as heritage support officers are required to approve any works. Any construction may also need specific materials, so this is taken into account.
If your property is located in an area prone to flooding, buildings insurance could be costlier due to the risk.
Better security measures in place can help bring costs down. Robust door locks could make your home less likely to be burgled, quite often you'll be asked what locks are installed on your doors.
It's common to be asked if you have any home security in operation. Some systems are installed and maintained by regulatory bodies, it's important you mention this when getting a quote.
Just as you build NCB with motor insurance, the same applies to buildings insurance. Where you can, state any NCB you have as you may receive discount.
On the flip side, you'll typically have to declare any claims you've made in the last 5 years. Not stating this could invalidate your policy.
Finding out the rebuild cost of your property can seem challenging, but there are ways you can work it out. We can usually give you an estimate based on the information you submit.
The age of your property is likely to affect your buildings insurance. You can usually find this out by checking the title deeds or using Land Registry.
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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:
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.
There are many reasons why you may have cracks in the walls of your home. Cracks are more serious when they're between 5 and 15mm wide. Read on to find out more
Unsure whether your home insurance covers roof damage and repairs? Read on to find out more about roof repair from storm damage, leaks and wear and tear.
Unsure what side of the fence you own? It could be as easy as checking your title deed. Read on to find out your responsibilities and rights when owning a fence.
If you're dabbling with your own grand design, it's best to be protected for all eventualities. When building your own home, self-build insurance covers your project from buying the land until completion of the property.
Pest control could be covered as an add-on to your home insurance policy, or under home emergency cover. See how home insurance might cover pest control.
Are you planning to go to a festival this summer? Whether you're dancing in the mud at Glastonbury or soaking up the sun at Coachella, we've got you covered.
Page last reviewed: 04 October 2024
Reviewed by: Matthew Harwood
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