Buildings insurance

5* rated Home Insurance cover

What is buildings insurance?

Buildings insurance is a type of insurance policy that covers the cost of repairing or rebuilding your home in the event of damage or loss. This can include damage caused by perils such as fire, flood, storm, subsidence, or malicious damage.

Buildings insurance typically covers the physical structure of your home, including the walls, roof, floors, windows, doors, and permanent fixtures such as fitted kitchens and bathrooms. It can also cover any outbuildings or structures on your property, such as garages or sheds.

The purpose of buildings insurance is to protect your home and provide financial support to repair or rebuild your property in the event of unforeseen damage or loss. It is typically required by mortgage lenders as a condition of the loan.

The cost of buildings insurance can vary depending on factors such as the size and age of your home, its location, and the level of coverage you require. It’s important to review your policy regularly to ensure you have adequate coverage for your needs.

Why should I get buildings insurance

There are several reasons why you may want to consider getting buildings insurance:

Financial protection

Required by mortgage lenders

Peace of mind

Customisable coverage

Protection for your investment

You should consider getting buildings insurance to protect your home and investment against unforeseen events, such as fire, flood, storm, subsidence, or malicious damage. Here are some reasons why you may want to get buildings insurance:

Financial protection: Buildings insurance provides financial protection in the event that your home is damaged or destroyed, which can help you avoid significant out-of-pocket expenses.
Required by mortgage lenders: If you have a mortgage on your home, your lender may require you to have buildings insurance as a condition of the loan.
Peace of mind: Knowing that your home is protected can provide peace of mind and reduce stress, especially in the event of an unexpected loss.
Customizable coverage: Buildings insurance policies can be tailored to your specific needs, with options to cover additional structures, such as garages or sheds, and to include extras such as accidental damage or legal liability coverage.
Protection for your investment: Your home is likely one of your largest investments, and buildings insurance can help protect that investment against unforeseen events that could otherwise cause significant financial loss.

Overall, buildings insurance can provide important protection for your home and investment, and can help you avoid significant financial loss in the event of damage or loss.

How our buildings insurance works

Policy benefits includes

What Buildings Insurance Covers

This covers damage to the structure of your home, your outbuildings, garages, fixtures, and fittings as well as patios, drives, garden walls, fences, hedges, and gates.

Cover is provided as standard for:

damage to your property caused by:
- escaping water from washing machines, dishwashers, and other appliances or heating systems which may cause damage to flooring, walls, fixtures, and fittings;
- fire, storm, flooding, theft, and vandalism;
- subsidence, heave, and landslip; and
- falling trees, branches, aerials, and impact by vehicles or aircraft;
accidental breakage of drains and pipes which are used to provide services to or from your home;
accidental breakage of glass, ceramic hobs, and sanitary-ware which are fixed to and form part of your home;
alternative temporary accommodation if your home becomes uninhabitable as a result of damage caused to your buildings by an insured event;
the cost of any damage caused to your property whilst tracing and gaining access to a leak in your home; and
your legal liability to pay damages and costs to others arising from accidental death or injury to anyone, or accidental damage to physical property.

For details of what is not covered, please refer to the Policy Wording.What

It’s important for homeowners to carefully review and understand their home insurance policy, including any limitations or exclusions, in order to make sure they have adequate coverage for their needs. Additionally, it’s recommended to regularly review and update the policy to reflect any changes in the value of the home or personal belongings.

Home Insurance FAQ

Does the policy cover things like mobile phones and bikes?

Yes, mobile phones and bikes can be covered under the add on Personal Belongings cover as they’re taken outside your home.

Bicycles have their own specific cover section, and need to be specified if they’re worth more than £500 up to a maximum value of £3,000 per cycle and £5,000 for all cycles collectively.

Will the policy cover storm damage to my fences?

Unfortunately, any damage to your fences caused specifically by storms or flood will not be covered, but under our buildings insurance they are covered for certain other circumstances such as vandalism or fire.

Do I need to specify any valuable items on my home insurance policy?

Yes, you need to tell us about any item that is valued at over £2,500, as well as providing a valuation certificate for any jewellery or watches that are worth over £3,000 if you want them to be covered away from your home.

You can cover any individual item up to a value of £10,000 or several items collectively valued up to £20,000 (for cover away from the home) or up to £30,000 (for cover within the home).

What does the optional Home Emergency add-on cover me for?

It covers you for up to £1,000 to make your home safe and secure in the event of a domestic emergency. This includes problems with:

Main Heating System
Plumbing & Drainage
Gas Supply
Electricity Supply
Water Supply Pipe
Roofing
Security
Pest Infestation

If any of these emergencies occur which cause your home to become unsafe or cause a loss of these services, an engineer will be sent to your home to complete a repair and prevent or limit any further damage. Call out charges, labour, and materials to get your home back to a safe state or restore the key services will be covered.

Home Emergency cover is not a maintenance policy and does not cover the cost of routine maintenance in your home, nor does it provide or cover the cost of boiler servicing or maintenance.

What is the policy excess?

The standard excess amount payable on our Home policy is £100 on most Buildings & Contents claims. For claims relating to escape of water, it’s £250, and for claims for subsidence/heave/landslip it’s £1,000.

You can also choose to add a voluntary excess in addition to this. A higher total excess value makes your insurance cheaper, a lower value means you pay less towards a claim.