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If you purchased the property in the last 5 years your homebuyers survey may include the rebuild cost. However if you purchased the property more than 5 years ago you will need to get an up to date assessment.

If your home is of standard construction (normally brick walls and tile roof), not a listed building and not built before 1720 you can use the free online BCIS Rebuild calculator.

If your home is built with non-standard construction materials, or it’s a Listed Building or it was built before 1720, you will need to consult a Chartered surveyor to provide you with an accurate rebuild cost.

Consulting a chartered surveyor is the surest way to receive an accurate rebuild cost. In fact, if your home is using non-standard construction materials or you are renovating a listed building then you will need to do this. That said, for standard construction houses, you can use the free online BCIS Rebuild calculator.

If your home is a Listed Building or it was built before 1720, you will need to consult a Chartered surveyor or a specialist property valuer to provide you with an accurate rebuild cost.

Please contact our Customer Services team to request an increased buildings rebuild value to be made to your buildings insurance. Please note that there may be an additional premium amount to be paid.

Your home buildings insurance premium is affected by a large number of factors including the rebuild cost of your home. This is generally higher for a heritage home or period property, even if it is constructed from the ‘standard’ building materials of brick or stone and roofed with slates or tiles, because the particular types of these tend to be rarer and more expensive to buy. In addition, rebuilding or even repairing a heritage home usually requires craftsmen with very specialist skills which are more costly than standard trades.

The majority of listed buildings in the UK are grade 2 buildings, and although the cost of insurance varies for every property, listed buildings insurance generally has a high premium. This is because rebuilding an older property often requires specialist tradespeople and materials which are not readily available.

 The cost of probate house insurance will vary depending on factors such as location, rebuild value, property security, property maintenance, and the level of cover you choose.  

You can get a quote for probate house insurance today.   

Not always. Your premium will partly depend on the rebuild costs of the particular design of your home

Many of the factors that affect insurance premiums for empty properties are the same as those for occupied homes, such as location and rebuild value.   

The cost of unoccupied home insurance may be higher for a particular property because of higher security risks, or it may be similar but with limitations on what is covered. For example, buildings cover may be limited to fire, lightning, explosion, earthquake and aircraft collision, but not include storm, flood or subsidence.

Not necessarily! Many of the factors that affect insurance premiums for empty properties are the same as those for occupied homes, such as location and rebuild value. The cost of insurance may be higher for a particular property when it is empty than when it is unoccupied because of higher security risks, or it may be similar but with limitations on what is covered; for example, buildings cover may be limited to fire, lightening, explosion, earthquake and aircraft collision, but not include storm, flood or subsidence.

Each property is different. Use the ABI rebuild calculator for free online to work out the rebuild cost of your house (this is not its market value). For a large house you might prefer to use a professional surveyor to provide an estimate of the rebuild cost. When it comes to contents insurance, you should include every item in the home by going from room to room, including electronics, clothing, kitchen appliances, etc.

Under-insurance means that the ‘sum insured’ is less than the cost of rebuilding, replacing or repairing the buildings or contents at the time of the loss or damage. This might meant that any claim that is settled will be reduced in proportion depending on how underinsured you are, regardless of the amount of the claim.

For example, if your amount of cover only covers a proportion of the cost of rebuilding, replacing or repairing the buildings or contents, it is likely that the insurer will only pay that proportion of the claim for repair or replacement and you will have to cover the remaining cost of the loss or damage yourself. Where there’s a severe underestimations, your insurance provider could even refuse to pay out completely.

Being under-insured is different from being uninsured. When you are uninsured you have no policy in place at all. Although this saves you money in the short term, you risk losing far more than you save if the unexpected happens.

It covers the main structure of your home. If it were to subside, burn down or be damaged or destroyed by extreme weather, your policy covers the costs of rebuilding or repair. It also covers any permanent fixtures in your home like built-in wardrobes, fitted carpets, kitchen surfaces, taps, basins, baths and showers. 

Homeprotect buildings insurance also covers outbuildings, boundary walls, gates, pools, drives and paths as standard (with only a few exclusions – please see the policy document for full details). It will also cover the cost of suitable temporary alternative accommodation should your home be uninhabitable following a claim.

Buildings Insurance covers the main structure of your home. If it were to subside, burn down or be damaged or destroyed by extreme weather, your policy covers the costs of rebuilding or repair. It also covers any permanent fixtures in your home like built-in wardrobes, fitted carpets, kitchen surfaces, taps, basins, baths and showers.

Homeprotect Buildings Insurance also covers outbuildings, boundary walls, gates and the cost of temporary alternative accommodation should your home be uninhabitable following a claim.

Contents Insurance insures all the belongings in your home that are not attached to the property. Contents are the items that you would take with you when you move home. This includes: your furniture, rugs, laptop, tablet, entertainment equipment, CDs, DVDs, games, valuables, clothing, personal belongings – even the food in your freezer! You may be asked to specify certain items (such as bikes, electronic gadgets and high risk items) on the policy. You may also be asked to make additional security provisions such as locks or a burglar alarm if you live in an area with a high theft rate.

See our policy booklet or login to see your policy documents for full details and exclusions.  

No, buildings insurance is not compulsory but it is strongly advised to protect your property and cover the costs of repairing or rebuilding the house. If you have a mortgage, then having adequate buildings insurance will usually be a condition from your lender.

Renovating your home can increase the risk of damage to the structure of your home, so you must let us know before the work starts.

We need to know: The cost of the project. The extent of renovation, e.g. adding an extension etc. Whether you are using registered builders/tradespeople to undertake the work. Whether your builders/tradespeople have liability insurance. Please also let us know whether you have been advised what the property rebuild cost will be once the renovations have completed. You need to be sure that if your home will increase in size that it’s insured for the correct value, in case you need to make a claim.

Renovations will affect your policy by increasing the amount of premium payable. Also additional terms may be added to the policy and/or the level of cover could be reduced, especially if you intend to move out whilst the work is being completed.

Find out more about our renovations insurance.

The cost of Airbnb insurance will vary depending on factors such as location, rebuild value, property security, property maintenance, and the level of cover you choose. 

You can get a quote for Airbnb insurance today.  

The cost of holiday home insurance will vary depending on factors such as location, rebuild value, property security, property maintenance, and the level of cover you choose. 

You can get a quote for holiday home insurance today.  

The cost of unoccupied house insurance will vary depending on factors such as location, rebuild value, property security, property maintenance, and the level of cover you choose.

You can get a quote for unoccupied home insurance today. 

Buildings insurance is a policy that protects the structural aspects of a property, such as the walls, roof, fixtures and fittings against loss or damage. Buildings insurance will cover the rebuild cost of your home; this is not the same as the property’s market value.

Just like when you research insurance for your main residence, to get a quote for second home insurance you will need to know the rebuild cost of your second property. This is the amount it would take to build from scratch, not your home’s market value. You should also know the year the property was built, the property’s history including subsidence and flooding, and the value of your belongings to be insured.  

Homeowners can take some steps to reduce the cost of their insurance premium:

• Install security features; burglar alarms, fire alarms and even CCTV can all make a difference to your premium.

• Invest in specialist paints like flame retardant coatings.

• Regularly clearing gutters of debris and checking for damp or cracks in the structure can also keep you aware of issues before they escalate.

• Get an accurate rebuild cost; this is not the market value of your home. You should arrange for a chartered surveyor to give you an accurate figure instead of over-estimating the value of your home and paying more than you need to.

• Pay annually, if you can afford it.

• Increase your voluntary excess; it can be anything between £50 and £900.

• Look into flood resistance measures if you live in a flood risk area.

• Slim down your cover to suit your needs; do you really need to take out accidental damage cover, legal cover, home emergency cover and lost key cover?

• Think twice before making a claim; if it’s a minor repair which you can afford then making your own arrangements might be better to protect your no claims discount.

• Inform your insurer of safety measures you have installed at the time of comparing quotes or taking out a policy.

It may well be if you don’t tell your insurer. Your home insurance provider will have taken a number of risk factors into account when calculating your premium such as the location of your property, its rebuild cost, the value of your home’s contents, and how many people live there. Airbnb rentals change these details and introduce different risks, and that’s why you need to let your insurer know that you’ve become an Airbnb host.

Buildings insurance is a policy that protects the structural aspects of a property, such as the walls, roof, fixtures and fittings against loss or damage. Buildings insurance will cover the rebuild cost of your home; this is not the same as the property’s market value.

Buildings insurance covers the structure of the home together with its fixtures and fittings: it covers the cost of repair or rebuilding after fire or weather damage for instance. Contents insurance covers the contents of your home, the possessions you would take with you if you moved house.

Quotes are referred to the underwriters if: your home is undergoing renovation, your property has prior subsidence, has been underpinned or if you have had a high-value claim or a large number of claims previously. Other situations requiring referral include: a very high value of contents or a very high rebuild cost for your building.