UNDERPINNED HOUSE INSURANCE
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- No blanket refusals – every case examined individually.
- We cover customers that other companies won’t.
- Underwritten by AXA Insurance.
insurance for an underpinned home
Owning an underpinned home – known in the insurance industry as a Previously Underpinned Property or PUP – can be a headache when it comes to buying home insurance. Mainstream insurance providers will either refuse to provide a quote or quote a very expensive price with a very long list of exclusions and conditions. This is because insurers use the fact of the property being underpinned as an indicator that subsidence might happen again.
When you apply for home insurance for your underpinned home with us, you’ll experience a breath of fresh air. Firstly, you enter all your details into the online quote form. Then one of our in-house underwriters will assess your property and the risk of repeat problems occurring and then offer you a tailored policy. This process typically takes only a couple of days.
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TO GET AN ONLINE QUOTE, YOU’LL NEED TO KNOW :
- Facts about the building’s history including the year that the building was underpinned.
- Details of all claims made, including those relating to any subsidence events.
- What was the cause of the subsidence.
- If there has been any ground movement since the event.
- If you any documentation to confirm that there have been no problems since the previous ground movement event, then you will be requested to provide that.
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What’s covered by BUILDINGS & contents insurance?
Home insurance provides financial protection if you need to repair your home or replace your belongings after they’ve been stolen, damaged or destroyed.
It comes in two parts: buildings insurance (cover against damage to the property itself) and contents insurance (for damaged or stolen items within the home). These can be combined or bought separately, so the first step is deciding which option is better for you.
What we offer
Quick home emergency response times
Have a home emergency, such as electricity failure, faulty locks or vermin infestation? With the 24/7 Home Emergency cover, which we provide as standard, you can typically get an engineer at your home within four hours. And if you’re worried about an uncontrollable leak in your home, we aim to have an emergency plumber to you within two hours.
Extreme weather conditions may extend response time. Policy terms and claim limits apply.
5 star rated buildings cover
Our building insurance has been given the highest rating by independent financial research companies, Defaqto and Moneyfacts.
Repair guarantee
Any buildings work we undertake is guaranteed for 24 months following a claim and any contents repair work we undertake is guaranteed for 12 months.
New for old
Where we replace an item, we will do our best to meet the original specification on a ‘new for old’ basis. If we can’t find an exact replacement, we’ll offer you a suitable alternative, or a full cash settlement.
Legal advice
We provide Legal Protection cover as standard, giving you access to telephone legal advice on any personal legal issue, under the laws of the UK, any European Union country, the Isle of Man, Channel Islands, Switzerland and Norway.
What isn’t included?
Damage cause gradually, or by wear and tear, or by failure to fix a known issue.
Faulty design or poor workmanship.
Damage caused by pets.
The cost of repairing or replacing items following a mechanical or electrical fault.
Lost items.
buildings & Contents Insurance Cover Levels
Our home insurance is designed to protect your home against insured events such as fire, storm, flood, escape of water, theft, malicious damage, subsidence, landslip or heave.
Buildings cover
Covers the main structure of your home if you need to rebuild or repair it.
up to £1 million
(eligibility criteria applies)
Contents cover
Covering the value of all your possessions in the home, on a new for old basis.
from £25,000
Alternative accommodation
For you and your pets, in case you can’t live at your home while it’s being repaired after an insured event.
up to £85,000
Home emergency
Covers emergencies that occur in your home like uncontrollable water leaks, electricity failure, faulty locks and vermin infestation. Two levels of cover are available.
up to £500
Family legal protection
Provides a 24/7 legal advice helpline and up to £25,000 cover for claims involving contract disputes and property damage. For a claim to be successful, there must be reasonable prospects (more than a 50% chance) of winning the legal case. Two levels of cover are available.
up to £25,000
Trace and access
Covers the cost of detecting the source of a water or oil leak and repairing any damage caused in the process.
up to £10,000
Outbuildings cover
Covers rebuild or repair of your outbuildings (such as detached garages, greenhouses, sheds and summerhouses).
from £20,000
Liability cover
Liability cover involving accidental death, bodily injury or illness or property damage that you are legally liable to pay.
up to £5 million
Personal possessions
Cover for portable items that you take out of your home, like bags, clothes and sports equipment
Optional
Gadgets, bikes and valuables away from the home
Cover for electronic gadgets (e.g. mobile phones, laptops, tablets etc), bikes (including electrically assisted bikes) and valuables (e.g. watches and jewellery) that you take out of your home.
Optional
Accidental damage
Covers situations when unexpected accidents happen, such as spillages on the carpet, breakages around the house or drilling through hidden pipes. Two levels of cover are available.
Optional
New Customer?
If you’re deciding on whether to buy home insurance with us, you can use our latest policy booklets as a guide.
Existing Customer?
Find answers to some of your questions here. Your latest policy documents are also available to view and download.
Your Questions Answered
Homeprotect will almost certainly be able to insure an underpinned house – but it’s worth getting a quote beforehand. Before contacting us to get a quote, make sure you know:
- Facts about the building’s history including the year that the building was underpinned.
- Details of all claims made, including any relating to subsidence events.
- What the cause of the subsidence was.
- If there has been any ground movement since the event.
- Whether there are any documents confirming that there have been no problems since the previous ground movement event.
The cost of underpinning a house varies considerably depending on the size of the property and the underpinning technique used. A suitably qualified structural engineer will be able to give you an indicative price for the cost of underpinning foundations.
The simple answer to this is ‘it depends’. Other factors such as its condition, interior décor, garden and, of course, how much of a hurry the vendor is in to sell will play a key part in determining the eventual selling price too.
If you don’t disclose major building works that you know have been carried out to your property then you could be taken to court later for misrepresentation.
As a general rule, you should not require planning permission to complete any maintenance on your foundations, but building regulations will still apply
One notable exception to this rule arises if your property is listed or situated in a ‘designated area’ (such as a conservation area, national park or area of outstanding natural beauty), whereby you should check with your local planning authority before any works are undertaken.
Additional Cover Options
Accidental Damage
The Homeprotect policy includes the option of Basic Accidental Damage, which covers electrical home entertainment equipment (such as desktop computers and monitors, DVD and Blu-Ray players, gaming consoles, home cinema systems, sound systems and TVs) up to £1,500 per claim. An upgrade …
Legal expenses cover
The insurance policy includes Basic Legal Expenses cover which provides up to £25,000 for legal fees you may face for disputes associated with your home; such as ownership of the insured property; and the sale or purchase of the insured property. You can upgrade to Full Legal Expenses cover.
Home emergency cover
The insurance policy includes Basic Home Emergency cover which provides cover for common home emergencies including burst pipes; failure of the domestic power supply (gas or electricity); and removal of pests or vermin. You can upgrade to Full Home Emergency to include cover for roof …
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Our insurance experts are on hand if you have any questions.