Vacant Home Insurance Cover

Many home owners realise that buildings and contents insurance cover is essential for their financial protection. What home owners are not aware of is the fact that most home insurance policies will not provide any cover if the home is vacant or if they do provide cover then this if often very limited. Typical home insurance policies will allow full cover whilst the property is vacant for up to thirty days. However this is not the case with all home insurance providers, so do check your documents if you home is going to be vacant for any length of time. There are specialist vacant home insurance providers who will provide cover for unoccupied buildings and the contents within the premises.

So why do most conventional home insurance providers do not offer any cover on houses that are vacant. The main reason is that vacant homes pose a greater risk for claims resulting from theft, malicious damage, escape of water and vandalism. Most home insurance providers only specialise in standard risks and as such offer no cover on vacant homes. They still offer a certain number of days of cover whilst your home is vacant but each insurer have their own limits on the number of days the property can remain unoccupied for. Some will restrict the level of cover to a very basic cover whilst the home remains vacant.

Insurers that specialise in vacant property insurance will normally provide an annual policy but there are some unoccupied property insurance policies available for shorter terms such as 3, 6 or 9 months. Most of the vacant home insurance policies will have some conditions which the policy holder has to adhere to. These can include for the vacant home to be inspected at least once a week by yourself or an authorised representative. You will be informed of all the conditions that apply to a vacant home insurance policy during the initial quote stage. If you obtaining the unoccupied home insurance quote online then you must read the documents and make sure you understand exactly what the policy provides cover for and what your duties are.

Numerous reasons exist as to why a vacant home insurance cover is required. A long holiday or a temporary job employment overseas could result in the property being empty for an extended length of time. Perhaps the property is on the market to be sold or you are a landlord and are looking for new tenants. Whatever the reason maybe, you must make sure that you have adequate buildings insurance cover in place and that the insurance policy will offer protection in the event of a disaster occurring such as fire.

As with most types of insurance, increasing the policy excess can reduce the premium of the vacant property insurance. Underwriters will also provide favourable terms for empty homes that meet their full security requirements such as a working intruder alarm system and key operated window locks fitted on all accessible windows.

An important point to note is that you must provide accurate information to the insurers when getting a quote for your vacant home. Any material fact that is withheld and not disclosed could lead to a claim or part of a claim not being paid.

Active Insurance (Agents) is a UK leading specialist vacant home insurance broker for both residential and commercial unoccupied properties. Compare, quote and buy online.

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Short Period Unoccupied Home Insurance

Active offers from a basic level to full perils unoccupied property insurance cover for vacant homes that have become empty due to a number of different reasons. For this reason you can obtain an instant online short term unoccupied property policy for 3, 6 or 9 month cover.

The empty home insurance policy can be purchased online by using our easy online quote system thats powered by the CETA quote engine. For any online policies we do not offer advice or recommendations. Please ensure that this product meets your requirements prior to purchasing the unoccupied home policy.

A property may be unoccupied due to:

• The home is unoccupied because it is on the market to be sold
• The property is vacant due to the landlord awaiting for new tenants
• The house is empty due to probate
• The home is a new purchase and will be unoccupied until renovation work is completed.

If you need to speak to us regarding a vacant home policy quotation, you need to take a note of your quote reference and then call CETA directly on 0845 458 3068,

Vacant property Insurance – Increase in Empty Home Numbers

Home owners and landlords must ensure that the property insurance company is made aware immediately of the fact that their property is vacant if the situation arises. By not making their home insurance provider aware to this material fact, the vacant property owner could be at risk of having any claim on the unoccupied property being voided as well as risk having any form of insurance cover protecting their vacant building.

It is equally important to have a vacant property insurance policy in place to protect the empty building as it is for a home insurance policy protecting an owner occupied home. Because of the current economic climate many owners of unoccupied buildings are not insuring their property for many of the risks associated with vacant premises such as fire, theft and malicious damage.

The trend of not insuring vacant buildings not only applies to residential premises but also many unoccupied commercial premises are also left uninsured. Each year it is estimated that many millions of pounds worth of damage is caused to vacant buildings as a result of fire and vandalism.

Many UK property owners are taking huge gambles by not insuring their empty buildings and residential properties with mortgages are even at a greater risk as they are not complying with the condition of their mortgage by not having adequate insurance cover in place for their unoccupied home.

Active Insurance providing low cost online vacant property insurance

It is the responsibility of the unoccupied property owner that their premises is in a safe state and is not a danger to anyone including trespassers or otherwise. If an injury or an accident occurs at the vacant property and it transpires that the property was not safe then the property owners vacant property insurance policy could be invalidated. It is the property owners responsibility to ensure that the building is kept in a safe condition.

Some property owners wrongly assume that a conventional home insurance policy does not differ to an unoccupied home insurance cover. This assumption is clearly wrong and it is best advised to seek suitable advice from an experienced vacant home insurance provider.

For further information on unoccupied property insurance please contact Active Insurance directly on 0844 477 9805.

Property Insurance – Thawing Risks

With further snow and disruption the last thing in people’s minds is the subsequent thaw.  Burst pipes claims can be considerable with home insurance claims often running into thousands of pounds. A small fracture alone can release hundreds of gallons of water into your property; damaging carpets, walls, ceilings and also personal items.

 

The chance of suffering these losses can be reduced and we would recommend taking the following steps to do this:

 

General tips:

• Check the location of your stopcock. If a major leak does occur then the water supply can be switch off to prevent further damage.
• Check whether your boiler needs servicing. Regular maintenance of your boiler equipment can highlight any likely future problems.
• Check the insulation on your water pipes and cold water tank, those in the attic or other vulnerable spaces should be lagged or similarly protected.
• Modern methods of insulation can be so effective in keeping heat within your property that attics can become very cold, this could cause a pipe to freeze. We therefore recommend you keep your loft hatch open if you have pipes in the attic to keep this area warm.
• Keep doors between heated and unheated rooms open to allow warm air to circulate.
• Keep cupboard doors open below sinks to allow warm air to circulate around the plumbing.
• Seal any holes or gaps that may be letting cold air into your property.
• Make sure any valleys and gulley’s on your roof are kept clear and free from debris.
• Make sure any external taps are turned off and disconnect any hoses.
• If you discover a frozen pipe don’t wait for it to burst. Turn off your water supply and then slowly thaw the affected pipe by introducing gentle heat to the area e.g. hair dryer, space heater, hot water bottle. DO NOT attempt to thaw the pipe with a blow torch or other open flame such as a cigarette lighter or matches.  

 

What if you are going away or the property will be unoccupied?

• Keep your property heated to reduce the chance of a pipe freezing.
• If you are going away for an extended break drain and shut off your water system.
• Ask somebody to check on your property daily. This may not prevent a loss but early identification of an escape of water can help reduce the ultimate cost.
• Ensure you have complied with any unoccupancy conditions or warranties listed in your home insurance policy. If you need any clarification call us on 08444 779805.

  
What if the worst happens?

• Turn off the water supply at the stopcock. This should prevent any more water escaping into your property.
• Where practical try and catch any excess water in a bucket or other container.
• Do not use any electrics if you believe these may have been affected by the escaping water. You will need to have these checked by a professional electrician.
• Call us immediately on 08444 779805 to report your claim. We have to a wide range of specialists who can assist with the drying out and clean up of your property and also the necessary repairs or replacement. 

Vacant Home Insurance Guide

Most home owners are not aware that most house insurance companies will not provide cover to your buildings and contents if your property is left unoccupied for more than thirty days. Obviously a vacant property is more likely to be vandalised than an occupied home. Also risks such as escape of water from a burst pipe could potentially cause thousands of pounds of damage if left unattended. This is probably one of the biggest risks to a vacant home. If you are going to leave your home unoccupied for more than 30 days check with your home insurance company to see if they will still provide the necessary cover or else you will need to obtain a vacant home insurance policy.

Not all vacant house insurance policies are the same. Check with the provider what level of coverage that you are getting as most will only provide FLEEA cover only. This essentially provides cover for the following risk; Fire, Lightening, Earthquake, Explosion and Aircraft only. There are many providers that will extend this cover on empty homes to full cover so theft and property owners liability is also included.

A vacant home insurance policy is absolutely necessary for houses that will be left unoccupied for some time. Active Insurance is a leading UK broker providing unoccupied home insurance for all types of residential properties.

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