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.

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,

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.

Vacant 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 from Active

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. 

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.

Vacant Property Insurance from Active

Your home could be vacant for any number of reasons. You could be selling your house and are waiting for a purchaser or you have got a job abroad. For whatever the reason maybe your property is probably the most valuable asset and should be insured with vacant property insurance once it becomes unoccupied. Many of the traditional home insurance providers usually will not offer any form of home insurance cover for empty houses. At Active we have made it easy for you to obtain a highly competitive vacant property insurance quote.

Not only can we offer cover for unoccupied properties but we can also provide cover for the contents in an empty property. We do not provide contents cover in isolation but can do so as part of a combined buildings and contents vacant home insurance policy.

Even if your property is undergoing renovation including structural work we can still offer some form of empty home insurance coverage. Selling, buying, property subject to probate or any other reasons your home is vacant, call Active for a quote or advice.

We offer vacant property insurance quote for both residential properties and also for vacant business premises including pubs, warehouse, factory and other empty commercial buildings.

By leaving a house empty can result in many disadvantages to the property owner. Some of these include;

1. The value of the house can depreciate considerably
2. Without any maintenance the condition of property may rapidly deteriorate
3. The property may get occupied by squatters
4. Empty property insurance will be required as standard home insurance policies will not normally provide cover for buildings that have been empty for more than thirty days.
5. The risk of vandalism increases
6. There is also high risk of arson attacks, fly-tipping and break-ins

Most Council’s provide some sort of advice and help in bringing back these empty properties to occupation. Please contact your local authority to see if they have a scheme that can help to bring your vacant house back into occupation.

Another problem with empty homes is the safety aspect, especially posing a serious danger to young children. If you do own a home that is currently empty ensure that it is secure and kept in a good state of repair.
 
Run-down homes can also become a safety risk and pose a danger to children.  Empty homes bring down an area and threaten the health of the local community.

Many local authorities in the UK receive complaints about empty homes. Common complaints include:

• Rubbish being dumped
• Infestation of rodents
• Risk of injury to children
• Property left in a state of disrepair
• Drug users leaving syringes on the grounds

Empty buildings that are just left in bad state of repair and disuse can have a negative impact on the local environment and community.

Due to current economic factors more and properties are becoming vacant. This applies to both residential and commercial properties.

Most Councils within the UK have some form of empty homes initiatives in place, so if you have a property that has been empty for a long period of time speak to your local authority to see if they can help you with it.

Active Insurance has been providing empty home insurance for UK property owners since 1993.

Many different insurance companies provide policies for empty homes but finding the one to suit your requirements can be tricky. Not all the insurers will offer full cover on an empty home insurance policy. Some will omit theft or malicious damage from the cover. Others might not provide cover for say, a water leak within the property from a burst pipe. The important thing to remember is that you may be offered a cheap unoccupied property insurance quote, but does it provide all the cover that you may need. You certainly do not want to find out that you are NOT covered at a claim stage for something that you thought you were insured for.

Brokers and agents that specifically specialise in providing insurance cover for empty homes are probably the best port of call. Not only will they provide you with all the options but also they will provide advice and best methods in securing you unoccupied home from risks such as theft and water leaks. Also get the empty property insurance provider to email or post the full quote details to you so that you can check the terms and conditions thoroughly.

As a property owner you will be aware that having a valuable asset must be insured with the correct insurance cover in place. Try to obtain a few different quotes to assess the market. Again not all empty home insurance prices will be the same as the level of cover provided can differ considerably.

Empty home insurance is absolutely critical if your own a property that is going to be unoccupied for any length of time. To get the best deals on empty property insurance quotes, get online and get a few different quotes.

Best Tips on Unoccupied Property Insurance

As an owner of an empty property you will want to ensure that it is protected against risks such as fire, storm damage, vandalism, theft and acts of god. There are certain things you can do to minimise some risks to protect your vacant property:

• If the property does not have deadbolts and window locks fitted, try to get these security measures in place. Most insurers will usually insist on these before offering empty home insurance.
• A working burglar alarm system is a great deterrent for would be thieves. Having an alarm system with infra-red sensors and glass breakage detectors are easy to install without having to cost a lot of money.
• Probably the best security measure is giving your empty property the ‘lived-in’ look. Installing light timers, having curtains, perhaps getting your neighbour to park their car on your drive on occasions.  Also remove the mail on a regular basis.
• Also if you can visit the property on a daily basis or have the neighbour to check it on a regular basis will help in getting a better deal on your empty house insurance policy.

Tips on Cheap Unoccupied Property Insurance

I think you can assume that the cost of unoccupied property insurance will usually be higher than that of a standard home insurance. However you can reduce the cost of your vacant property insurance by:

• Increasing the standard policy excess.
• Taking out the basic cover of fire, lightening, earthquake, explosion and aircraft (and objects dropped from an aircraft)
• Comparing prices online with at least 3 different unoccupied property insurance companies. Rates can vary considerably from one insurer to the next.

Active for low cost unoccupied property insurance quote. Active Insurance has been providing empty house insurance policies for landlords and property owners for over 16 years.