You might think it is easy to compare Unoccupied Home Insurance, but unfortunately, often it isn’t.
The insurance market considers empty property insurance as ‘non-standard home insurance’ because of the higher risk of claims empty property poses. Not every insurer wants to cover this; where they do, there isn’t a consistent policy and cover structure.
Empty homes pose a higher risk of claims from burst pipes, vandalism, fire, theft, etc. So, to manage their profitability, insurers try to limit their losses by applying more restrictive cover and policy conditions than what you would find on your standard home insurance policy.
So, whereas buyers of standard home insurance policies are used to easy-to-understand cover levels such as an option to insure buildings and contents with or without accidental damage, unoccupied home insurance buyers are faced with varying cover levels and policy conditions they aren’t used to like property inspections, switching off utilities or draining water systems.
Many online providers don’t flag these differences upfront. You must read and understand the cover in every quote to understand what you must do to comply with the policy conditions.
Plus, the market is smaller than that of standard home insurance, which means there is less choice, and the right cover is often hard to find.
This post will walk you through the challenges of comparing and finding the right cover.
Alternatively, you could get a quote from Insuristic in a couple of minutes online. We have explained everything you need to know upfront, with cover that won’t catch you out, prices that won’t break the bank and an in-house claims service to help you should the worst happen.
To make this easier for our clients, we have developed two specialist policies:
Most people are used to visiting a comparison site to check prices on their car, home and travel insurance.
However, because of the reasons I have already explained, it is almost impossible to compare unoccupied home insurance due to variations between providers. Many people don’t realise that comparison sites aren’t insurance brokers.
Comparison Sites are effectively affiliate businesses that capture your information and pass it virtually to their panel of insurance brokers and insurers so you can insure directly. Whilst their convenience can make getting standard insurance policies easier, they are an extra mouth to feed in the chain.
This is why you will never find Insuristic on a comparison site.
If you look at the leading comparison sites, my view is backed up by their lack of ability to compare unoccupied home insurance cover:
Go Compare does not offer an online quote process for unoccupied home insurance; instead, it refers you to several insurance partners who may or may not have a specialist policy.
Money Supermarket says it compares unoccupied home insurance, but it has partnered with one provider called InsureMy, which offers a standard home insurance quote journey.
Confused: They don’t compare unoccupied insurance policies; they suggest their standard home insurance might be willing to provide some cover whilst the property is unoccupied. However, this may or may not be the right coverage, given that the providers may not be specialist non-standard home insurance providers.
Uswitch – standard home insurance only, and no mention of unoccupied home insurance on their site.
None of this is easy. Therefore, it may be worth approaching specialists like Insuristic first. We have done the thinking for you with a quality product designed specifically for insuring empty property.
The most common cover provided by standard and non-standard home insurance providers is referred to as FLEEA Insurance, which covers damage caused by Fire, lightning, Earthquake, Explosion and Aircraft.
This is a pretty basic cover and may not be appropriate for many people.
Suppose you are legally responsible for insuring property in your care, such as arranging insurance as an executor or insuring an empty property while the owner is in care via a power of attorney. In either scenario, you should be careful with this level of cover.
If there is an uninsured loss, such as theft or a burst pipe, you could be liable for the loss as you could have arranged insurance for it.
Insuristic will provide this cover if it is appropriate for your needs and is our Bronze level of cover.
The challenge you will find online is that many cheaper insurance policies are on this basis. But others might mix it up and include some (or all) cover for:
The differing cover and excesses insurers charge in the event of a loss make it difficult for a non-insurance person to compare the cover on a like-for-like basis.
But it’s not just the cover level that varies; so do the unique requirements of each insurer to manage the risks your empty property faces.
Most people have never insured an empty property before, so they may not be familiar with these requirements, which are often conditions of the policy.
Warning: Non-compliance with policy conditions can mean your claim is declined or reduced.
Here are some examples of common policy conditions to look out for:
In addition, most insurers want you to keep the property presentable with a lived-in appearance to minimise the risk of theft and break-ins so they may contain the following conditions in the policy:
Before looking for insurance, be clear about the cover you would like.
For inspiration, why not review the insurance cover that Insuristic provides as an example? You should find the cover you need by reviewing our Bronze, Silver and Gold cover.
Then, standardise your enquiries with insurance providers so that you ask each for this specific level of cover. This will help simplify your comparison of the cover provided by each provider.
Review the cover provided in each quote against the cover you asked for and identify any gaps.
Lastly, it is hard to quantify exactly how long you might need the cover for. If you are selling a house or the property is in probate, knowing exactly how long to insure for is ‘a finger-in-the-air’ job.
Check if the provider charges fees for early cancellation or for merely issuing the policy, as this can increase the cost.
Lastly, you will only know how good a policy is when you need to make a claim.
Before you buy a policy, review the provider’s website to see how easy it is to make a claim. Is the information easy to find? Do they explain the process? Would it be easy to do?
For example, if you look at the Insuristic website, every product page clearly explains how to make a claim. For example, check out our property claims page.
If all of this sounds like too much work, Insuristic can simplify the process.
Our policies are designed specifically for empty homes via our probate house insurance policy for property in probate or, if the property is empty for any other reason, our unoccupied home insurance policy.
Here are some reasons to insure with Insuristic:
Claims: In the event of a claim, our in-house claims team at SJL Insurance will provide advice and assistance at every stage of your claim, assist with loss adjusters and help you negotiate the best possible settlement with your insurer.
So, if you want the peace of mind that insuring with a specialist provides, why not get a quote from Insuristic today?
Hi, I'm Rob, CEO and Founder of Insuristic. My mission is to make insurance easier to understand and buy online.
I hold an Advanced Diploma in Insurance (ACII) which demonstrates I have a solid technical understanding of Insurance and have committed to continuous professional development. I am also a member of the Chartered Insurance Institute and hold the a Chartered Insurance Broker status.
Over the last 27 years, I have worked for insurers, insurance brokers and insurance technology businesses, specialising in product, sales and marketing.
You can find out more about me on my author page.
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