Buildings
The structure itself — walls, roof, floors, fitted kitchens and bathrooms. Your lender will require it in place before completion on a house. Flats are usually covered by the freeholder’s policy.
Insurance
The cover your lender insists on, and the cover you will be glad of.
Buildings, contents and landlord insurance — arranged for completion day, and explained in terms of what would actually be paid out.
No client fee · No obligation
What we arrange
Three coversContents
Everything you would take with you if you moved. Most people insure for far less than they own, because they value the television and forget the wardrobe.
Landlord
Buildings cover written for a let property, with property owner’s liability and, if you want it, loss of rent and legal expenses.
What to check before you buy
Four things that decide a claimRebuild cost, not market value
Buildings cover is based on what it would cost to rebuild, which is often far less than the price you paid. Insuring the wrong figure costs you money or leaves you short.
The excess
The part you pay on every claim. A high excess buys a cheaper premium and hurts on a small claim.
Accidental damage
Rarely included as standard. It is the difference between a paid claim and a refused one when someone puts a foot through the ceiling.
Unoccupied periods
Most policies restrict cover once a property is empty for thirty days or more. It catches out probate sales and renovations.
Insuring the wrong figure costs you money or leaves you short.
Straight answers
Insurance questionsDo I have to use my lender’s insurance?
No. Lenders require buildings cover but cannot require you to buy theirs, and it is always worth comparing before you accept it.
When does the cover need to start?
On exchange of contracts for a house, because from that point the risk is usually yours. We time it so there is no gap.
Is my flat already covered?
Usually the freeholder insures the building and recharges it through the service charge. You still need contents cover, and it is worth checking the building sum insured.
What does it cost?
Less than most people expect. We will show you two or three real quotes with the excesses and exclusions side by side rather than a single headline figure.
How we are paid. We act on your behalf, not the insurer’s. You pay us no fee; we are paid commission by the insurer when a policy starts, and that commission does not vary by which insurer you choose. You can ask us what it is at any point before you decide. Insurance policies are subject to eligibility, underwriting, terms, conditions and exclusions. Benefits may not be paid in all circumstances.
Completing soon?
Tell us the completion date and we will have cover in place for the day, not the week after.
Where to next
Chosen for this pageMORTGAGES
Buy to let
If the property is let, the cover and the mortgage both work differently.
Read this next PROTECTIONProtection
Buildings cover protects the house. Protection covers the people paying for it.
Read this next QUESTIONSThe questions people ask
Excesses, underinsurance, and what a policy will not pay for.
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