The Home of Home Insurance. Your home is so much more than just concrete. Whether you have a flat, a house or a mansion, home is where the heart is and you’ll want to give it the cover it deserves. With home insurance through Opus Re you can do just that – and you could also save money into the bargain!
No one likes to think of anything untoward happening to their property, but it’s a sad fact of life that fires, floods and other accidents happen. If they do, you’ll want to know that you have the property protection you need to put your house in order, so contact your local Opus Re office and ensure you home is safe as houses.
There are two distinct types of home covers that we will look at in turn – Buildings insurance & Contents insurance.
Buildings cover pretty much does what it says on the tin. It protects your building’s physical structure – the walls, roof, foundations as well as the fitted fixtures such as the kitchen, bathrooms and fitted wardrobes. A typical policy will help you should your home be affected by hazards such as: Fire, Flood, Subsidence, Water leaks, Storms, Tempest and Falling trees.
Depending on your location and your circumstances, you may wish to add some additional protection options to your cover. Popular ones include:
Unoccupied property insurance – this is an essential extra if you are planning to leave your home vacant for an extended period of time; typically, around 30 days or more.
Is Buildings Insurance Compulsory?
It’s a common misconception that buildings cover is a legal requirement, but it isn’t. However, as most mortgage providers will insist on you having it in place before they provide you with the funds, it’s pretty much a must-have. Add to that the potentially catastrophic consequences of not having it in place and buildings insurance really is an essential protection.
How Much Buildings Insurance Cover Do You Need?
Many home owners believe that their buildings insurance policy should be enough to cover the market value of your home. The reality is that you only need enough to cover the rebuild costs of the property should it be burnt to the ground or devastated by a falling tree.
The cost of rebuilding is often lower than the market value so you can afford to take out a lower level of cover. However, if you live in an unusual, listed or old property then cost of a rebuild may actually be higher than the market value. This is because getting enough materials to rebuild a large property, Victorian brickwork features, ancient timber beams or sash windows can push up the cost of a rebuild significantly.
It’s important to get your level of buildings insurance right. Take out too much and you’ll end up paying for something you don’t need. Take out too little and you run the risk of property underinsurance – a serious problem that affects around 30% of households globally according to the Association of British Insurers. If you are underinsured then you could be left facing a hefty bill should the worst happen.
To make sure you get the right level of cover you can either talk to a building surveyor or If in doubt, contact your local Opus Re office for some friendly advice. It’s also worth remembering to update your valuations from time-to-time – especially if you have had work done such as an extension or modernisation. Simple inflationary changes can also leave you with less protection that you need.
Home contents insurance – also known simply as contents insurance – protects the things in your home. From your curtains to your TV, should they be lost or damaged due to eventualities such as fire, flood, theft or even an explosion or a lightning strike, then your contents policy will pay for replacements.
When taking out a contents policy – be it as a standalone policy or as part of a combined contents and buildings home insurance package – you’ll have a few options for your cover:
This is pretty standard these days and it means that anything you lose will be replaced like-for-like with a new one.
This takes into account wear and tear and depreciation of contents and in the event of a claim the insurer will calculate the current market value and pay you that, rather than the new replacement cost. While indemnity policies are cheaper, most people tend to go for new for old cover.
Accidents happen; phones get dropped down the loo, windows broken, carpets stained, and vases smashed. If you have accidental damage cover as part of your policy then you can make a claim should an accident occur.
With most of us now carrying mobiles, iPads, FitBits, and a range of other gadgetry out with us, having a personal possessions option to your policy makes a lot of sense as it could cover these items when you are away from home.
this will obviously vary depending on your circumstances, the number of rooms in your property, the number of people living in your home and whether you have specific valuables such as jewellery, art, antiques or fine wine.
According to the Association of British Insurers ( a benchmark for global insurers), the average family estimates their contents at around $30,000 when in reality the cost of replacing everything would be closer to $60,000. Getting the figure right obviously matters should you need to make a claim. Here are a few tips on how to get yours right:
Make an inventory of everything you have, from carpets to curtains, lampshades to rugs, tablets to tables. Make sure you note everything so you know if the worst happens, you’ll know what you need to claim for.
Remember to check the garage, the garden, and any outbuildings you may have if you want items contained there to be protected too.
Once you have the list, go online and get the price of everything. If you have an indemnity policy then either make an educated guess as to how much value they have lost or look on eBay and see what sort of prices second-hand goods are selling for.
Most standard home contents insurance policies will come with limits on items. A policy may state that jewellery is only covered to a value of £1,000 and if you have expensive jewellery, including watches, that may not be sufficient cover. Also watch out for items that have appreciated in value such as wine collections. The fine wine market has been extremely buoyant in recent years. For example; a case of Château Lafite 2005 has gone from around £4,000-£7,000 since its release and such increases need to be factored into any cover you have.
Your insurer will probably ask for details of any valuable items, and it is important that you give them all the relevant information. If not, you could invalidate the policy and the insurer could refuse to pay out in the event of a claim.
Reduce the risks – simple things like installing window locks, putting deadlocks on doors, and ensuring trees are kept trimmed so limbs won’t crash into the house can all help reduce your risks and therefore your premiums. Also, make sure your property is as burglar-proof as possible. Security lights, keeping fences maintained and locking outbuildings and sheds will all deter thieves and so reduce the chances of a burglary claim.
Shop around… spend some time comparing quotes and covers. You may be surprised by how much you could save.
Better still, get someone to shop around for you – an independent insurance broker will not only be able to do the shopping around for you, but they will have access to policies that aren’t available to the public meaning they could save you time and money.
Say yes to a higher excess – if you have a good claims history, i.e. you have a history of not making claims, then a higher excess could be a good way for you to reduce your policy costs.
Of course, not all homes are the same and some represent specific, ‘difficult’ risks to insurers that need special types of cover. This is collectively known as non-standard property insurance. The most common of these policies are:
If your property is going to be left empty for more than 30 days at a time, your standard home insurance may not be valid. Opus Re is experienced in this type of cover, so to find out more either click here to read about our unoccupied property insurance policies we can offer or contact your local Opus Re office.
Since the launch of TV programs like Grand Designs, self-build properties have become much more common. What these programs don’t tell you, however, is that it can be a risky business and a standard home policy is unlikely to be adequate if you are building your home from scratch. During the build, you’re going to have a building site which means you will want to consider public liability insurance and, if you are employing contractors, employers’ liability cover. Once completed you may find that insurers will deem your property to be of non-standard construction or design and you may need a bespoke home insurance policy. If you are thinking of a self-build or if you are having trouble gaining affordable cover for your self-built home, then contact your local Opus Re office and see if they can help you get an affordable self-build insurance quote.
We’ve seen more and more severe floods over the last few years. An increase in the frequency of severe storms has all combined to make flooding a real issue for many homeowners. Owing to the cost of claims, some insurers have become reluctant to cover houses at risk from flooding, and getting affordable cover can be a problem. Doing things to reduce the risk of water getting into your property – such as installing a flood board against natural points of entry such as doors and flood gates at the end of your drive – will help, but the best thing to do is talk to an insurance broker who has access to policies for flood-risk properties. Your local Opus Re office will be able to help you find an affordable flood-risk property insurance quote.
Opus Re's home team have years of experience in providing great value home insurance. So why not get in touch with your local Opus Re home today. They will be more than happy to assist you with finding the cover you need for an affordable premium.
