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This page is for home owner insurance
| home owner insurance |
This page is for home owner insurance |
Some policy details of the biggest brands for UK building insurance ...
Norwich Union is the country's largest insurer. Choosing your policy online will give you an extra 10% discount Updated March 2004 |
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happyhomeinsurance.com is a site to help you find home owner insurance . |
Top ten tips when taking out home insurance policy quote
If you are looking for a contents insurance ,
at happyhomeinsurance.com
your sure to find most of the sites you would probably want to visit for a cheaper sites
for a contents insurance .
If you have a mortgage then your lender will usually insist that your property
is covered by full buildings insurance. This is to protect themselves, as if
your house were completely destroyed they would need to know that you had the
means to finance its repair. Also, a homeless borrower will hardly inspire confidence
in a company expecting regular mortgage repayments.
Up to a certain amount (usually £50,000), your policy will cover your
possessions, either stated by you, or categorised by the insurance company.
The insurance policy might ask you to submit a contents list, with individual
items over a certain value specifically priced. This varies with different insurance
companies. There are two main types of cover:Old-for-New - Items are replaced
at their current market value and Indemnity Cover - The Insurance company will
take into account general depreciation. Old-for-New is the better option, so
don't forget to check which type of cover the Insurance company is offering.
If the value of your contents exceeds £50,000 you may have problems finding an insurer! We recommend you try Direct Choice or Quoteline
Again, you can add accidental damage to your contents policy an example of
which would be the dog knocking the TV off the table. This may be included as
standard on some policies.
When the two are purchased together, you get one policy called buildings and
contents insurance (unsurprisingly). You will often be given a discount if you
take out both buildings and contents insurance with the same insurer.
If you are studying away from home (e.g. at college/university), sometimes your
parents home insurance covers your possessions. But you can also take out a
student possessions policy with Endsleigh
Other options You may be able to choose:
freezer contents
Usually up to £300 or £500
Personal possessions
Usually this means possessions outside the home, such as credit cards and cash.
This is nearly always an extra option
legal cover. This generally will cover legal disputes that relate to you personally,
such as residence and boundary disputes and personal injury (including medical
negligence). This is generally a cheap extra (around £12), a few insurers
provide it as standard.
For a cheap home owner insurance in the UK visit happyhomeinsurance.com
If you are getting an Old-for-New policy, make sure that you value your contents at their replacement value, and not at their actual value.
Don't fall into the trap of getting home contents insurance from a mortgage
provider - you are more likely to get a better deal elsewhere.
If you are studying away from home (e.g. at college/university), sometimes your
parents home insurance covers your possessions.
For the cheapest cheap home owner insurance or home owner insurance in the UK visit happyhomeinsurance.com now.
There are two basic types of home insurance that it is advisable to take out to protect your property:
Buildings cover.
This protects the basic structure of your property. That is the walls, windows,
floors etc. Most policies will protect you against fire, storm, flood and vandalism
as standard, but dont forget to check!!!
You can then add accidental damage to your buildings policy which will protect
you from accidents such as putting your foot through the ceiling while in the
loft). This may be included as standard on some policies .
Contents cover.
Contents Insurance policies cover movable objects inside your home or belongings
and possessions that are not part of the fabric of your home such as carpets,
curtains, TV and computer. Some also cover freezer contents (often as an extra
option). The premium you will pay for home buildings or contents insurance can
vary widely depending on how big your home is, what kind of cover you want,
the value of your possessions, and the location of the home. Most will cover
contents up to around £50k. That sounds like a lot but if you add up the
replacement cost of everything in your home, it will add up! Remember not to
undervalue your contents. If your home burned down to the ground, you would
regret it!!
Household Security tips:
Security marking is a simple and inexpensive way of making your possessions
identifiable and will increase the chance of them being returned if they are
stolen. The recognised method is by using your postcode, followed by your house
number or the first two letters of your house name.
A house which looks occupied will be less likely to attract burglars. Leaving
lights switched on is one way to create the impression that you're at home,
but timing switches which turn lights on and off automatically while you're
out are even more effective. Other household electrical appliances, such as
radios, hi-fi systems and televisions, can also be operated in the same way.
Don't leave valuable property in a shed which is either unlocked or so old and
run down as to be no obstacle to a thief.
Gardening tools and furniture are very saleable items for a burglar. What's
more, tools stolen from your shed can be used to burgle your home as well! Don't
make it easy to steal them.
Many insurance companies insist that the installation of alarms is carried out
by companies registered with the National Approval Council for Security Systems.
The Association of British Insurers recommends fitting outside doors with deadlocks
which conform to BS3621.
Flood advice
If your home is in an area which is prone to flooding or subsidence it will
probably effect the insurance costs. Unfortunately there isn't a lot you can
do about this, apart from moving home and taking appropraite precautions once
a flood warning has been issued. Information on high risk areas is available
at
www.environment-agency.gov.uk
National Flood Warning Centre - 01276 454 725
Or check up on the area
www.homecheck.co.uk
If you receive prior warning of flooding you may be able to take the following
action to minimise damage to your home and belongings, but only if it is safe
to do so and you have enough time!
Protect external doors, with sandbags if you have them
If possible, move furniture and electrical items upstairs
If you are unable to leave your property, fill a vacuum flask with a hot drink
and take items such as a torch, warm clothing, a battery operated radio (tuned
to the local radio station for updates) and a mobile telephone (if you have
one) upstairs, until the danger has passed, or help arrives
If you have time, seal any delicate items in plastic bags to protect them form
water damage
Ensure that your insurance documentation is at hand with helpline numbers
Pack a small selection of dry clothes and toiletry essentials, importantly including
any medicines and emergency phone numbers
If your home has been flooded, we advise that you take the following action
Turn off the electricity at the mains
Lift any sodden carpets to allow the floor to dry. For an inexpensive Cooling
fan or ventilator fan try cooling-fan-electric-evaporative-portable-industrial.co.uk
Use a low heat to gently dry things out - using a high heat can cause further
damage. Safety first - don't use electrical sources of heat near flood water.
For an inexpensive infrared heater in the UK, try infrared-heater-radiant-electric-gas-kerosene.co.uk
Once the flood water has gone, take professional advice before you start redecorating.
You may need to let brickwork dry out for some months
If you are drying out your building by the central heating system alone, make
sure the rooms are ventilated. For an inexpensive dehumidifier, try dehumidifier-humidifier.com
If you are using a dehumidifier, make sure doors and windows are closed. For
an inexpensive dehumidifier, try dehumidifier-humidifier.com
Be patient-taking time to dry out your home properly now could save a lot of
time later on when it comes to redecorating
If you property suffers severe flooding, you should not attempt to get through
flood water to leave - it will probably be safer to move to an upper storey
rather than risk wading through deep flood water, where there is a danger you
could be swept away by the current.
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