Insurance
Protecting your home and belongings is essential, but finding the right insurance doesn’t have to be. With access to a wide range of policies, we’ll help you secure the best cover and price—all with just one call and no obligation.
Buildings Insurance
Protect Your Property & Get the Best Deal
Buildings insurance covers the cost of rebuilding your home if it’s damaged or destroyed. It’s usually compulsory if you’re planning to buy your home with a mortgage and you may not be able to get one unless you take out buildings insurance.
What is buildings insurance?
Buildings insurance covers the cost of repairing damage to the structure of your property. Garages, sheds and fences are also covered, as well as the cost of replacing items such as pipes, cables and drains.
Your insurance should cover the full cost of rebuilding your house. This also includes the costs of demolition, site clearance, and architects’ fees.
Buildings insurance usually covers loss or damage caused by:
- fire, explosion, storms, floods, earthquakes
- theft, attempted theft and vandalism
- frozen and burst pipes
- fallen trees, lampposts, aerials or satellite dishes
- subsidence
- vehicle or aircraft collisions
Do you need buildings insurance?
If you have a mortgage
Buildings insurance will be a condition of the mortgage and must be at least enough to cover the outstanding mortgage. Your lender should give you a choice of insurer or allow you to choose one yourself. They can reject your choice of insurer but can’t make you use their own insurance policy unless your mortgage package includes insurance.
If you buy a house you should take out buildings insurance when you exchange contracts. If you sell a house you are responsible for looking after it until the sale is completed so you should keep your insurance cover until then.
If your mortgage lender repossesses your home you’re responsible for insuring it until it is sold and you should tell your insurer that you are no longer living there, otherwise you may not be covered.
If you don’t have a mortgage
Buildings insurance isn’t compulsory but it is advisable. Think about how you would afford to rebuild your house if it were damaged or destroyed.
If you’re renting
Your landlord usually takes out the insurance, although you may be responsible for loss or damage to fixtures and fittings. Your household contents insurance may cover this
Contents Insurance
Protecting Your Home’s Essentials Inside and Out
It is a good idea to take out home contents insurance to cover your possessions against fire, theft and other risks, such as accidental damage. If something happens to destroy or damage your possessions, it can cost a lot of money to replace these items.
What is home contents insurance?
Home contents insurance covers you against loss, theft or damage to your personal and home possessions. It can also cover you if you take items out of the home, on holiday, for example.
The insurance covers your own possessions and those of close family members living with you. It may not cover the possessions of anyone staying with you temporarily.
You don’t have to take out home contents insurance. However, it’s a good idea to do so because if any of your contents are lost, stolen or damaged you will have to pay to replace them.
What should your policy cover?
Your policy should cover damage caused by fire, flooding, storms and theft. You may have to pay extra to cover accidental loss or damage to your possessions. This may be worth considering is you have children or pets. However, check what’s included.
You will also have to pay extra to cover possessions that you take out of the home, for example, cameras or jewellery, or to cover a particularly valuable item. Your policy may not cover the contents of a freezer or a mobile phone and there may be an upper limit for a single item.
Most policies carry an excess. This means that you won’t be covered for the first few pounds of a claim. A typical excess may be between £50 and £100.
Most policies offer new for old cover. This means you get the full replacement cost of items that are lost, stolen or damaged. However, some policies will only offer you the amount that your items are currently worth if you need to make a claim. Make sure you know what your policy is offering to replace before you take it out.
Home contents insurance can also pay a lump sum if you die from a fire, theft or accident at home. It can also cover you if someone is injured or dies when visiting you.
How much cover do I need?
Before you take out a policy you need to work out how much cover you need, based on the cost of replacing all your possessions. Many people under-insure themselves, so make sure you include everything, including carpets or flooring and the contents of your garage or shed. You may want to get several quotes before choosing a policy
Problems with home contents insurance claims
- If you are underinsured your insurer may only pay a proportion of your claim
- There may be a limit on what you can claim for a single item and you may have to pay an excess
- If you didn’t take out a new for old policy, you will not be covered for fair wear and tear to an item
- Your policy may say that your insurer can provide a replacement item rather than the money to replace it
- If one item in a set is damaged, for example, one chair in a set, you may not be able to find a matching replacement. If this happens your insurer should pay for the damaged item and an amount towards replacing the undamaged items.
Health Insurance
Quick Access to Quality Healthcare for You and Your Family
Health insurance is an insurance policy that covers the costs of private healthcare. It can also be called private medical insurance. It can cover you from diagnosis to treatment.
You’ll pay a monthly or annual fee for your policy. This will then cover all or some of the cost of any treatment that you need, as long as your treatment is covered by your policy.
Most health insurance covers conditions that develop after your policy has begun. You won’t usually have cover for conditions you already had.
Start by thinking about what you’d like to get from your policy. Your choice should depend on your lifestyle, who you want to cover, and what aspects of health you care most about.
Which health insurance benefits are most important for you?
- Physiotherapy
- Mental health support
- Cancer cover
- Cover for private treatment
- Cover for a private diagnosis
- A choice of private hospitals
- Online appointments
- Free online fitness classes or meditation programmes
Look at different levels of cover so you can compare the benefits on offer. Then get quotes from a few different companies. This will help you to compare the costs and weigh these against the benefits.
Health insurance doesn’t cover conditions or injuries you had before your policy started. Insurance providers call these ‘pre-existing conditions.’
If you’d like treatment for an existing problem, health insurance usually can’t help.
You could try pay as you go healthcare. This is another way to access private healthcare without using health insurance.
Make sure you understand what’s covered by a policy before you buy it. If you already have a health issue, it’s really important to check how this might affect your cover.
Many providers offer extra benefits or perks with their health insurance. You might be offered cheaper gym membership or rewards packages. Some offer online GP appointments or access to free online fitness classes.
Exactly what is and isn’t covered by a policy depends on the insurer and the policy you choose. Although most health insurance policies do agree on a few things.
Covered by most health insurance policies:
- Physiotherapy
- Mental health
- Cancer
- Acute conditions. This includes any illness or injury that you can recover from.
Not covered by most health insurance policies
- Conditions that you had before your policy started.
- Ongoing conditions with no known cure.
- Such as arthritis or diabetes.
- Cosmetic treatments.
- Emergency treatment.
- Allergies and food intolerances.
- Life events like pregnancy, menopause, or ageing.
Some policies do cover long-term treatment for cancer or mental health, even if there is no cure.
Landlord’s Insurance
Protecting Your Property and Rental Income
Landlord Insurance provides financial protection for landlords renting a property to tenants. It differs from standard Home Insurance by covering some of the additional risks associated with renting a property. It’s sometimes also called Landlord Home, House or Property Insurance, or Buy-to-Let Insurance.
Landlord Buildings Insurance cover protects you against a range of potential disasters that could affect your rental property.
This could include fires, lightning, storms, floods and earthquakes, as well as an escape of water or oil, falling trees or branches, vehicle collisions and more.
Do I need Landlord Insurance?
Legally, no. But your rental property is a major investment, so it’s important that you consider protecting it with suitable Landlord Insurance.
Regular home cover may not offer the cover you require. Being a landlord comes with its own unique set of challenges and risks and our specialist insurance is designed to meet those particular needs.
What does Landlord Insurance cover?
These products can differ markedly, which is why it’s wise to compare Landlord Insurance policies to make sure you get one that’s right for you.
As well as protecting buildings and contents, Landlord Insurance policies can cover against:
- Damage to your property (by the tenant)
- Lost rent and re-letting costs – whilst the property is uninhabitable following an insured event, as well as the costs of providing alternative accommodation for up to two years after an insured event. Up to a limit of £50,000.
- Re-letting costs – whilst the property is uninhabitable, as well as the costs of providing alternative accommodation for up to two years after an insured event.
- Emergency overnight accommodation (for your tenant)
- Emergency repairs
- Liability for injury or loss related to your rental property brought by third parties such as tenants, visitors or cleaners.
Also consider Rent Guarantee Insurance
If you are a landlord who lets a residential property, then you always run the risk of rent default by your tenant. Even if you have had the best checks and references carried out, you can never predict a tenant falling on hard times or losing their job or becoming ill and then not being able to pay the rent. Would you be able to cover your expenditure and costs over a prolonged period of time if this happened to you?
Rent guarantee insurance can be a valuable protection for landlords, especially those that rely on rental payments for their income. Policies can cover six- and twelve-month tenancy agreements. However, there are terms to these policies that mean they may not be suitable for everyone.
In the current economic climate, many landlords may be finding their rent default rates increasing, as many tenants struggle with unemployment, lower salaries and increased bills. Rent Guarantee Insurance can provide cover against your residential tenant defaulting or failing to pay the rent, taking away some of the stress associated with being a landlord.
Generally Rent Guarantee Insurances cover:
- Rent arrears covered up to £2,500 per month over a 12 month period (insurers vary)
- Legal expenses for the recovery of your property
You must obtain satisfactory references for each tenant or guarantor before the tenancy agreement started for rent arrears cover.
Policy limits and exclusions may apply.
What is covered:
- Buildings cover/ fixtures & fittings cover/ contents cover
- Up to £50k for rental arrears up to 12 months
- Legal expenses up to £50,000
Free access to legal and tax advice helpline - Property owners’ liability (£2,000,000 or £5,000,000
What is not covered:
- Commercial properties
- Properties outside of the UK
- Tenants that are already in arrears when the policy starts
- Contract disputes
- Tenants that are moving out
Please note that Landlords Insurance is designed to cover certain unforeseen events and doesn’t cover everything. It does not cover things like general wear and tear or damage that happens gradually over a period of time. There is also an excess on each claim.
related Services
Here are some other mortgage services that may be of interest.
Life Insurance
Offering expert guidance on life insurance options to protect loved ones financially if the unexpected happens.
Details
- Mortgage Life Insurance also known as Mortgage Protection
- Level Term Assurance – Interest Only Mortgage
- Decreasing Term Assurance – Repayment Mortgage
- Family Income Benefit – Provides lump sum or monthly income
- Cost Based on Health, Age, Amount & Term
Critical Illness Cover
Providing critical illness cover advice to safeguard your finances during serious health challenges and recovery periods.
Details
Critical illness insurance provides you with a lump sum of money if you are diagnosed with certain illnesses or disabilities.
Core conditions:
- Cancer
- Heart attacks
- Strokes
Conditions not covered:
- Pre-existing conditions
- Hereditary illnesses
- Chronic conditions
- Temporary illnesses
Income Protection
Guiding you through income protection options to ensure financial stability if illness impacts your earnings.
Details
- provides regular payments that replace part of your income if you’re unable to work due to illness or an accident
- pays out until you can start working again – or until you retire, die or reach the end of the policy term – whichever is sooner
- typically pays out between 50% and 65% of your income if you’re unable to work
- covers most illnesses that leave you unable to work – either in the short or long term (depending on the type of policy and its definition of incapacity)
- can be claimed as many times as you need to while the policy lasts
Business Protection
Expert advice on business protection to secure your company’s financial future against unforeseen events and loss.
Details
- Life insurance policy designed for businesses
- To protect business ownership and maintain control (shareholder protection)
- To protect profits (key man insurance)
- To pay off business debts (business loan insurance)