UK House Insurance - Help, My House Is Sinking!

First of all, this is going to cost money. There is a serious excess, i.e. you will be made to pay the first part of your claim. Most UK home insurance policies now impose an excess of £1,000 but you might shop around for less. It's best to have some money put to one side!

Secondly, your claim could take months, if not years to resolve. There is a long list of exclusions. Here is a typical list. If one or more of these apply, you might well be without any help from your insurance company.

No outside patios, decks, walls, gates, terraces, paths, drives etc. are covered if none of your main buildings or outbuildings are damaged.

Landslip by coastal erosion.

Movement of solid floor slabs unless foundations beneath outside walls are also damaged by the same cause

Bedding down of new structures or the settling of newly worked ground.

On a happier note there are the extras that apply to standard cover. These exceptions provide some accidental damage cover with your standard perils.

Underground service pipes and cables. Apart from wear and tear, you are pretty well covered for any damage you might be responsible for as the property owner.

Glass and sanitary fittings. Again accidental damage to your built in ceramic hobs, bathroom fixtures and all windows in the building. Beware, that there could well be a clause later on into the policy that will specify what you are allowed to claim for. Each item is treated as a separate entity, not as part of a set. Thus, if your wash basin is accidentally damaged, don't wait for your insurance company to fork out for a full new bathroom suite!

Alternative Accommodation. This can be a very important benefit if it becomes dangerous or impossible to stay in your home. Your insurer will pay for you to be housed elsewhere. This might be a nearby hotel or maybe the additional cost to family and friends if they can give you a roof over your head. At least one insurer will also pay the boarding costs for any pets if you have to be away from them. Cover might also provide for either payment of rent or loss of rent due if you are a landlord. There is a limit, a sum insured which is normally around 20% of the overall sum insured for your buildings cover.

Incidentally, if you sell your property, the person who buys it can enjoy the benefit of the cover up to the completion date provided they have no policy of their own in force at the time.

BASIS OF SETTLEMENT - All reputable policies will provide for 'reinstatement'. That is, in effect, 'new for old'. It will be restored with new materials and should the entire structure be beyond economical repair, it will be completely restored with new materials and no payments from you (with the exception of any excess due). With some buildings, meeting new regulations might mean increased costs. Sadly, if only part of the building is damaged and restored, the remainder of the building would very likely come under the latest building regs and this updating and its related costs would be down to you. Demolishing, removing debris, shoring up and so on will all be covered as are professional fees such as architects and surveyors, legal fees and fees for plans, estimates and so on.

In all instances the insurance companies like to be in control of the matter so if cracks start appearing in your walls, report it to them at once. Instructing your own surveyor could end up with them recommending that you prop up your house when it might not be required. You would find yourself in dispute with your insurance company.

There are countless issues that will arise during a subsidence claim. Because of the length of time that these claims can take, things such as trying to change your insurer, trying to sell your home and so on are all fraught with anguish. It would take a book to clarify them all. One that is worth mentioning is that if you have changed insurance companies, the previous company might be required to contribute to your claim under the A.B.I. Domestic Subsidence Agreement. This prevents disputes between insurers as to who pays for what. You should not be affected by any negotiation between the companies.

We'll finish by considering what happens should an underground pipe leak and cause movement and thus subsidence? What insured peril should apply and what excess will you have to pay? Do your best to demonstrate that the loss should be dealt with by the the underground services peril. That way you are not required to pay the imposed excess of a subsidence claim. It is all down to what insurers call the 'proximate cause'. You must attempt to prove that the proximate cause of the subsidence is the leaking or broken pipe.

Article Source: http://www.myaddirectory.com

This article was created by Terry Cod. He has many years of experience working as a claims adjuster with UK insurance companies. His website www.instant-online-insurance.co.uk offers tesco home and contents insurance with online quotes and secure online payment.

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