Table of Contents
Introduction
Your standard home insurance is more than just a policy to protect your belongings. It also protects you against injuries that happen on the property, and it can cover medical expenses if someone gets hurt there.
There are many types of standard home insurance policies. including contents insurance, but they all provide for these things in some way or another.
However, not all standard home insurance policies are created equal–high-quality standard home insurance may have higher premiums due to their benefits package being better. Some of the more basic home insurance policies do not include add-ons such as legal services/legal costs cover, cover for mobile phones etc, but even if you take those out and compare basic cover, there are some big differences in costs.
Emerald Life is an award-winning British insurance provider so if you are looking for property insurance and want to know how it works read on.
If you are interested in getting yourself Standard Home Insurance give us a call on 0330 113 7109
How much should home insurance cost?
When buying standard insurance you may be paying for both buildings insurance and contents insurance with some extras such as liability cover.
Buildings insurance cover can protect you – and covers the cost – if anything happens to the structure of your house.
The price of your insurance cover will vary depending on a variety of factors. The big issue here is what your home would cost to rebuild – often called the sum insured, with the sum insured based on a recent rebuild valuation or previous policy. Some policies offer unlimited cover, but these are being taken out of the market so would only really be relevant to an insurer’s existing customer or customers.
Also, buildings insurance and contents insurance can be affected by factors like location, age of your property, size of your property, value of permanent fixtures, security for your property and even the materials used can be a factor.
What about Emerald’s home insurance?
Our buildings and contents basic product has an upper limit of around £1,000,000 depending on circumstances. However, our medium net worth cover can offer you higher cover. More cover may be necessary for you if the rebuild cost of your house is high or else your house is constructed of non-standard materials, which will need to be disclosed but can be covered. The only exceptions usually are thatched roofs and anything made of asbestos.
By calling Emerald on 0330 113 7109 you will be able to find a cover for contents or buildings insurance that suits you.
What else do I need to know?
The cost can fluctuate depending on factors like:
- The current value of your property and the possessions inside it, the cost of a premium can fluctuate depending on the current market value. This will affect the cost of repairing damage which will raise or lower your premium.
- The age of your property, when it was built and how well it has been kept
- Security, does your building have secure locks to deter any attempted theft or correct protections from any accidental damage that could be common in your area like flooding.
- How your house is used can play a factor as it could require you to purchase unoccupied house insurance.
- Any optional extras such as cover for valuable items or damage caused accidentally, or the provision of alternative accommodation.
When can I take out home insurance?
If you are buying a house in the UK, you will need to take out insurance cover from the moment you become legally liable for the property, which is when you exchange contracts (not when the purchase is completed). From that moment you will need to have enough insurance to rebuild the property, or otherwise as your mortgage lender requires.
Although your lender will only require buildings insurance, you may want to have insurance for buildings and contents (as well as for personal belongings/personal possessions) to make sure that you are properly covered!
How to save money on non-standard home insurance?
One way to not pay higher premiums is by not making a claim for several years. If your buildings and contents insurance has remained unclaimed on your policy for multiple years you could find your insurance policy being lowered as a reward for being a good customer. Even with a lower premium, you will still be able to receive the same amount of cover. This is known as your no claims discount on the extra cover you wish to add-in.
Agreeing to pay a higher excess may also help to lower the cost of your standard home insurance policy as it will prevent the insurer from having to look at more, smaller, claims.
What is non-standard home insurance?
If you are seeking home insurance you may have to check if your house is included under standard home insurance as non-standard homes (including any listed building) may change the premiums and payouts for your home. And if you do not declare this (and pay the higher premium) you may find that the insurer will not pay our for property damage.
So a standard home is one where the construction of walls is brick or stone, and the roof is tile or slate.
For example, if the structure of your home is framed with timber, most insurers will ask that you state this as it will affect the risk associated with your building. But as to the exact details of what is not standard, we would always recommend that you read all policy wording to get the exact level of cover.
Generally, if your property is associated with a higher risk than standard home insurance then it will be classed as non-standard and you will be expected to pay a higher difference that represents the risk to your property. Just like standard home insurance, you will receive a no claims bonus if you don’t claim off your insurance which will
What counts as a non-standard property?
There are a variety of factors that decide if your home is non-standard, some include:
- having a thatched roof
- buildings with non-standard materials used that would result in higher rebuild costs.
- flat roofs
- properties containing asbestos
- steel frame properties
- properties undergoing major construction
If any of these apply to you and your home is non-standard construction it is advisable to tell your insurer in advance so you can receive the correct buildings and contents cover, and therefore be covered. Having that cover will help you have some peace of mind about accidental damage or attempted theft to your property.
Which home insurance is best?
As you can imagine, the right contents cover or buildings cover will depend on individual circumstances so what is ‘best insurance’. And obviously insurance for your home, rather than car insurance, travel insurance or the like!!
The right home insurance is the one that covers you for exactly what you need, which is why we have specialists you can talk to to get you the right deal for your situation.
Home insurance covers a wide range of incidents from buildings cover to contents cover so you can protect yourself from any accidental damage that could come your way. You will also be expected to declare any personal belongings of high value that you would like to make sure are covered. Here at Emerald, we provide cover on a range of different items and situations so if you have any questions you can just ask.
If you require any assistance in finding what home insurance is right for you just give us a call on 0330 113 7109 for a quick and easy quote
Home insurance FAQs
What is not covered by standard homeowners insurance?
Nonstandard houses (including any listed buildings) might raise premiums and payouts, so be sure your property is covered by standard homeowner coverage. If you don’t tell them this (and pay the higher premium), there may be a problem.
It is always best to check with your insurer as to what is covered and what your insurer may do with non-standard homes, so for example there may be restrictions and other obligations (such as a regular inspection of flat roofs).
How much should home insurance cost?
The cost of your homeowner’s insurance is determined by a number of factors. The major problem here is determining how much it would cost to restore your house – known as the sum insured, which is based on a recent rebuild valuation or previous policy.
Unlimited insurance may be obtained by some plans, but these are being discontinued and would only apply to an insurer’s current client or customers.
How much is home insurance on average in the UK?
This is not a question we can answer but costs can be from under £100 to several thousand for big and expensive homes.
Which home insurance is best?
The appropriate policy for you is the one that covers you for everything you need, which is why we have specialists who can assist you in obtaining the best deal for your needs.
Regulatory
Emerald Life has its registered office in England and Wales and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority FCA, firm reference number 666615 on the financial services register.
It is registered as a limited company registered in England in Companies House with registered number available there and is directly regulated and authorised given its registered address and registered office in England.
Companies authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority can be found at the Financial Conduct Authority’s website – fca.org.uk.
