homeprotect FAQs

What's the difference between buildings insurance and contents insurance?

Buildings insurance covers the structure of the home together with its fixtures and fittings: it covers the cost of repair or rebuilding after fire or weather damage for instance. Contents insurance covers the contents of your home, the possessions you would take with you if you moved house.

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What does homeprotect buildings insurance cover?

It covers the main structure of your home. If it were to subside, burn down or be damaged or destroyed by extreme weather, your policy will cover the costs of rebuilding or repair. It also covers any permanent fixtures in your home like built-in wardrobes, kitchen surfaces, taps, basins, baths and showers.

homeprotect buildings insurance also covers outbuildings, boundary walls, gates, pools, drives and paths as standard (with only a few exclusions – please see the policy document for full details). It will also cover the cost of suitable temporary alternative accommodation should your home be uninhabitable following a claim.

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What does homeprotect contents insurance cover?

Contents insurance covers the contents of your home and your personal possessions - all the things you would normally take with you when you move house. Your furniture, carpets, computer, entertainment equipment, CDs, DVDs, videos, valuables, clothing, personal belongings - even the food in your freezer! You may be asked to specify certain higher valued items on the policy and you may be asked to make additional security provisions such as locks or a burglar alarm if you live in an area with a high theft rate.

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What amount should I insure my buildings for?

If you insure your buildings with us, normally, we automatically offer up to £500,000 of cover to rebuild your property. However, in certain circumstances, we need to ask you how much it would cost to rebuild your property and it will be covered for up to the amount you specify.

You should insure for the cost of totally rebuilding your property, NOT what its market value is. The amount to rebuild is generally less than the property's market value, as you don't have to pay for the land again if you rebuild.

If you are unsure as to whether £500,000 would be enough or what the rebuilding cost for your property is, please check the BCIS website to get an idea from the insurance industry trade body as to how much it would cost. If you are still unsure, please call us.

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How much should I insure my contents for?

If you insure your contents with us, you should insure for the cost of replacing as new, all of your household goods and personal possessions within the home. Sometimes, our quote will be based on the amount of contents cover as we are able to offer our best price on this basis. If you have not indicated how much cover you require for your contents, we have suggested an amount here that you might want to insure your contents for, based on the average of our current policyholders, but you MUST CHOOSE an amount that is appropriate for you.

Sometimes, our quote will be based on the type of property and number of bedrooms if we are able to offer our best price on this basis, in which case, your contents will be covered up to £50,000.

When working out whether £50,000 is enough or how much to insure for, go through each room and add up the value, as new, of everything in each room. Pay particular attention to the little things like clothing, footwear, CDs, carpets, curtains, kitchen equipment etc. You don't need to worry about telling us about expensive items such as plasma screens, sound systems or sofas as they're automatically covered within the total contents sum insured you specify. Please check the policy wording though as certain total limits apply in respect of valuable items such as jewellery and antiques.

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Are my personal possessions covered outside the home or if I go on holiday?

They can be. First you must buy at least your contents insurance from us. Then you need to opt to buy valuables and personal possessions cover from us otherwise the cover stops at your front door. So make sure you have some cover for all the things you carry with you every day such as purses, wallets, handbags, clothing, jewellery, cameras etc.

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What does accidental damage cover mean?

In addition to the standard buildings and contents cover, which protects your property against damage by theft, flood, fire and subsidence, accidental damage covers you for those everyday spillages and incidents that happen in and around the home – especially if you have children! So say, for example, you knock a cup of coffee over your nice pale sofa in the living room, unless you bought accidental damage cover, you would not be able to claim the cost of repair or replacement.

homeprotect includes some accidental damage cover as standard within both the buildings and the contents section of the cover. Things like televisions and other hi-fi equipment are automatically covered against accidental damage, even if you haven’t bought accidental damage cover in addition, so check the Summary of Cover to see what else is covered.

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What if my circumstances change during the time I’m insured with you?

Like all insurance premiums, your homeprotect premium is based on the information you provide when you initially buy the policy, or at renewal. If, during the course of the year, your circumstances change e.g. you go away on holiday for a month, or you let your home out to tenants, or you have redecoration or building work done and perhaps you have tradesmen in to do the work, you must let us know as soon as possible on 0845 371 1122. This is because it can affect the way underwriters assess the risk, and that means that the premium, or the terms and conditions of the policy, might have to change. If you don’t tell us, the policy can be declared null and void just when you need it most – when you need to make a claim. To make sure you avoid that happening, giving us a quick telephone call to update us with current information is all you need to do.

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What if I want to change the type or amount of cover after I have bought my policy?

If you would like to change any of the amounts you have insured, or would like to add or delete anything from your policy, you will need to call our Customer Services team on 0845 371 1122. They can handle all your questions over the telephone.

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Can I insure my bicycle with you?

Yes you can. However, because they can be valuable, and they tend to be left outside the home a lot, you need to make sure that you use the special section of cover called ‘Pedal Cycles’ to insure any bicycles you have. If you don’t choose that section of cover, it will only be covered when it is inside the home.

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Will my policy be affected if I go away on holiday?

No. You're covered while you are away providing you don't leave your home empty for more than 30 days. If you're planning to be away for longer than 30 days, simply contact us to arrange for your cover to be extended.

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Do you offer a new for old policy?

Our homeprotect policy provides cover on a ‘new for old’ basis. However, deduction will be made for wear and tear in any claim settlement involving clothing or pedal cycles for any item or part that is not repaired or replaced.

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Will it affect my policy if I claim?

In most cases, it shouldn't make an immediate difference to your policy. However, we may alter the terms of cover and/or increase the premium when it's time to renew the policy. If you have a break-in, we'll offer suggestions on home security and may ask you to carry out security improvements at your next renewal.

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What can I do if I change my mind?

You're free to cancel your insurance within 14 days of receiving your policy documentation and we'll refund your entire premium (less an administration fee of £40), unless you've already made a claim.

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How do I make a claim?

Make sure you keep your policy documents in a safe place, with the policy number and claims line number easily to hand. The webmoney home insurance claims line is free and is open 24 hours a day, and much of the paperwork can be done quickly and easily over the phone. Just call 0845 155 1944 (Calls may be recorded/monitored) to make a claim.

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What do I have to pay if I make a claim?

The amount you have to pay if you make a claim is called the policy excess.

There is a standard policy excess of £100, but to help reduce your premium by up to 30%, you can choose to add to this by selecting a voluntary excess. The levels of voluntary excess you can choose range from £50 to £900 which means that the total amount you would pay if you made a claim would increase from £150 to £1,000 respectively.

There is also a separate excess for flooding, subsidence/landslip/heave and escape of oil/water claims.

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How long does it take for a claim to be settled?

As soon as we have checked that your claim is covered by your policy, we will get the process moving. Straightforward claims are normally settled very quickly, and in all cases we will keep you informed of our progress.

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What sort of things are NOT covered by my buildings insurance?

Most claims can be settled. However, please note that unless you have selected the Accidental Damage option, you can only claim for the specific events detailed in the policy document. Even if you have opted to take out Accidental Damage cover, there are a few occurrences that are not covered.

Please see the homeprotect policy document for details of all exclusions and cover limits that apply to buildings insurance.

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My home insurance policies are with my mortgage company. Can I switch?

Typically, you are free to switch to the company of your choice. Check your mortgage agreement to make sure you don't need to tell your lender before you take out a new policy. You may be able to save money by switching (although you should check to see whether a cancellation fee applies should you switch).

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What is Family Legal Protection cover?

Family Legal Protection is an optional add-on to our homeprotect policy. It provides up to £50,000 cover for you in legal costs. This cover helps you to pursue claims for death or personal injury and any disputes arising from contracts for buying and hiring goods and services, selling goods, the rightful occupation or ownership of your home and contracts of employment.

Also, a free 24-hour Legal Helpline is provided.

There is an excess of £25 per claim payable but there is no limit to the number of claims you can make (with no impact on your No Claims Bonus on the rest of your homeprotect policy).

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What is Home Emergency cover?

Home Emergency is an optional add-on to our homeprotect policy. It saves you all the ringing-round you'd have to do if your central heating system stopped working, a pipe burst, if your drains got blocked or if a storm damaged your home.

One call to us on our 24/7 Home Emergency line provides up to £500 for call-out charges, parts, labour and materials.

There is no excess payable and no limit to the number of claims you can make (with no impact on your No Claims Bonus on the rest of your homeprotect policy).

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What is Lost Keys cover?

Lost Keys cover is an optional add-on to our homeprotect policy. It covers you for up to £1,500 for locksmiths’ charges, new locks & keys, car hire and onward transport costs following the loss of your keys (any key attached to the fob is covered including home keys, office keys and car keys).

There is no excess payable and no limit to the number of claims you can make (with no impact on your No Claims Bonus on the rest of your homeprotect policy). There is also a 24 hour Emergency Helpline available 365 days a year.

Before you buy this cover though, please be aware that if you buy homeprotect contents cover, or if you buy our optional home emergency cover then you will already have up to £500 of cover for replacement locks.

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Do I need to specify all of my valuable items, such as furniture and stereo equipment?

It depends whether you want your valuable items insured within the home only or away from the home (i.e. worldwide). Within the home we only require certain types of high value items to be specified if they are valued at more than £1,500. These are currently: pictures; clocks; porcelain; glass; gold; silver; gold or silver plated articles; jewellery; furs. Please note, you don't need to worry about telling us about expensive items such as plasma screens, sound systems or sofas as they're automatically covered within the total contents sum insured you specify. Please check the policy wording though as certain total limits apply in respect of valuable items such as jewellery and antiques etc.

Away from the home, all items over £1,500 in value need to be specified if they are to be covered. Also, all portable electronic equipment of any value and cycles need to be specified if they are to be covered (both within the home and away from the home).

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Do I need to provide proof of ownership for all of my possessions?

It depends on the item. For certain items you may be asked to provide proof of value within thirty days of the policy start date. Also, in the event of a claim you may be asked to provide evidence of value and ownership, such as purchase receipts, valuation certificates and instruction manuals. It is essential to provide such documentation for any valuables specified on the policy, such as jewellery, watches or works of art.

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Can I insure a property that is not my permanent residence?

We are able to offer cover for certain types of second homes.

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Is my computer covered?

Yes, our Contents policy automatically provides cover for home computers, including accidental damage protection. If you have a portable computer such as a laptop and require protection outside the home (or accidental damage within the home), you will need to take out our Personal Possessions cover (an optional add-on under our homeprotect policy. This will cover your portable computer against theft, loss or accidental damage anywhere in the World.

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Are my belongings covered away from the home or when I go on holiday?

Not unless you have taken out our Personal Possessions cover. This cover is an optional add-on to our homeprotect policy.

Under our homeprotect policy, our Personal Possessions option covers your personal belongings (including money up to £300 and credit cards up to £300) against theft, loss or accidental damage anywhere in the British Isles. Overseas travel cover is included for up to 60 days abroad each year. Any individual items worth more than £1,500 will need to be specified on the policy.

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Can I arrange cover just for my personal items?

We are currently unable to offer Personal Possessions cover as a standalone product - this can only be purchased as add on to Home Contents Insurance.

Personal Possessions insurance covers items that are designed to be worn or carried away from the home.

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Do you give a no-claims discount on home insurance?

You may be entitled to a no claims discount on your homeprotect home insurance - please check the terms and conditions in your policy documents.

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Will my Buildings Insurance cover my outbuildings, such as the garage and shed?

Yes. All domestic garages, outbuildings, sheds, extensions and conservatories fall under the definition of Buildings and are covered under the Buildings insurance section.

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