The 5 Things Nobody Tells You About Buying Insurance For An Unoccupied House

If you have a property that’s empty, then it’s important to know as much as you can about insurance for an unoccupied house. The thing is, house insurance for empty houses is different from a standard policy that you have for where you live and if you don’t get the right policy you simply won't be covered.

It could be that your house is on the market, but you’ve already moved on. Maybe your second home is used for holidays and left empty much of the year. Perhaps you’ve inherited a property and you’re still considering what to do with it. No matter what the reason for the property being unoccupied is, you’re going to need buildings insurance for empty properties. By reading on, you’ll find all that you need to know.

What is house insurance for unoccupied properties?

This type of house insurance is exactly what it says it is: it provides insurance for an unoccupied house that has been left empty. If you simply insure this property with a standard policy, you’re likely to find that you’re simply not covered. Many standard policies state that if a house is left unoccupied for 3—60 days, the policy is invalidated. This means that if anything went wrong, the insurance company wouldn’t payout.

Specialised buildings insurance for empty properties cover you where a standard policy won’t. It takes into consideration that, by being empty, there is a greater risk of theft, structural damage and even flooding. The policy is written in such a way that these risks are all covered and, unlike with a standard house insurance policy, you won’t be left high and dry if the worst happens.

Insurance for an unoccupied house and its contents

While buildings insurance for empty properties will cover the building itself, what about any contents that you may have inside? It’s obviously great to know that you're covered in terms of structural damage but there can be times when the value of contents can soon add up, and leaving them without cover becomes a gamble that isn’t worth taking.

The key here is to ensure that any house insurance for unoccupied properties that you take out also covers the contents. Just as with standard house insurance, when you’re looking at an unoccupied house you can ensure that you’re protected beyond just the property itself.

What else is there to know about house insurance for empty houses?

As the title of this post suggests, there is often more to house insurance for unoccupied properties than people realise. While some people are willing to take the risk, we feel that the value of any property just means that it’s not a risk worth taking. With that being said, here are five things that you need to know about insuring your empty house, that other people won’t have told you:

1) A standard house insurance policy doesn’t cover you

If you think that just because you have an insurance policy in place that all is well, there’s a real risk that you could be in for a nasty shock at some point. A specialised insurance policy for unoccupied buildings takes into account the various risks that are brought about by a house being empty. A standard house insurance policy simply doesn’t factor the points into a quote and, once it’s discovered that the house is unoccupied, your policy will be invalidated.

2) Insurance for an unoccupied house might cost more

As an unoccupied house faces risks that a property that’s lived in doesn’t, it’s understandable that a policy may cost you more. It’s important that you talk to your insurance provider to make sure that they understand the exact level of cover that you need and if you need contents cover too. These factors will influence the cost and it makes sense that an unoccupied house with thousands of pounds worth of contents would cost more to insure than the house that you live in.

3) Buildings insurance for empty properties may give you reduced cover

When discussing house insurance for empty houses, it’s vital that you know exactly what you’re covered for. There are policy providers that, because of the additional risk factors, will limit just what is covered and what you can claim. Many providers will offer FLEA cover. This covers your property for claims against fire, lightning, explosions and aircraft. If you want full cover then you need to be clear on this.

4) You may be required to visit the property

House insurance for unoccupied properties may have a clause that insists that you regularly inspect the property. The reason for this is that the longer it takes to spot an issue, the greater the potential for it to cause significant damage. Take a burst water pipe for instance: the longer this is left without being repaired, the more damage it will cause. If your policy contains a clause like this, you will find that the provider won’t payout unless you stick to this.

5) You can change your policy back to a standard one

It could be that you’ve had insurance for an unoccupied house because renovations have been carried out or because you hadn’t decided what to do with a second home that you inherited. By doing the right thing and taking out the correct insurance policy type, you’ll have ensured that the property was protected. However, if you’re then ready to treat the property as your primary residence, you can easily change to a standard house insurance policy that will give you adequate cover.

Final thoughts

The points that we’ve covered here will ensure that you’re getting the right cover for your scenario. By taking these on board, you’ll find that you can save time and money while getting your insurance for an unoccupied house in place.

At Highworth Insurance, we’re the experts when it comes to house insurance for empty houses. If you need any further information or even get a quote, we’d be more than pleased to hear from you.