Buildings Insurance – Whats Covered
Your Buildings Insurance cover protects the physical structure of your home – the walls roof and floors etc and permanent fixtures and fittings, such as fitted wardrobes and kitchen units. The rule of thumb is to think about whether you would be likely to take an item with you if you moved – so for example a fitted oven would normally fall to be dealt with as Buildings insurance, whereas a free standing cooker would be treated as contents. Carpets and loose floor coverings are treated as contents, whereas tiles floors would be buildings.
Don’t forget to include in your sum insured any outbuildings, such as a garage, shed or greenhouse as these are normally also covered by the building insurance cover.
Buildings insurance normally follows a fairly standard format and as a rule will include cover against damage to your home that results from a range of set perils. These include Fire, smoke, lightning and explosion, Storm and flood damage, Burst pipes and escape of water, Subsidence, heave or landslip, Vandalism or third party damage, Falling trees or branches, Theft or attempted theft, Leak of oil from the central heating system.
A good insurance policy will also include cover for alternative accommodation up to a set limit if you have to temporarily move out of your home in the event of a claim. You should also expect to be covered for damage to boundary walls, fences, gates driveways and swimming pools, underground pipes, cables, fixed glass in windows, doors, conservatories and skylights as well as liability arising out of the ownership of your home. However do be careful to check your policy carefully because some of the online insurers strip out these essential covers to make the premiums lower on the insurance price comparison web sites.
What is Accidental Damage cover?
Accidental damage cover is one of the most common add ons that you can buy for buildings insurance. It pays out for damage that occurs accidentally, such as drilling through a pipe or putting your foot through you ceiling. Most claims against buildings policies are under the accidental damage heading and therefore HI Expert recommends that customers buy this essential cover as for a small additional premium it provides real peace of mind.