un-occupied house insurance

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ann

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I'm going away cruising for about 4 months leaving my house empty.
I'm having trouble insuring my house and contents for anything more than 60 days (and even this length of time doesn't cover for much after 30 days).

I have found some insurances for longer but they do not insure for very much at all e.g. not theft or escape of water. I expect to drain the water system but leave the radiators on their low "anti frost" setting, there are good locks on all windows and doors and I can have someone come in and check every fortnight. So I should be low risk but nothing usefull has come up on google searches.

Anyone used a company for the above?
Thanks Ann
 
ann said:
I'm going away cruising for about 4 months leaving my house empty.
I'm having trouble insuring my house and contents for anything more than 60 days (and even this length of time doesn't cover for much after 30 days).

I have found some insurances for longer but they do not insure for very much at all e.g. not theft or escape of water. I expect to drain the water system but leave the radiators on their low "anti frost" setting, there are good locks on all windows and doors and I can have someone come in and check every fortnight. So I should be low risk but nothing useful has come up on google searches.

Anyone used a company for the above?
Thanks Ann
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ask a neighbour to check the house & collect up the mail ect, that normally covers the ins requirement.
turn off the water & drain down will help cut problems
 
We use Copeland Insurance who are not cheap, but we have had two claims for storm damage and they paid up with no problems and renewed our insurance too. Their conditions water off and drained or heating maintained, regular checks are pretty standard. Though they do not require it we also have fitted a floodcheck device, it shuts the water off if the temperature falls beow freezing, water runs for 15 mins or more, and if water is not used for 24 hours. This means that if you have a leak the damage is limited whether insured or not
 
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My parents left their house largely empty for three years while they lived in Moscow.

The water was turned off at the stopcock and everything drained down. To keep the temperature above freezing Dad bought a load of small electric oil-filled radiators and plug-in thermostats and put one in each of the main rooms. A friend popped in once a week to collect and forward mail and check that the place was ok. Another couple kept the garden in check in exchange for the use of the greenhouse and beds to grow their own veg (not much space in their own garden). Valuables were hidden behind some old boxes at the far end of the attic.

They couldn't get insurance for the length of time the place was going to be left empty, so they didn't.

Pete
 
Try using a broker.
Or accept restrictions. I can´t remember precise details but when my late mother´s house was left empty pre-sale, we could get cover for certain things but not others.
 
PlanB said:
Try using a broker.
Or accept restrictions. I can´t remember precise details but when my late mother´s house was left empty pre-sale, we could get cover for certain things but not others.
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We were in the same situation with mother in law's house.
We found Santander to be the best of a bad bunch.

A friend who worked abroad for 3 months at a time had some sort of house-sitting arrangement with a Post Grad student.
 
You must know someone who would be prepared to stay in your house whilst you are away. Maybe children (of sufficient age) of family or friends, maybe even a short term let? I would prefer that to leaving the house empty and potentially uninsured.
 
Why do you feel obliged to tell your insurer the house is occasionally unoccupied for longer than their limit? How, otherwise, would they know?
 
It cost me £1000 a year back in 2006 for a 3 bedroom, 3 reception room house, un-furnished, weekly check, drain down. I asked if I can leave the central heating on frost protection and they agreed. They did stipulate certain lock types and that trees within 3m could not be over a certain height, vicinity of burns and rivers; the usual stuff.

http://www.westofscotlandinsurance.co.uk

The local council also approved a 50% reduction in Council Tax. Reductions vary from Council to Council apparently, so its worth asking. In my case it was only applicable if I lived in tied accommodation elsewhere but maintained my own home, unfurnished.

Cash in the TV license but expect a mountain of reminders and threats from them. At one point we estimated two reminders a week. We had an alarm system as well but it didn't count because it didn't connect through to an security firm sort of thing.
 
Try this lot

http://www.woodstockinsurance.co.uk/

We had to change the insurance on my mothers house when she died. They placed it with Ocaso, a spanish insurance company which has a better fitch rating than AViva.

The property was with NFU and they would cover unoccupied but at great cost, and cover that is known in the trade as cut and run...... ie it did not cover break in, Squatters, water electric or any reasonable hazard.

This is quite a good cover - I hope you don't have to claim.

A word for the guy who said - don't tell them. Well the moment the 60 days is up and you have a problem, its funny how things come out about where you were. Also its breaking your contract of Utmost Good faith. Perhaps WE are all paying the price of cover for the liars of this world.
 
ann said:
I'm going away cruising for about 4 months leaving my house empty.
I'm having trouble insuring my house and contents for anything more than 60 days (and even this length of time doesn't cover for much after 30 days).
Anyone used a company for the above?
Thanks Ann
Click to expand...

I moved house insurance to Nationwide a few years ago. Declared we're away for 9-10 months and all they require after (IIRC 60 days) is for someone to inspect internally every 14 days. Monthly DD at no extra charge and automatic renewal if we're away at that date.

Had a look at their site a couple of weeks ago and see the newer policies do have time limit but when I phoned to check our older policy, nothing had changed.

May be worth having a word with them.
 
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