Article StarsArticle Stars Logo
Custom Search

Authors

Resources

Home | Finance | Personal Finance


Home Insurance Explained, Buildings Insurance

By: Foster Carr

There are two types of home insurance, buildings and contents insurance. If your house is made uninhabitable or needs to be rebuilt due to storm, flood or fire then your buildings insurance would cover your financial losses.

Mortgage providers will usually insist that you have buildings insurance because the loan is based on the fact that they can repossess your house if you are unable to pay. There are many policies with different levels of cover available but normally cheaper policies offer less financial protection in the event of disaster with smaller payouts and fewer expenses covered.

A basic buildings insurance policy ought to cover the structure of your home and should include permanent fixtures such as your bathroom suite and fitted kitchen. Outbuildings like garages, greenhouses and sheds are covered by most policies, but other outside items like plants, fences and boundary walls may not be.

Do be sure that your policy covers the cost of completely rebuilding your house, including any amendments you have made. Make sure that you tell your insurer if you make any significant improvements to your home, for example the building of an extension. Your buildings insurance premium will be calculated based on the condition the insurer knew your home to be in, and any claims you are awarded will be based on this.

If the amount you receive does not cover your financial losses because you have under insured your home, can be an awful financial problem, so carefully consider the level of cover you need and be realistic about any excesses you are prepared to pay. Home insurance prices can vary significantly so do shop around.

A lot of home insurance providers offer discounts if you buy both your buildings and contents insurance from the same company. Contents insurance is for all the items that are not permanent fixtures in your home, such as white goods and furniture. The test is whether you would take the items with you when you moved, for example you would not take the wallpaper but you would take the curtains.

If you are renting, your landlord is responsible for obtaining buildings insurance, but your own possessions will not be covered. To insure your own things, you should take out a separate contents insurance policy.

If your home is perceived to be high risk, for example due to a history of flooding, then your premium is likely to be higher and you may struggle to find an insurer. There are specialist buildings insurance companies who deal with high risk properties, so if your home is in that category you may need to look at their products and brace yourself for a bigger bill.

About the Author:
With Kwik Fit Insurance house insurance, your home and your treasured possessions will be well-protected from the unexpected.

ArticleStars: http://articlestars.com

Please Rate this Article

 

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Personal Finance Articles Via RSS!

Powered by Article Dashboard