What home insurance covers, and what it doesn’t?

There are four key types of insurance available to property owners and tenants. It’s important to understand the difference between them so you can choose the coverage which best suits your specific needs.

Home Insurance

Covers the structure of your home as well as the content inside. Always check the terms of a policy before deciding on it. Some may include home emergency cover, where some may do so but for an additional cost.

Home Emergency Insurance

Covers the cost of fixes for problems that put your health, security, or home at risk. Specifically relating to plumbing, electrics, pipes, pests, locks, doors/windows, and lost keys

Buildings Insurance

Only covers the structure of the property. If you feel that you don’t need contents insurance then you can opt for just buildings insurance as opposed to home insurance.

Contents Insurance

Only covers the items in your home. As mentioned above, if you don’t feel that you need all of the coverage that home insurance offers then you can opt for just contents insurance.

What does home insurance cover?

In the event of a storm, flood or fire, the damage caused to your property and your valuables inside can be covered by home insurance.

Accidental damage is often an additional option that can be added to your policy. It will protect your property and items from the cost of damages caused by accidental knocks, spills or drops.

Every policy is different, however, so ensure that you check the terms and conditions to make sure that you’re getting the coverage you want and need.

It’s vital to understand that insurance doesn’t allow you to ignore the condition of your home and the items inside. If you’ve neglected the condition of your property and a storm was to occur, the damages could be seen as a result of your own negligence as opposed to natural forces out of your control. This would mean that you wouldn’t be covered by your home insurance policy.

What doesn’t home insurance cover?

Home insurance does not cover the cost of deteriorating property or item condition that comes from regular, long-term use.

If you’ve owned a television or computer for upwards of five or six years, it’s sensible to assume that a breakdown could occur soon. If a breakdown were to occur in this case, then home insurance would not have the cost covered.

Unless stated in your policy, home insurance will not cover damages from a storm flood to your garden fences, hedges and gates.

As outlined above,home emergency insurancecovers the damages that insects, birds and pests cause that can put your health, home or security at risk - standard home insurance would not cover this cost.

Similarly, the cost of boiler repair, plumbing, electrics, pipes, pests, locks, doors/windows, or lost keys would not be covered under standard home insurance.

Damage that is determined to have been caused deliberately is of course not covered either.

Discover the importance of home emergency cover for landlords to protect your property and tenants in critical situations. Explore essential coverage options and considerations when selecting emergency cover for your rental property. Visit our comprehensive guide on home emergency cover for landlords to ensure the safety and security of your rental investment. 

Understand the significance of home emergency insurance coverage and determine if it's essential for safeguarding your home and family during unexpected crises. Explore the benefits and considerations of home emergency insurance to make an informed decision. Visit our comprehensive guide on the necessity of home emergency insurance coverage for insights into protecting your home and loved ones