Buildings and Contents insurance protects your home should the unexpected happen.
By using Resolute to arrange your home insurance, we can make a tailored recommendation based on your circumstances.
There may be additional add-on benefits that aren’t accessible by going through a comparison website.
If your property has a mortgage then it is usually a condition of the mortgage offer, that buildings insurance is in place. A copy of your home insurance certificate is usually shared with the solicitor and lender before either exchange of contracts or the completion of a remortgage.
This minimum requirement is usually mandatory because the lender has a financial interest in the property and should anything happen, the lender is able to recover back their loss.
Buildings Insurance
As the name suggests, this type of cover is to protect the building. The easiest way to look at buildings insurance is if you imagine tipping your home upside down, everything that remains attached is covered under the buildings section. This includes the main structure, walls, roof, fixtures & fittings, kitchen and bathroom units, windows and doors.
This insurance covers your house in the event of a disaster happening, and your home needs to be completely rebuilt, which is why this is a mandatory condition to your mortgage offer.
Contents Insurance
When you tipped your house upside, everything that fell out is classed as your contents. This includes things like carpets, curtains, white goods, furniture and light fittings.
In most policies, you will find garages and sheds are also covered under contents insurance but be sure to let our advisors know if you want this cover, so we can confirm what is included.
What do they cover?
Buildings and contents cover your home in the event of damage caused by extreme weather, fire in the home, water damage or if any items are stolen in a burglary.
Be sure to check your policy terms and conditions before proceeding.
Optional Extras
We understand accidents happen however, depending on the type of accident you may find that not all are covered under your policy such as kitchen appliances, or broken windows etc.
For Buildings – This could be accidental damage caused by you completing some DIY work.
For Contents – Causing accidental damage to your contents.
This will cover your personal possessions such as phones, Ipads or computers regardless of whether they are damaged or stolen.
There can be additional features with this type of cover for example. If the items are taken away from the home. Or, if you want to specifically list each induvial item and its value (Jewellery or Art)
If an emergency, such as a burst pipe, occurs within the house, this type of cover will provide you with a tradesman that you can call out for free. It is usually 24 hour cover and will generally only cover you for a certain amount of work, on average up to £250 (including call-out charge, materials and labour).
Refer to your T&Cs for full confirmation around Home Emergency call out.
Some buildings and contents insurance will also cover you if an accident occurs within your house or on your property, and another person is hurt. This legal liability, although rarely needed, could cover you in situations where people will sue if the accident was caused by something or someone within the house.
Refer to your T&Cs for full confirmation around Legal Expenses call out.
What is a policy Excess and when do I need to pay it?
An excess is the initial amount of money you put forward when making a claim. In most cases there is a compulsory excess, which is set by the provider and a voluntary excess which is set by you. Both of these are added together, and the combined figure is the amount you put down at point of claim.