Home Insurance FAQs
We’ve partnered with Uinsure, to offer you their award-winning home insurance product. You can find out more about Uinsure’s policy and how to get a quote by visiting our home insurance page. Below you’ll find some frequently asked questions about their product to help you with your decision.
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What is home insurance?
Home insurance cover comes in two parts – buildings insurance and contents insurance. You can choose either one or both of these based on your needs. Buildings insurance protects the structure of your home, including walls, roof, permanent fixtures and fittings, while contents insurance could protect your belongings against problems like theft, damage and loss.
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Is home insurance mandatory?
If you’re a homeowner, most mortgage lenders insist you have buildings cover in place.
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How do customers buy home insurance?
We’re partnered with Uinsure to provide you with award-winning insurance. Visit our home insurance page to find out more and get a quote today.
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Why should I consider buying buildings and contents cover together?
Most insurers offer a discount if you purchase buildings & contents cover as part of a combined policy, so it may be cheaper to buy them together from one provider.
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How are premiums calculated?
Your age, where you live, property type, insurance premium tax, and previous claims are all factors that could contribute to the calculation of your home insurance premiums.
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Can you cancel your home insurance?
You can amend, or cancel your policy at any time, free of charge.
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What's the standard cover for Uinsure home insurance?
Uinsure cover your buildings up to £1 million as standard to protect against loss or damage to the structure of your home. Your contents are covered up to £75,000, with the option to increase this to £100,000.
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Is there a guarantee on repair work?
Uinsure offer a one-year guarantee on home repairs carried out by insurer-appointed builders.
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Is there a customer service team?
Yes, Uinsure’s experienced claims and customer service teams are all UK-based and help is available 24/7
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How do I make a claim?
If you wish to make a claim, call Uinsure’s claims team on 0330 102 6023 and they will be happy to help 24 hours a day. Please remember to have your policy number to hand and be able to explain what has happened to the advisor.
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What does the optional Home Emergency Cover provide?
Uinsure will provide up to £1,500 cover for each home emergency with no annual maximum: Emergencies such as boiler breakdown, burst water pipes or a blocked toilet, pest infestations, lost or stolen house keys, failure of electrical power or gas supply, roofing problems, broken or damaged windows and doors that are a security risk. They will also contribute £500 towards a new boiler if it cannot be repaired.
Home Emergency Cover does not cover normal day-to-day maintenance on your home and exclusions do apply, for example Uinsure will not cover damage to roofing over 10 years of age or where the roof has not been satisfactorily maintained. A full list of exclusions can be found in Uinsure’s Policy Wording.
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What does the optional Family Legal Expenses Cover provide?
The policy provides cover up to £150,000 for professional fees in the following areas: Property rights, employment disputes, pursuit of civil claims for personal injury or death, consumer disputes and defence, probate, tax investigations and property damage.
Exclusions do apply, for example, Uinsure will not cover any legal action if there are not prospects of success. This is where the likelihood of winning is less than 51%. There are also some restrictions including qualifying periods which must be met before raising a claim. Full details can be found in Uinsure’s Policy Wording.
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I have a query about my home insurance policy, who do I contact?
Our UK bases customer services team are available Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm and can be contacted on 0330 100 9602.
Buildings cover
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What is buildings cover?
Buildings insurance covers the structure and fittings of your home as well as everything permanently fixed down, such as walls, roof, ceilings, fitted kitchens, bathroom suites, windows, doors and built-in cupboards and wardrobes. Garages and outbuildings are also covered. Your personal belongings would be covered by contents insurance.
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Do I need buildings insurance if I do not have a mortgage?
There is no legal requirement for someone with no mortgage to have buildings insurance. This is the choice of the individual.
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How much am I insured for?
Uinsure home insurance offers £1 million in buildings cover to all customers as standard if their home needs to be rebuilt.
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My property will not cost £1 million to rebuild, why is this cover level so high?
Some insurers will ask you to specify a rebuild cost for your property and this can be hard to define. To address that problem, Uinsure offer a blanket £1 million rebuild cost which is suitable for the vast majority of customers and reduces the risk of being under-insured.
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Am I insured for accidental damage?
Not automatically. Uinsure will cover accidental breakage to fixed glass, ceramic hobs built into cookers that are permanent fixtures in your home, sanitary fixtures and fittings in your home. For an additional premium, you may extend your cover to include their extended accidental damage cover option.
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What does the optional accidental damage cover provide?
This policy is designed to insure your contents against damage cause by unintended mishaps, such as spilling wine on a carpet, knocking over an ornament, or burning a sofa with a cigarette.
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My property is a listed building, can cover be provided?
Uinsure are not currently able to offer cover to customers for listed buildings. However, this is something that can be looked into by the Uinsure non-standard team.
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My property is not in a good state of repair, can cover be provided?
No. Uinsure will only cover properties that are in a good state of repair.
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What is not insured?
There are exclusions under Uinsure’s buildings cover. These include;
- Any loss or damage caused by anything that happens gradually including wear and tear (i.e. if a gutter is blocked and damp appears over a period of time)
- Loss or damage under a number of sections of your policy if your home is left unoccupied for more than 60 days.
- Malicious damage, theft or attempted theft caused by you, your family, domestic staff, lodgers, paying guests or anybody lawfully in the property.
- Loss or damage to gates, fences and hedges during a storm.
- Loss or damage caused by a weather event that does not meet the definition of storm in the policy wording (as most properties should be able to withstand normal weather conditions).
- Loss or damage caused by chewing, scratching, tearing or fouling by domestic pets.
- Escape of water as the result of taps being left on (this may be covered if you have added Accidental Damage Cover).
Details of what is insured and what is not insured under Uinsure’s buildings cover can be found in their Policy Wording.
Contents cover
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What is contents cover?
Contents insurance covers the possessions in your home such as furniture and clothes. It generally covers damage due to fire, lightning, explosion or earthquake, theft (or attempted theft), riots or vandalism, storms or flooding, falling trees, moving objects (such as a car hitting your home) and escaping or leaking water or oil.
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What is covered by contents insurance?
Contents insurance covers the items you would take with you if you were to move e.g. furniture, clothes electrical items.
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Do I need contents insurance when renting a property?
Although not mandatory, contents insurance is available to cover your possessions. Your landlord however, is responsible for ensuring that you home has buildings insurance.
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Is my mobile phone or laptop covered?
Yes, there is no claim limit within the home. If you make a claim for your mobile phone or other electrical device outside of your home, the limit is £500.
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What is the maximum claim limit on a single item?
The maximum that you can specify for any one item is £15,000. This will go towards your high-risk property limit and must be specified on the policy.
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What is the high-risk property limit?
Items individually valued over £2,500 are included in the high-risk property limit and must be specified on the policy. If your maximum claim limit for contents is £75,000, then you will have £20,000 high-risk property limit. If your maximum claim limit for contents is £100,000, then you will have £30,000 high-risk property limit. The replacement value of all high-risk items within the home must not exceed these figures.
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Are items left in my garden, shed or garage covered?
Yes, Uinsure offers £1,000 cover for items left in your garden. There is also a £5,000 cover for items stolen from a shed or garage (limit of £2,500 per outbuilding).
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What is not insured?
There are exclusion under Uinsure’s contents cover. These include;
- Any loss or damage caused by anything that happens gradually, including wear and tear (i.e. a fridge or washing machine breaking down).
- Loss or damage under a number of sections of your policy if your home is left unoccupied for more than 60 days.
- Malicious damage, theft or attempted theft caused by you, your family, domestic staff, lodgers, paying guests or anybody lawfully in the property.
- Loss or damage caused by a weather event that does not meet the definition of storm in the policy wording.
- Loss or damage caused by chewing, scratching, tearing or fouling by domestic pets.
- Escape of water as the result of taps being left on (this may be covered if you have added Accidental Damage Cover).
Details of what is insured and what is not insured under Uinsure’s contents cover can be found in their Policy Wording.
in partnership with
Marsden Building Society acts as an introducer to Uinsure. Uinsure Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (No 463689). Registered address: Uinsure Limited, Po Box 5524, Manchester M61 0QR.