Most homeowners will have a level of home insurance protection. This is sometimes a requirement for those that have a mortgage and a condition of the bank lending them the money. The different levels of protection from home insurance can vary quite significantly to include home contents or the actual building itself. Houses are probably the most expensive asset that people have in their lives and therefore if this was to be removed from them (through maybe a fire) and they do not have the funds from another, it could leave them in a bit of a pickle.
Unfortunately, home insurance policies are not simple to understand and sometimes there is a lot of smallprint of even some excessive excess’s aligned to them. As such, it is a good idea to try and prevent using your home insurance policy where possible by ensuring the structure and security of your home is to a high standard. In addition to this, when you use your home insurance policy and make a claim, this will have an effect on your further years policies in terms on annual / monthly payments. Here are some things to consider:
Roofing
If the roofing in your home gets damaged then this could be a big claim against the insurance (assuming you are covered for it) therefore it is really important that you keep this in good condition in order to prevent any claims. In addition to this, if the roof is not in good order and say a slate was to come free, this could hit someone and seriously injure them. Roofing is also something that people are unable to see the condition of from down below therefore calling on roofing services Edinburgh to review this for you and see if there are any repairs needed could be money well spent. In terms of things like storm damage, the external roofing is something that is a common claim.
Flooding
It is important that when taking out a home insurance policy you look closely at the smallprint to ensure you are covered for flooding. There has been lots of court cases on interpretation and “acts of God” when people have had difficulty in insurance companies paying out after a flood. The impact of a flood can be devastating and completely ruin a home. It could even get to the point where the house is not repairable, and the easiest option would be to knock it down.
Break-ins
Unfortunately, there are some not nice people out there who want to enter your home without permission. These people will take goods from your home and sell them on. When this happens not only does this have an input on a personal finance but the thought of someone being in your home without permission is distressing. This is a common claim and to do so effectively, the insurance company will ask for evidence of proof of purchase for the items so be sure to not throughout receipts.
Summary
These are the most common things homeowners will claim for against their home insurance policy. It is important to try and avoid claims and take preventative measures upfront to avoid a significant increase in premiums.
