Petra Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 We are just about to buy a new house in England and wondered if anyone can recommend an insurer that allows long trips abroad when the house will be unoccupied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Lots of them do - anything from 30 days to a year - just look online at Money Supermarket, Go Compare, Confused etc. PS There are other insurance search engines available! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 When I went in to this a few years back most of the companies insisted that someone was available to call in on the property from time to time to check it. Watch for that in the small print. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Hi Petra We were looking at this recently, but the problem with going over the 30 day mark means that your premium can increase quite substantially. To be fair, I'd not want to leave my home without it being checked weekly, never mind monthly. With our insurance we have to have someone stay in the property for one night within the 30 days period - the 30 days are reset from that point so the next stay has to be within 30 days from that overnight stop. We have a few people who are willing to stay over for us so that's not a problem. If you have someone who is willing to do this for you then you shouldn't have a problem, just confirm with the insurance company in writing that this is acceptable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 On longer trips we arranged that whoever called in made a land line phone call from our phone at least once a week/month so that if necessary we could 'prove' that someone was there. ( Well, you know what insurance companies are like !) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kontiki Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 When we looked into this the only insurance we could find that would give us cover for longer trips was Nationwide, providing certain conditions were met. The main one being that somebody would visit the property at least every two weeks. The premium was just the same with no increase for the unoccupied tenancy, other companies will give cover but at a price. We always leave a key with the neighbor & our daughters visit the house regularly to check the mail. Don't be fooled that you will be covered by having somebody visit your property unless it states this in the insurance, I queried this with one company & said in the event of a large claim they could check the electoral roll to see who should be living there & would check everything to see if they can avoid paying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 What conditions are attached will depend on what you buy, and where, but, we are insured with Comfort and have set our period of absence at three months. Other periods were available, but that suits our present needs. No requirement for inspections or occupation while away, no requirement for alarm or special locks.The problem with these conditions is that if you agree to them and later claim, and it appears no one had visited as required, or hadn't locked every one of the security locks you listed, or hadn't set the alarm, your claim is liable to be rejected, in whole or in part. Remember, even nipping to the shops you have to lock the locks and set the alarm if you say they are present, it's not just when you go off for months! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 When we do decide to go away for more than a month we will have to let the insurers know: a) who will be 'responsible' for checking the property whilst we're away b) who they should contact in case they need to (not necessarily the same person) c) who has the authority to contact the insurers on our behalf if the worst comes to the worst and there is a problem which needs to be reported to them. As we have no 'land-line' at home our 'temporary overnight resident' couldn't simply ring them to prove they were at our home using our phone and in any case it could only prove anyone was there at the time the call was made, nothing more. If the insurance company wasn't willing to accept that we'd ensure someone stayed, especially after giving them the info they required (ie a, b & c above), then surely they wouldn't offer the cover? If they need proof of a specific type then this would have to be written into the policy as to how this proof was recorded. There is actually nothing specified in the policy about this, however, we will be telling them who is staying and when - if they then want to send an official round to check it out they are more than welcome to do so. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Mel B - 2009-12-22 7:52 PM When we do decide to go away for more than a month we will have to let the insurers know: a) who will be 'responsible' for checking the property whilst we're away b) who they should contact in case they need to (not necessarily the same person) c) who has the authority to contact the insurers on our behalf if the worst comes to the worst and there is a problem which needs to be reported to them. As we have no 'land-line' at home our 'temporary overnight resident' couldn't simply ring them to prove they were at our home using our phone and in any case it could only prove anyone was there at the time the call was made, nothing more. If the insurance company wasn't willing to accept that we'd ensure someone stayed, especially after giving them the info they required (ie a, b & c above), then surely they wouldn't offer the cover? If they need proof of a specific type then this would have to be written into the policy as to how this proof was recorded. There is actually nothing specified in the policy about this, however, we will be telling them who is staying and when - if they then want to send an official round to check it out they are more than welcome to do so. :D Our insurers did not not insist that someone stayed in the house, but just regularly visited to check, so the phone call from our place was sufficient. (They didn't phone the insurance company by the way - they could phone anyone - just to get the call recorded as proof of a 'visit'). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petra Posted December 24, 2009 Author Share Posted December 24, 2009 Thanks for all the replies. We did try confused.com but they got confused and said we had to ring them! Happy Christmas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickt Posted December 25, 2009 Share Posted December 25, 2009 Try the camping and caravanning club you can leave your house unocupied for up to 180 days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porky Posted December 25, 2009 Share Posted December 25, 2009 malc d - 2009-12-22 5:50 PM On longer trips we arranged that whoever called in made a land line phone call from our phone at least once a week/month so that if necessary we could 'prove' that someone was there. ( Well, you know what insurance companies are like !) We are getting our friend who is keeping an eye on the house to email us after her visits. Insurance companies will try to find any reason not to pay. £1 in reimbursement = £1 less profit !!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starvin marvin Posted December 25, 2009 Share Posted December 25, 2009 Nationwide Building Society Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
passionwagon Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 8-) Remember that the person responsible must not have any convictions -you need to declare them and see what the insurers say. Friend of ours had their daughter stay during their absence and a damage claim was made, but because her partner had been arrested for public disorder some years earlier no payment!! 8o| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 Have a look at Tesco home insurance, off the top of my head I am sure were allowed 60 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
potjoe Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 Hi.It as to be caravan and camping club and yes They do pay out we no,and we where in Spain and sayed there with no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALAN G Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 I've been with C&CC Club Care for 4 years. Before that I was with Natwest who allowed 60 days away, but they were charging dramatically ever- increasing premiums. So I changed to Club Care: 180 days away and at a greatly reduced price and I didn't have to estimate the value of every CD and old pair of trousers that were in the house. However the first yearly increase in premium was 4% The second was 7.5%. This year they want an extra 14%. I have not made any claims and the items covered are the same. I like the policy and I don't like the time I have to waste shopping around. I've found in the past that you can be told many "lies" that are only apparent after you've got the policy in your hand. Incidentally the CC&C Club Care policy is available on their website. Very readable and unchanged in four years....I like that. So I'll renew my Club Care and see how the premiums change next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enodreven Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Hi, Are you sure about the C&CC only I rang them a few weeks ago and they suggested that i needed someone to check every 30 days, and the 180 days was the maximum time away in any year, it can be all in one go but not more than 180 days in total, I will ring them again just to double check ? just in case i misunderstood. Nationwide didn't have any time limits but required checks every 14 days. C&CC were nearly £120 cheaper than Nationwide for our property. It always pays to shop around, never just renew as loyalty in this day an age doesn't appear to exist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALAN G Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 You can read the whole of the C&CC Policy on their website. Certainly I have a relative who removes the post from the door, roughly on a weekly basis, and trims the grass. This is not a C&CC requirement but it keeps me happy as he can contact my mobile phone wherever we are. I certainly wouldn't like to leave the house totally unattended for 180 days. Natwest, who I was with previously, only allowed 60 days away but said the 60 days could start again if the children (now adults with homes of their own) came to stay for at least one night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the game Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Hi we are with Fresh Insurance and had two holidays in europe last year the first for 12 weeks and the second for 8 weeks, they only required the name and telephone no of the person checking our house who would deal with any claims. Also if you dont have your alarm serviced yearly then I would advise you not to stipulate you have an alarm. This advice was given by Halifax a couple of years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Don't buy insurance over the phone or internet! Phone for a quote. Ask for confirmation of the quote in writing, when they will also send a copy of the proposal as they completed it during your telecon. Ask also for a copy of the insurance document (contract) to be sent with the quote. Check both quote and proposal, and carefully read the document. If there are any errors, get them corrected, in writing, before you buy the policy, and check again on the final documents when they arrive.What I have noted with periods of absence exceeding 30 days, is that the scope of cover sometimes drops so, although you may be entitled to stay away from home for 60, or 90 days, the insurance you will get during the period beyond the first 30 days is reduced. This can apply to buildings, as well as contents, policies. As ever, different companies, different policies, different conditions. Do check.Finally, do give some thought to how you may be able to prove you had someone resident in, or inspecting, your property, if that is a requirement of the policy. Just saying you did is unlikely to be sufficient. After all, who would be likely to admit they had failed to do so, if that meant rejection of a substantial claim. Whatever your opinion of insurance companies, they aren't daft! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 We're just looking at renewing our home insurance which is due in August, got the renewal notice form our current provider, Churchill, and this year it is £872!!! >:-( That's more than DOUBLE our renewal last year which was only £329!!!! 8-) Not a clue as to why it's so gone up SO extensively, but when hubby's rung around some insurers, they appear to be using some new 'map' that puts us in a flood area, but even then, the renewal is absolutely extortionate!!! 8o| Hubby tried the Camping and Caravanning Club for a quote and were told that they would cover us but NOT for flooding. It is highly unlikely that we would flood, being that we are at the higher end of the street and even with the extensive floods back in 2007, the houses down the bottom got a bit of flooding, we just got a soggy garden which I think most people did! But, I don't think that its worth the risk as the price is much better than Churchill, but not THAT good. As Churchil also a 30 day 'away from home' limit, we were looking to change anyway to save having to rely too much on others to check the place etc, so are looking at a company called 'e-homeinsurance' as we've already got our scooters with them so are entitled to a discount anyway. They appear to have a good policy (yes I have read through the documents carefully *-) ) with 60 days away permitted with no loss of cover at all, good buildings and contents cover, and a policy excess of only £60 (current policy is £50). The only downside is that they don't cover the canoes but a lot of policies don't (our current one doesn't). Going to try the Caravan Club providers tomorrow (should be a laugh!), and a few more too for good measure. I just wonder if there's anyone else you lot could recommend us trying please? :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 I would still try all the usual online quote engines Mel and follow the best ones up with a phone call to confirm. We have found Saga to be one of the best with good 60 day away cover without need to have anyone check the house during this time and very competitive premiums and a very helpful UK call centre where English people speak English to you! Most quotes always seem to go down for us when we phone to follow up and this applies as much at renewal as for new business. A lot of insurers give a discount to get new business and that magically evaporates at renewal so it is always worth getting a new quote at renewal time and asking them to match it to keep the business - most will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 Suggest you try phoning Comfort Insurance. If you do buildings and contents with them, you can add on a 12 months medical insurance. Absence from home can be adjusted up to, I think, 6 months. We selected 90 days, and there is no requirement for visits/residence while away. It is worth pursuing the combined package, for comparison with the individual bits bought from elsewhere. No call centre, just talk to the "shop". Flood risk can be a bit of a lottery, many just base it on postcodes. We're about 300' up, so although parts of the town have flooded, if we do, everyone's in trouble! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 If you get an online home insurance quote from Saga and then phone them for a motor quote with the promo code shown online they will knock an extra thirty quid of the home insurance quote - but I don't know when that offer will end? The Saga quote via Confused etc was £254 which dropped to £220 with an online quote on Saga's own website which fell to £201 when I phoned them for confirmation which fell to £170 when they knocked off the car quote discount - and this was for both our existing SA72 home and a PE14 address on the Fens to which we will probably be moving soon. Some insurers loaded the premium for the PE14 quote with up to £500 quoted but Saga and one or two others were happy to quote normal rates as we will be more than 150 mtrs from the nearest watercourse. It pays to learn how to use the system for best results! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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