Abi Brinkhurst here, Branch Advisor at Howden Bath; your friendly, local high street insurance broker.
We love being a part of the Bath community and in this new regular column will be bringing you advice and insights into the insurance market. Whether you own a home or are a tenant the likelihood is you’ve got, or need, household insurance.
Household insurance means your property, yours and your family’s belongings are covered if the worst were to happen.
Navigating the insurance market can be somewhat overwhelming, there is so much choice and information out there. So here’s some handy pointers to make the process easier:
Check the levels of cover you need
Many policies will offer you blanket levels of cover. It’s important to assess whether these would be enough for you.
Your buildings cover isn’t just for rebuilding the home, it includes outbuildings, site clearance and professional fees. There are free online rebuild calculators or you can get a survey done to check your buildings cover is sufficient. Contents cover is more than just what’s in the home. Contents in the open or any outbuildings also needs to be considered. Also note that contents is calculated on a new for old basis, so your cover should reflect this cost. If you’re not sure, we can offer a contents checklist to our clients in branch.
Keep up-to-date valuations for your valuable items
Items such as jewellery, watches, precious metals, works of art are typically considered valuables. Most insurers will accept valuations from the last 3-5 years.
Check what you are liable to cover
If you own a flat, is there is a management company in place that covers the building? If you rent a property, was it furnished or unfurnished? It’s important you know what is yours to cover.
Is there anything ‘out of the ordinary’?
If you are unsure if something is covered or needs to be specified on your policy, it’s always best to mention it to your advisor.
Here at Howden we pride ourselves on the service we provide. If you’d like to discuss your home insurance, please do pop into the office and we can discuss all things household with you!
Howden Bath
7 George Street, Bath, BA1 2EH
01225 788044
www.howdeninsurance.co.uk
