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Insurance renewal time again.


ProDave

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I have 1 month until our present self build policy expires.  I am looking for "normal" insurance to put in place to avoid having to renew the self build policy.

 

The house is now lived in, all the big "building" risks like diggers, machinery and big holes in the ground are history.

 

But the house is not complete. And has no sign off.

 

There has been mention of several brokers that might be able to help so suggestions please?

 

Works still needed:

 

2 velux windows to fit.

En-Suite bathroom to fit.

internal doors to hang

Lots of internal finishing (skirtings etc)

Outside steps and ramps to build.

and the BIG one. The single storey "sun room" is just a boarded up shell, without any windows yet (but it does have a proper roof).  I wonder if that might still be a step too far for moving off the self build policy?

 

I want to delay getting a Temporary Habitation Certificate until later in the year as I want to use that for the VAT reclaim. The house has not yet been valued for council tax (we are still paying band A for the caravan)  the lack of internal doors seemed to put the council tax valuer off doing it just yet.

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I used 'Challenge Quoterack' for mine (a few years ago). Essentially I put in what I wanted and 3 brokers contacted me. I ended up with a 'normal' policy through Halifax that cost a bit more than a standard policy but not that much more. Just ensure that you are clear and transparent about everything and ensure that they add the right details to the insurance. For something so specialised I would probably put it all in writing so there could be no arguments about disclosure later. 

 

Quoterack

 

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 I tried Quoterack a few weeks back and heard absolutely NOTHING back so have somewhat discounted that one.  I also mentioned it to Adrian Flux who insure my old Landrover and they took all the details and again I heard nothing back.

 

Perhaps I am not pro active enough but I feel if I have to keep pestering to get a quote, I am flogging a dead horse.

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We used the broker ADRIAN Flux 

They weren’t fazed by no completion cert Or that it would be a month before we moved in full time 

A lot cheaper than our basic sb insurance 

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3 minutes ago, nod said:

We used the broker ADRIAN Flux 

They weren’t fazed by no completion cert Or that it would be a month before we moved in full time 

A lot cheaper than our basic sb insurance 

see post above

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6 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Perhaps I am not pro active enough but I feel if I have to keep pestering to get a quote, I am flogging a dead horse.

 

I didn't pester anyone - they just contacted me. Guess these days business must be booming for them not to have to bother ..... 

 

Looks like this is the broker that cover was originally arranged through. 

 

https://www.julianharris.net/

 

Amongst other things this is what my policy noted on the demands and needs statement:

 

Details about your home
 It is a detached house, built around 2010 with 4 bedrooms.
 The property is centrally heated and built with Standard Construction walls and Standard Construction roof.
 New Property Under Construction.
 Property locks do not meet minimum security requirements.
 No burglar alarm installed.
 Property is not in a Neighbourhood Watch area.

 Unoccupied > 60 days in a row < 12 months.


NB - Actually the locks did meet the minimum security requirements but they added that and as the quote was ok I didn't bother to get it changed. We hadn't moved in at that point hence the unoccupied note. 

 

In 2010 the cover was for buildings only and £438 for the year. It's actually less today for buildings, contents and accidental damage cover but given that it was unoccupied and we were desperate for cover it seemed a decent enough deal at the time especially when comparing to self build insurance. 

 

 

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I found the site insurance to be exspensive 

No tool cover or plant 

just liability and fire 

All Adrian Flux required was that the internal be three quarter finished Electric and gas cert 

Wouldnt cover tools and plant 

Or Luxury items such as widescreen jewellery 

While we weren’t living there full time Though full cover as soon as it became our main resisdence 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Not getting very far with this.

 

Only one call back from another try with quoterack, who then could not quote.

 

Tried Adrian Flux again.  Random number generator time, came back with a quote of £639.  When I gasped and told them it was more than just renewing the self build insurance, they reduced it to £483.  Part of me wants to say yes (as it's a little less than the self build policy renewal) the other part of me wants to say bugger off you are not getting the business because your first quote was taking the piss.

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2 minutes ago, newhome said:

£483 doesn’t sound hellish however TBH. 

No, it's a little less than renewing the self build policy again, and probably provides better cover (e.g I am not sure contents are properly covered on the existing policy)

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Random search for some ‘specialist’ companies. Not sure if you can get cover via one of these. 

 

https://www.insurancechoice.co.uk/products/home-insurance/under-construction-home-insurance/

 

https://www.homeprotect.co.uk/specialist-home-insurance

 

https://www.endsleigh.co.uk/personal/home-insurance/specialist-home-insurance/

 

Or maybe via a company that does insurance for properties being renovated 

 

https://www.money.co.uk/home-insurance/home-renovation-insurance.htm

 

 

 

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Well again, I admitted defeat, and renewed the self build policy for another year. They were happy to do so. In the process I increased the buildings sum as it had gone over the original estimate slightly.

 

Of all the people I phoned, I only got 2 alternative quotes, one from AJ Galagher, and one from Adrian Flux.  Both were in the order of £650, which is £100 more than the self build policy renewal.  Adrian Flux did offer to bring theirs down to just under £500 when I told them it was too much.

 

The reasoning behind just renewing the self build policy is that if I let that lapse, I will not get it again.  I was worried if I let that lapse and went for the slightly cheaper Adrian Flux quote, by next renewal they might not do it cheaper again, and I would be stuck with a more expensive policy.

 

 

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we are on quarterly renewals now - the cost is the same as annual but they are unwilling to let me pay for the annual policy.  A pain.  Like you @ProDave I didn't want to change companies just in case we couldn't get it renewed.  £696/year.

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