Buildings and contents, without the lender's markup.
Your lender will require buildings cover as a condition of the mortgage. You are free to arrange it with anyone you choose, and you are never obliged to take theirs.
- Free initial advice
- No credit check to talk
- FCA regulated
- No obligation
Two different things, often sold as one
Buildings insurance covers the structure: the walls, roof, floors, fitted kitchen and bathroom, and usually outbuildings. It is what your lender insists on, because the property is their security. The sum insured should be the rebuild cost, not the market value, and those two numbers are frequently very different.
Contents insurance covers your possessions. It is entirely optional as far as the lender is concerned, which is why plenty of people quietly go without it and discover the gap after a leak or a burglary. High-value items, bicycles and anything you take out of the house usually need to be specified separately rather than assumed.
Where people get caught out is underinsurance. If the sum insured is materially below what it should be, an insurer can reduce a claim proportionately even when the claim itself is far smaller than the total. Getting the rebuild figure right at the outset costs nothing and matters at exactly the wrong moment if you get it wrong.
What matters here
- Buildings cover is normally a condition of your mortgage offer
- You are never obliged to buy it from your lender
- The buildings sum insured should be the rebuild cost, not the market value
- Contents cover is optional but is the one people most often regret skipping
- Bicycles, jewellery and items taken outside the home usually need specifying
- Underinsurance can cause a claim to be reduced proportionately
- Non-standard construction, flats and let properties need the right policy type
Four steps, no surprises
Most people come to us unsure what they are even allowed to ask for. This is how we take it from there.
We listen
A free call, at a time that suits you. We ask what you are trying to achieve and what is worrying you. No jargon, no pressure, no obligation to go further.
We research
We look across the lenders and providers available to us and work out what is genuinely open to you, then explain the options in plain English, including the ones we would rule out and why.
We recommend
You get a written recommendation setting out what we suggest, what it costs, and the risks. You decide whether to proceed. Nothing happens until you say so.
We see it through
We handle the application, chase the lender and solicitor, and keep you updated until completion. You always know who to ring.
Judge us on what people actually said
We do not advertise on television. Our reputation is the only thing speaking for us.
Incredible professional support right through the process. I wish our solicitor met this exemplary standard. Peter was always available even at weekends, responding almost immediately to our requests. My wife and I have no hesitation in calling on his services again.
Great service from start to finish. Very polite at all times. Kept up to date with the process. Nothing to complain about.
Excellent from start to finish. I thought I was pretty good at looking after my finances, but the great help I had from the people I dealt with showed me otherwise. Their expertise in all matters financial was second to none.
Let us find out what is actually open to you
One free call. No credit check, no obligation, and a straight answer about what is realistic.
What happens when you call
- You speak to a qualified adviser, not a call centre
- We ask what you are trying to achieve, then listen
- You get an honest view of what is realistic
- No pressure and no obligation to go further
Questions we hear a lot
If yours is not here, ring us. We would rather answer it properly than leave you guessing.
Do I have to use my lender's insurance?
No. A lender can require you to hold buildings insurance meeting its conditions, but it cannot require you to buy that cover from them. Arranging it independently is normally cheaper and often gives you better terms.
How do I work out the rebuild cost?
Your mortgage valuation or survey will usually state a reinstatement figure, and that is the number to insure. For most properties it is lower than the market value, because it excludes the land. For listed or non-standard buildings it can be considerably higher, which is exactly why guessing is a bad idea.
Am I covered if the property is empty or let?
Frequently not on a standard policy. Most policies restrict cover once a property has been unoccupied for a set period, commonly thirty to sixty days, and letting a property usually requires a landlord policy rather than a residential one. Tell us if either applies to you.
Your lender will normally require buildings insurance as a condition of the mortgage. You are free to arrange that cover with any provider you choose and are never obliged to take it from your lender or from us.
These are protection policies. Unless stated otherwise they have no investment element and no cash-in value at any time. If you stop paying premiums, cover will end and you may get nothing back.
Tell us what you are trying to do
One short form. A real adviser will call you back, usually the same working day.