Insight
How are traditional auction houses changing?
It’s fantastic to see so many new artists’ work coming to the fore all over the globe, and how the role of buying and selling fine art is evolving to attract new audiences.
Home insurance - what we cover
Understanding home insurance can seem complicated but it doesn’t need to be. We’ve broken down our cover into some easy-to-understand sections to help you understand what we can cover and our limits.
Garages and outbuildings
Our buildings insurance includes cover for outbuildings including sheds and garages provided they are included in the buildings value you give us. The contents section of your home insurance will also cover contents in these buildings (excluding motor vehicles) provided they are properly secured when not in use (a padlock on your shed or a lock on your garage door).
Terms to be aware of:
- Let us know if you will be away for more than 60 days - if the home is left unoccupied for more than 60 days, we can no longer cover; theft, vandalism and damage caused by escape of water.
- We have a limit of £5,000 on claims for theft and attempted theft.
Personal belongings insurance
Our home contents insurance section will provide cover for your personal possessions while they are in your home. If you have chosen our set level of cover for your contents then your policy will automatically cover your personal belongings up to a limit of £3,500 anywhere in the world for up to 90 days in any one period of insurance.
If you have a policy where you have specified how much your contents sum insured should be, you have an option to extend your policy to include the above cover.
Terms to be aware of:
- We make a deduction for wear and tear of clothing.
- You should make us aware of any items you would like to insure which are worth more than £3,500.
Valuables and jewellery
Our home insurance policy includes cover for valuables such as jewellery and precious metals, clocks and watches, furs, pictures and works of art, stamps, coins or medal collections whilst in your home.
Although jewellery insurance is included in your policy as standard, you still need to think about what your valuables might be worth. Unique or particularly valuable items may need extra insurance or special terms.
Our set level of contents cover includes the following limits for valuables:
- Up to £10,000 for 1 or 2 bedroom properties
- Up to £15,000 for 3 bedroom properties
- Up to £20,000 for 4 or 5 bedroom properties.
If you have chosen your own contents sum insured then your valuables limit will be around 35% of this amount.
You should let us know if any one item or collection is worth £3,500 or more. If the valuables limit that applies to your policy is not adequate, please let us know and we can discuss this with you.
It’s always best to keep proof of purchase, photographs and any legal documents which help to prove ownership of these items in case of a claim.
Ecclesiastical customers receive a discount. through our preferred supplier network which includes professional valuation services.
Office equipment
Home office equipment such as computers and their accessories, office equipment and office furniture, used only for clerical and administrative use can be covered up to £10,000 in total. If you wish to have accidental damage cover or cover away from the home for your laptops and mobile phones then please just let us know.
If you are running a business from your home, or storing business stock on the premises, it is unlikely that standard home insurance will be able to provide adequate cover. Let us know if you are unsure whether cover would apply for your circumstances.
Trees, plants and shrubs
For those with green fingers, don’t forget the items you want to protect in your garden. You might have hundreds of pounds worth of garden trees, plants and shrubs which could be damaged or stolen.
We cover individual items up to £250 up to a total of £2,500 for all claims during the period of insurance.
Just be aware - we exclude damage caused by storm or flood, frost, weight of snow or damage by animals.
Cover for bicycles
We provide up to £750 cover for any one pedal cycle provided you do your best to make it secure. If your bicycle is valued over £750 then please discuss this with us to ensure you have cover for this item.
Terms to be aware of:
You should not leave your bicycle simply in your garden, this will not be covered by our insurance. Unattended bicycles should be stored indoors or securely locked to a permanent fixture. Cover is not provided for bicycles while racing.
For full terms and conditions, features and exclusions, please read our home insurance policy wording or call our team on 0345 777 3322.
Documents
FAQs
Mid-term changes to your premium/administration fees
If you make a change in your policy cover and this results in a charge or refund of premium for the period up to the renewal date of the policy , then such a charge or refund will only be made by us if exceeding £15 plus insurance premium tax.
We do not make an administration charge for processing changes you require.
Alternative document formats
We can transcribe your documentation, letters and schedules using the following alternative formats:
- Braille
- Large print
- Audio
- Tactile
- Audiobook
If you would like us to arrange this for you, please contact our Customer Services Team on 0345 777 3322.
Am I covered for items that I take away from my home?
If you have opted for this cover then it is provided under the Portable items section of our policy. This will cover any items that you take away from your home and on holiday so can cover mobile phones (handset only), laptops, camera equipment or jewellery.
Any items that you take away from your home that are valued over £3,500 will need to be specified on the policy individually. Cover is provided for your portable items anywhere in the world up to 90 days in total during the period of insurance
Am I entitled to a discount if I volunteer for the Church?
Yes. If you carry out some voluntary work for the church, then we are able to offer a discount for this.
Are lost keys and broken locks covered?
If you lose the keys to your home or they are stolen or there is accidental damage to the locks of the outside doors or windows we will pay for reasonable and necessary costs of:
(a) gaining access to your home
(b) repairing or replacing the locks
The most we will pay for any one claim is £1,000.
Are my contents covered on a ‘New for Old’ basis?
Yes, all apart from household linen and clothing.
Are the contents in my freezer covered?
The contents in your freezer will be covered up to your contents sum insured.
Are the contents in my garage/outbuildings covered?
Yes. The contents in these buildings will be automatically covered up to £5,000
Are the fences at my property covered under my buildings insurance?
The fences at your property will be covered under this insurance. However, damage caused by storm or flood to fences, hedges or gates will only be covered if the main building, garage or outbuilding is damaged at the same time.
As a church owned company, are you only able to offer quotes to members of the clergy?
No. We are able to offer new business quotations to all members of the public as well as clergy members.
Do I get a no claims discount?
We do offer a no claims bonus on our policy to reward customers who are claim free. We can offer a maximum of five years no claims discount but if a claim is made on the policy this is reduced to nil.
For every year you then remain claim free, you will be able to build this back up to the maximum of five years.
Do I need to tell you about alterations to my property?
If the work taking place is in excess of £25,000, please complete our Buildings Work Questionnaire and send it back to us.
If the work taking place will be less than £25,000, please contact us to let us know and allow us to note your policy accordingly.
Do you cover watercraft?
On request we can provide cover under your contents policy for small boats (measuring less than 5 meters and not having a top speed over 15 knots), craft, surfboard or a sailboard.
If you require cover please contact our team on 0345 777 3322.
Do you offer a landlord’s policy?
We can offer a policy to cover your let property but this is not a specific commercial landlord’s policy.
The cover does not include loss of rent or rehoming the tenants should they no longer be able to reside at the property.
The Legal expenses section does not cover adverse possession.
Finding and repairing leaks (building insurance)
We will cover the reasonable and necessary costs incurred with our consent to: locate the source of leaking water or oil from any fixed water or heating system in your home; and repair any damage caused in locating the source of the leak. If there is a gradual cause such as wear and tear or corrosion, the cost of replacing the part and additional labour is not included.
The most we will pay is £5,000 for each leak.
How can I find out the rebuild cost of my property?
Visit the Association of British Insurers website and this will ask you some questions to determine the rebuild value of your property.
How do I make a complaint?
If you need to do this then you will need to either call us direct on 0345 777 3322, write a letter or send an email to household@ecclesiastical.com.
Is Home Emergency cover included under the policy?
Yes. We have Home Emergency cover included under your household policy. DAS Legal Expenses Insurance Company Limited handle these claims on our behalf and you can use this for anything from roof damage, plumbing and drainage, your main heating system, the domestic power supply, the toilet unit, home security to vermin.
If you need to make a claim under this section of the policy, please call DAS on 0345 268 8469.
Is business use covered in the property?
Using your property to carry out clerical duties in relation to your work is automatically covered.
We also provide cover for your computers and their accessories, office equipment and office furniture, used only for clerical and administrative use up to £10,000. We do not provide any cover for your business stock.
If you have visitors to your property or if there is any other form of business use, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss this with you.
Is my bike covered under my household policy?
If your bike is under £750 it is automatically covered under the policy. If your bike is worth more than £750 then this will need to be specified on the policy individually and will need to be locked to a permanent fixture whilst being kept in an outbuilding.
If you take your bike away from the home you will need to ensure you have opted for the Portable items element of the policy and your bike will need to be locked to a permanent fixture when it is unattended. No cover is provided if you are using your bike while racing.
Is personal money cover included under the household policy?
Yes. You have up to £1,000 personal money cover included on the policy. Personal money means bank notes and coins that are not part of a collection, cheques, postal orders, bank drafts, travel tickets, traveller’s cheques, postage stamps, savings stamps and certificates and premium bonds.
The cover also applies for up to 90 days in any one period of insurance, elsewhere in the world.
Is there any liability cover under the policy?
There is liability cover included on your policy automatically up to a limit of £2,000,000.
My property has suffered previous subsidence, can I get a quote?
If the subsidence has happened in the past 15 years then, unfortunately, we will be unable to offer a quotation for your property.
If the subsidence occurred over 15 years ago, then before we are able to offer a quotation, we would need to see an up-to-date structural engineer’s report that has been completed within the last three years. Once this has been received, we will then decide if we are able to offer a quotation for your property.
My property is a listed building, can I get a quote?
We can still offer you a quotation if your property is listed. We will need to know which Grade the building is.
My property is going to be unoccupied for 60 days, do I need to let you know?
Yes. We have a 60 day ruling on the policy. After 60 days the cover on the policy may change and so we will need to know if the property will be unoccupied.
What do you class as a valuable item?
We define valuables as jewellery and precious metals, clocks and watches, furs, pictures and works of art, stamp, coin and medal collections.
What happens if items belonging to matching pairs or sets are damaged?
We will pay 50% of the cost of replacing undamaged items which form part of:
- a pair;
- a set, collection or suite; or
- a matching or uniform design, nature or colour,
with an item that has suffered from damage that is covered under the buildings or contents section of the policy.
What if I am not satisfied what is the complaints process?
What if my home cannot be lived in?
If your home cannot be lived in because of damage covered by your policy, we will pay 20% of the sum insured to help you with reasonable and necessary costs of your temporary accommodation (see policy document for full details).
What is an excess?
An excess is the first monetary amount that you will pay towards a claim. Under our policies the excesses are £1,000 for subsidence, £250 for any escape of water or oil claim and £75 for any other standard claim. We do have the option to add on voluntary excesses which would be added to the already existing excesses.
What is buildings insurance and what am I covered for?
The permanent structures within the boundaries of your home including any garages or outbuildings used only for domestic purposes and home office use, permanent fixtures and fittings including statues and fountains, hot tubs permanently fixed to the ground, wind turbines and solar panels fixed to the buildings or fixed to the ground, swimming pools, tennis courts, paths, drives, terraces, patios, walls, fences, hedges and gates as long as these are all within the boundaries of the land belonging to your property.
What is contents insurance and what am I covered for?
Household goods, furniture, furnishings, clothing, personal belongings and valuables all belonging to you or for which you are legally responsible.
What is the difference between standard cover and accidental damage cover?
Standard cover will cover your property and/or contents for the perils noted in the policy document, e.g. fire, storm, flood and subsidence.
Accidental damage cover will provide cover for your property and/or contents for any damage caused accidently, for example, spilling paint onto a carpet or putting a hammer through a wall whilst carrying out some DIY.
Accidental Damage is an ‘add-on’ which means it is entirely your choice to have this optional extra.
Why does my insurance exclude wear and tear?
Home insurance policies are designed to cover sudden and unexpected identifiable events such as fire or flooding to your home.
Wear and tear, however, naturally happens to all properties and possessions over time, and as such you will find wear and tear is not covered on most insurance policies.
The cost of maintaining your property or contents or replacing items due to wear and tear is not covered by our policy.
There are a few simple things you can do to prevent wear and tear causing you a problem:
- Check your property regularly
- Ensure you carry out routine maintenance
- Fix problems as soon as they arise.
Will Ecclesiastical cancel my previous insurance with my previous provider?
No. You will need to call the previous insurers and cancel the policy.
Will my premium be lower if I install a burglar alarm or specific locks?
This will not reduce the premium in any way; however your property may be in an area that requires you to meet certain security requirements. We will be able to tell you this.
Will my son/daughter's possessions be covered if they go to university?
If your son/daughter stays at your property during university breaks then they will be covered for their contents. The most we will pay for contents whilst in the student accommodation is £5,000 in any one period of insurance. No cover is provided for your son/daughters contents in the student accommodation for loss or damage caused by theft to items away from your home unless force is used to get into or out of a building.
As long as you have Portable items cover under your policy then any items your son/daughter takes away from their student accommodation will be covered. The Portable items sum insured will need to be sufficient to cover the whole family. Please note that if there is more than one child at university then the £5,000 is split between them.
