Flexible insurance tailored to your specific property, with building protection coverage
Buildings insurance pays for the cost of repairing or constructing your home if it is damaged or destroyed. It's usually required if you plan to buy a home with a mortgage, and you might not be able to get one unless you get buildings insurance.
What is buildings insurance?
Building structures insurance covers the costs of repairing damage to your property's structure. Garages, sheds, and fences are also covered, as are the costs of replacing pipes, cables, and drains.
Your insurance company should cover the entire cost of rebuilding your home. This includes demolition, site preparation, and architectural fees. Internal or external depending of packages you choose
Buildings insurance usually covers loss or damage caused by:
- fire, explosion, storms, floods, earthquakes
- frozen and burst pipes
- fallen trees, lampposts, aerials or satellite dishes
- vehicle or aircraft collisions.
Do you need buildings insurance?
If you have a mortgage
Buildings insurance will be required as a condition of the mortgage and must be sufficient to cover the outstanding mortgage balance. Your lender should offer you a selection of insurers or allow you to select one on your own. They can refuse your insurer of choice, but they cannot force you to utilize their own insurance policy only if your mortgage pack contains insurance.
When you exchange contracts on a house, you should get buildings insurance. If you sell a house, you are responsible for maintaining it until the sale is completed, so keep your insurance coverage in place until then.
If you don't have a mortgage
Building insurance is not considered necessary, but it is recommended. Consider how you would pay to rebuild your home if it was damaged or destroyed.
If you're a tenant
Although your landlord is usually responsible for insurance, you may be held liable for loss or damage to fixtures and fittings. This may be covered by your household contents insurance.
