What is covered under a  Home Insurance Policy

Home Insurance  is covered  by two separate policies  a  Building Policy and a Contents Policy.

The easiest way to decide what is covered under each policy is to consider what you would take with you if you sold your home and what would remain.

Items that remain would fall under a Building  Policy whereas items you would take with you would be considered under a Contents Policy.

In determining what is Building and what is Contents  it depends upon how an item is annexed (fitted to ) the structure. If an item can be removed without causing significant damage to the remaining structure and if it is not destroyed during its removal then it falls under the Contents Policy rather than the Buildings Policy.

Here are a few examples:

• Fitted kitchen units,  Buildings items (you would normally leave them if you moved  and they cannot easily be removed without damage or reused elsewhere without modification).
• Built in Kitchen appliances again you would normally leave them if you moved and they would leave holes in the units if they were removed.
• Free standing cookers, fridges, microwaves normally contents items they can be easily removed without damage to themselves or to adjacent units.
• Carpets glued to the floor and laminate flooring , normally Buildings items since they would be damaged if removed.
• Fitted carpets and rugs, Contents items they can be removed without damage and refitted elsewhere.
• Central heating boilers, Building item since it forms an integral part of the heating system.
• Freestanding gas and electric fires, Contents items since they can easily be removed without damage and reused elsewhere.
• Fitted wardrobes, Building items they are specifically built to occupy a certain space.
• Free standing wardrobes, Contents items they can be removed and relocated elsewhere.
• Specialist light fittings, Contents items they can be removed and used elsewhere without damage.

And the list goes on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Insurance Contracts:

Insurance Policies are Contracts between you and the Insurance Company.  They therefore have Terms and Conditions just like any other contract. Although people make reference to small print which enables an Insurer not to pay the majority of Home Insurance Policies are written in Plain English and have been approved as such.

There is no escaping the fact that you the Consumer need to read your policy and understand what you have purchased. Ignorance when it comes to making a claim is no excuse.

In all Home Insurance Policies there is a list of Standard Exclusions. These apply to All Sections of the Policy. Generally they are matters which would be dealt with by the Government or other Agencies since the consequences are such that the cost of rectification would fall  outside the boundary of any Home Insurance Policy.  You  need to check your own policy wording.

Similarly in all Home Insurance Policies there are Conditions these may be General Conditions applicable to all Sections of the Policy or Specific Conditions in the Buildings and Contents Sections of the Home Insurance Policy You  need to check your own policy wording.

For more information concerning the Buildings or Contents Section of a Home Insurance Policy  (see navigation on the left)