Gimme an example of accidental buildings damage AKA do I really need 'extra' buildings insurance

[lynniep]

Thats it really. Am about to buy buildings and contents insurance and the buildings side of it has an 'accidental damage' standard plus option.

Except that I can't really think of an occasion where I'd need it, unless I perhaps accidently broke the lock on the door, in which case I doubt I'd claim anyway.

Have read policy booklet and that doesnt really give me any other indication of what this is for - I'm not a DIYer so I wont be 'accidently' knocking down a wall or drilling through somewhere that causes mass destruction...

[lynniep]

bump

[scaryteacher]

Car brakes failing and you driving into the front of your house?

Tile falling off roof, bouncing and smashing a window.

Child hitting cricket ball through window?

[lynniep]

thanks for a response st! Its helpful for me to see what could happen - then I can discount or decide if worth it

I can rule out the first (damage arising from use of my motor vehicle is not included, and damage from another vehicle really unlikely as we are far back from road)

So tile issue. Hmm. I think they'd get out of that as they'd class it as a maintenance issue. For which not covered. Still a thought.

Ball through window - not at all likely in our street.

[DaisymooSteiner]

Going up in the loft and putting your foot through the floor. (I used to work in household insurance and that's the example we always gave. Typical that it should then happen to me but we don't have accidental damage cover!)

Flooring which is glued down is usually part of your buildings insurance, so say you dropped a hot pan on the kitchen floor then you'd only be covered under accidental damage.

I'd see how much extra it would cost and check the excess too and decide whether it's worth it.

[lynniep]

thanks DMS as well.

ok the loft example is good, thanks. Again I think I'm going to rule it out as we really rarely go up there (have already done this years trip) and its boarded where we do tread.

the flooring is also v. good thinking. I would actually be worried about breaking the ceramic floor (although have dropped several pans on there already lol!)

Yeah thats the thing about the excess that I have to think about, for instance garage door recently broke - although was covered the excess was more so wasnt worth it.

[DaisymooSteiner]

Also worth bearing in mind is how often you'd need to claim or much the damage would cost to fix to make it worthwhile over a period of several years. Personally, I don't think it's usually worth it, considering lots of common bits of AD - smashing your TV, spilling water on your laptop, dropping a hammer in the bath etc, are usually covered as standard.

[susie100]

I spilt red wine all over the carpet and accidental damage covered recarpeting the whole living room in the same carpet (some rather lovely Sisal which would have been £££ to do ourselves)

Worth it if you are a bit clumsy like me.

[scaryteacher]

I always get accidental damage as something would be bound to happen if I didn't.

[rebl]

Child putting plug in the sink in bathroom and turning on the tap resulting in massive flood and ceiling falling in (happened to a good friend of mine).

Dropping the iron on the floor and burning a hole (wonder why I thought of that ).

[rebl]

Just thought of another one that has happened here.

Child turning hob on whilst there was post on top of it and setting fire to the post. I thankfully managed to put it out before the house caught fire. I know that you think you'd stop that happening but I take sensible procautions and my son is very ingenious and got a chair to do the above damage whilst I was upstairs with my daughter on the toilet.

[pagwatch]

The very nature of accidents is that you cannot forsee them. You can tick the box on any that people mention and then find you have created a whole new one all of your own.

By the way. My house is back from the raod. Didn't stop the lorry that reveresed into the boundary wall taking out the iron gates too. That was about £7000.

[DaisymooSteiner]

"Dropping the iron on the floor and burning a hole"

Assuming the iron was plugged in, this would actually be covered under the 'fire' section, as would the hob incident.

I can see a case for accidental damage cover for contents, but most things that would damage a building would be covered elsewhere in a standard policy.