to be agog that my friends have no contents insurance

[AdmiralButterfly]

I mean it is none of my business but it came up in conversation. They have buildings insurance but not contents. So if they were burgled they would get nothing and if the house burned down they would not have anything to cover clothes and furniture etc. I am totally agog. They have all the normal laptops and TVs etc and all the usual burglar able things - jewellery, musical instruments, a bit of silverware.

@viques
No swimwear, no exercise wear, no cycling gear, no gowns or going out outfits, no jumpers, one pair of smart office shoes (kept in the office) and a pair of all season trainers to get to the office, I sleep in a t-shirt, don't own or wear scarves, gloves or hats. Difference between the summer and the winter is a warm jacket (was £25 at tk Maxx, I think). I am just really not into fashion and don't like clutter. My life is basically work and then vegetating at home with the children. My ex used to have £3-5K tailored suits, and I have friends who can impulsively spend £800 on a new pair of shoes (looking very similar to shoes they already own) - I could never understand the pleasure.
Ah, I have a pair of wellies for the back garden, so there's another £5.

**I have a friend who was badly flooded TWICE and had to move out for nearly a year and rent. A family member whose house burned down- that was horrific ,they lost everything and were renting for over a year iirc. Our ceiling fell down after a leak in upstairs flat, my mother in law's boiler burst and did an unbelievable amount of damage which all needed to be repaired.

Shit happens,it's not always the dramatic house burning scenarios it's the boring pipe slowly leaking and suddenly bursting that will do damage.

I can afford it and don't have specific exercise gear. I just wear an old pair of trousers and old t shirt. I think too many people are seduced by consumerism. I do have a swimming costume that cost £7.

@BuzzShitbagBobbly
M&S is for office wear, out of office wear is from whatever supermarket I am buying food at the moment. Tesco, sainsburys etc.
I am tempted to come home today and just post a photo of my wardrobe contents as people don't seem to believe.
I don't count underwear and tights in as these are replaced really often (tights weekly, underwear monthly perhaps), so they are more like perishables anyway.

You replace underwear monthly? Why?

Also, all of you without contents insurance are wide open to claims that could run into thousands, possibly tens of thousands, if damage is caused to another person's possessions and they claim off you.

Do you really want that liability?

You replace underwear monthly?
Probably more psychological, I have really heavy periods and very rarely survive through without leaks even with a cup + super absorbent towel. Feel unclean wearing the same set after.

@BlueSkiesLies Yes I am well aware of that, my claim was through both elements of my insurance. I contributed to the thread because of what happened to me and the damage to my house and CONTENTS. It was not "irrelevant" and I do consider, because of what happened to me, my CONTENTS insurance to be vital. Of course, please feel free to go and correct everybody else who has shared their stories.

Also, all of you without contents insurance are wide open to claims that could run into thousands, possibly tens of thousands, if damage is caused to another person's possessions and they claim off you

I don't think it works like that. If you don't have insurance they other person can't claim against you and their own insurance pays out. If you DO have insurance their insurers claim off yours.

I think.

silvercuckoo but you wash them,right?

Silver.

So you’re clothes total £200, I’m guessing you need the same for the children. That’s £600.

£200 is 6.6 % of your 3k
£600 is 20%

Thinking you may have underestimated somewhat.

silvercuckoobut you wash them,right?
I knew there was a trick! In all seriousness, the yellow/brown stains on cotton still stay somehow, even after bleaching.

silvercuckoo the trick is to soak them in cold water with salt and then wash with bio detergent.

**or run under hit tap water- not boiling ,then wash.

Have a ds with horrendous nose bleeds

@AntiHop I don’t see how that works because was others have said when you take out contents you estimate the value of your belongings as coverage - how could you know the value of other people’s belongings?

Buildings insurance insures the building and anything the building damages. So if your roof blew off and a bit of it landed in your neighbours conservatory, causing damage, your buildings insurance would pay as your building damaged it.
Contents is, as a PP said often described as what you can shake out of your own house. Maybe technically there are things you can’t shake out but it’s a widely used saying

My dogs and phone are insured. That's all.
All my furniture and clothes are second hand- I have nothing of much value. Don't wear makeup or blow dry hair.
I may consider contents insurance nonetheless if I can find a cheap deal. But do they even accept you if you don't have much ?

@silvercuckoo

i have a pair of wellies

You hedonist you!

Seriously,please invest in a dressing gown! I hate to think of an emergency evacuation at 2.00 o'clock in the morning and you just in your sleep t shirt...........

Loaf It's more about third party liability than "contents"

eg
www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/insurance/2790755/Your-home-may-be-your-castle-but-how-well-are-you-covered-for-accidents.html
www.theguardian.com/money/2017/apr/08/hole-home-insurance-pipe-bursts-home-contents-cover-third-party

I suppose if you live in a two roomed home you'd probably be okay not having contents insurance.

But anyone living in a reasonable sized home who doesn't have contents insurance is, I imagine, sorely underestimating how much replacing everything would actually cost.

If the house burned down everything would need replacing, not just the obvious things like laptops and televisions and all the other things that might be stolen in a burglary, but everything from all the carpets and flooring, down to all the kitchen utensils.

Then all your clothes, if you've got DC, all their stuff.

I would have though £20,000 is the minimum you're looking at.

I don't have contents insurance. Mainly because the bastard insurance companies never actually pay out

The exact opposite is true, they very rarely refuse to pay out. Only when you aren't actually covered for what you are claiming, or you have lied thru your teeth to get the insurance at a cheaper rate.

Plenty of posts on this very thread about how insurers have paid tens of thousands.

Another point worth making is to ensure that you are not underestimating your contents as any payouts will be reduced by the same percentage. For example if you only have cover for £20000 but the claims assessor decided that your contents total £40000 and you put in a claim for say £10000 then they will likely reduce your claim by 50% and you will only receive £5000. Trying to save a few £££s in premiums could leave you out of pocket by thousands.

So 3 people, at £200 each for clothes there's £600.

Then all your replacement passports/birth certs etc - another £300.

White goods another few hundred for them all.

Laptop, phone, PC, Wardrobes, mattresses, beds, bedding, towels, hair brush, hair dryer, replacing all the toiletries for everyone, new prescriptions, replacement paperwork (mortgage papers, copy house deeds etc) Hoover, pet bedding,. Just off the top of my head the things we have upstairs - all of these things come under contents and are chargeable replacements.

buzzshitbag If someone is poor so they only have £200 worth of clothes, there is no point claiming against them, as they will have no money to pay you.

@QforCucumber
I am not sure my children have £200 worth of clothing each, but let's assume they do. The cleaner supplies all the cleaning stuff and equipment like hoover and iron etc, toiletries are soap and shampoo, I don't use a hair dryer, passports and birth certificates cost pennies to replace (we are not British), laptop stays in the office (I am using the same for work and play), wardrobes etc are covered by building insurance (built in).