Household insurance for a house that is empty (probate sale)

[KatyMac]

My mum died and we are selling the house

The buildings and contents insurance won't cover vandalism or burglary so we need new insurance

which insurance company will insure an empty house?

Towergate do unoccupied/probate House Insurance. Worth talking with present insurance company as they may be able to provide short term (12month) insurance while seeking probate. We did this with Lloyds who already insured Dads house. We informed them when he died and they set up the insurance but could only be for 12 months after that we had to arrange through Towergate

Could also try co-op and age concern insurance. The latter we found to be really helpful and obviously used to this situation.

Tower gate are pretty good in my experience. Not cheap though

Endsleigh do this, need to speak to someone though, can't do online

Sorry for your loss

I had to insure an empty house for a few months a year or so ago and found it difficult to get a quote from anyone mainstream, the best I found was a company called Intelligent Insurance.

You may find the existing insurance company will put the cover in your name and cover the empty house for you while the house is being sold, but I'm guessing you may have tried that?

Just FYI if you have a solicitor handling probable than this is one of their jobs.

We did it with Higos Insurance

I found the existing insurer would cover an empty property for a set period, assuming certain criteria (heating etc) were met. After that, I just went with a broker.

Nope the existing company have done from the death to the renewal but wont cover for leaks, vandalism or burglary any more....very cheap quote but...not sure what is covered!!

I would have thought that the most important risks to cover are the ones for which an "insured event" would be very expensive. I.e. if the house burns down, or flooding or a storm causes extensive damage, or if there is major subsidence.

But burglary would seem like a fairly low impact risk (even if a burglar got in, they would find nothing to steal so the only cost would be repairing the broken door or window).

Vandalism would, I suppose, be a bigger possible issue, but the insurance might have a low ceiling on the damage covered anyway, even if you can get it covered. So maybe more cost-effective to have something to deter vandals, e.g. maintain the property and maybe add lights that go on automatically if someone approaches the house at night, and even cameras or fake cameras that look real.

We use Adrian Flux. Weird name, I know. Prior to that we were using Direct line, but there are time limits on theirs, I think 12 months.

and I'm sorry about your mum Katymac

Try sainsburys home insurance

Also try Home Protect as they cover homes empty due to probate.

Any local broker should find a couple of options for you - you probably have to turn off the water and electricity and then record that you or a representative have checked on the property every 14 days or more frequently. My DH had a notebook on a string with dates and observations with his mum’s house.

Try age concern or saga insurance, they cover this type of thing

I'll start ringing round on Monday = thanks everyone