Chancel Insurance

Neverknewidfindmyselfonhere · 2023-09-11T16:52:18+00:00

Hi. Does anyone have any guidance on whether we should take out chancel insurance? It's only £24 but just wanted to gauge others thoughts and experiences thanks

Bumcake · 11/09/2023 17:55

I think we did when we moved to our current home. It was just a one off payment if I remember rightly.

SmallTreeDeepRoots · 11/09/2023 17:59

Just pay it. Not worth the minute risk of a huge bill for such a small sum.

VickyEadieofThigh · 11/09/2023 18:04

Yes. It's one-off and protects you against the remote - but REAL - possibility of being asked to pay a LOT more. We did it.

Mercurial123 · 11/09/2023 18:05

Why wouldn't you, it's only £24?

Weathergirl1 · 11/09/2023 18:05

We'd never heard of it until we sold our house just this summer (wasn't asked about by my husband's solicitor when he bought). Our buyer's solicitor insisted we take it out though. I think it was about £60.

snackprovidersupreme · 11/09/2023 18:10

Take your conveyancer's advice but chancel repair is no longer an overriding interest.... ie not relevant to a new purchaser unless specifically set out on the title. It's a gravy train for insurers.

DepartureLounge · 11/09/2023 18:24

snackprovidersupreme · 11/09/2023 18:10

Take your conveyancer's advice but chancel repair is no longer an overriding interest.... ie not relevant to a new purchaser unless specifically set out on the title. It's a gravy train for insurers.

I agree. It's just a scammy variant on all those indemnity policies that are worth nothing but satisfy the lawyers. All those £24ses add up to a nice little earner. If you need it, get it, but if you don't, why would you? It should be obvious from the conveyancing paperwork if it's even the remotest necessity.

Twiglets1 · 11/09/2023 19:24

We paid it to our solicitor when we bought our current house a few years ago. Though I do think it’s kind of a scam.

muddyford · 11/09/2023 19:27

We did. It's not much in the scheme of things and this house is built on former glebe land, that belonged to a parish with a huge mediaeval church. It's very far from being a scam.

gogomoto · 11/09/2023 19:37

Rules have changed, all chancel convenances had to be registered a few years ago now, if it's not a tge lust you can't be help liable - check that list not the deeds to the house as they will not have been updated (I work for a church!)

Original poster

Neverknewidfindmyselfonhere · 11/09/2023 21:37

The house has been identified as on the list and as such could be liable. All just feels like a money making idea for insurers and it's annoying we all have to buy into it. We will pay just to be sure we don't get caught out, but as PP said how much money is being made from all house buyers paying it.

OP posts:

Twiglets1 · 11/09/2023 21:41

Yeah I think it’s a racket but home buyers pay it because it’s an anxious time and it doesn’t cost much in the grand scheme of things.

romatheroamer · 12/09/2023 06:49

Complete racket as pps have said, unfortunately conveyancers seem to have got hand in glove with the insurance companies. It doesn't apply if the property has changed hands for value (ie for a proper price) since 2013 and even before it probably didn't affect the majority of properties in this country which are in cities and towns.
If I were being asked to pay this premium I'd query it with the conveyancer.

greenacrylicpaint · 12/09/2023 06:51

we checked if the house we bought was in the catchment of a registered church.
it wasn't so we saved the 15£ insurance.

snackprovidersupreme · 12/09/2023 08:59

romatheroamer · 12/09/2023 06:49

Complete racket as pps have said, unfortunately conveyancers seem to have got hand in glove with the insurance companies. It doesn't apply if the property has changed hands for value (ie for a proper price) since 2013 and even before it probably didn't affect the majority of properties in this country which are in cities and towns.
If I were being asked to pay this premium I'd query it with the conveyancer.

Exactly. Plus banks often want this insurance for the mortgage even if it isn't needed (not always just lawyers!). There's a difference between it actually being on the title and just coming up in a "chancel check" search. There's really no need for a chancel check either and also a waste of money.