Compare UK Holiday Home Insurance

Other Insurers

Our experience is that water damage is the main threat that holiday home owners face.

Generally, policies exclude loss or damage caused by water leaks whilst a holiday home is unoccupied unless you comply with specific policy conditions. Most insurers require that the water is turned off at the mains and all equipment drained to its full extent.

During winter months, the temperature in many parts of the UK falls below freezing and a large proportion of holiday homes suffer burst pipes. The water can run for several days before a leak is discovered. This means that the entire building could be saturated with thousands of gallons of water, causing substantial damage. Unless the property owner complies with the unoccupancy obligations outlined in the policy, it is unlikely that these claims would be covered.

Benefits of a Schofields policy

Cover is provided for the damage caused by the escape of water subject to the terms and excess, as shown in the policy wording.

Certain conditions and exclusions apply during the period of 1st November through until 31st March. In addition, if your property is heated by night storage heaters cover excludes loss or damage directly caused by escape of water from fixed water tanks, apparatus or pipes unless the water has been turned off at the stop cock within the property.

Other Insurers

Check to see if your insurer has a restriction on the length of time a property can be unoccupied. Usually, restrictions apply when properties are empty for more than 30 consecutive days. Some policies also require a weekly holiday home inspection. Failure to comply with the unoccupancy requirements could mean your claim is ruled invalid.

Benefits of a Schofields Policy

A quick holiday home insurance comparison with the Schofields policy will immediately reveal that as standard, our policy does not have unoccupancy restrictions. The policy provides comprehensive cover provided you take reasonable precautions to prevent loss or damage.

Other Insurers

Theft or attempted theft is a constant threat to holiday homes. Typically other Insurers will not pay out on a claim unless certain security measures are in force when your holiday home is unoccupied. Doors must be fitted with a 5-lever mortice deadlock or equivalent, windows must be fitted with key operated security devices, and the burglar alarm must be operational whenever your property is unoccupied. To have security warranties like this written into the policy wording means that unless they are strictly complied with, insurers can turn down a claim.

Benefits of a Schofields policy

We do not have any specific security requirements for policies with a contents sum insured that is less than £40,000.

Other Insurers

It is common for other insurers to only cover theft if there are signs of forced entry, so entry through an open window would not be covered. They also exclude theft by tenants.

Benefits of a Schofields policy

Our wide theft cover also includes theft by non-forcible entry and theft by tenants. This means that if a key holder, like a previous guest, contractor or cleaner, enters your house and steals the contents you will be covered.

Other Insurers

Some Insurers only provide this cover as an optional extra only when the property is used exclusively by the owner. There tends to be no accidental damage cover when the property is lent to friends or relatives and certainly not when let out commercially.

Benefits of a Schofields Policy

The fact that someone could damage your contents is a constant worry for cottage owners, especially when the property is being used by others. It's generally true that guests are not as careful as owners and a surprising number of people seem to use carpets, rugs or beds as ironing boards! Common accidental damage claims include breakage of spin dryers, washing machines or cookers and damage to televisions or CD players due to misuse.

Schofields accidental damage to contents extension protects you even when you holiday let your property, so you don't have to worry about damage by guests. We also cover malicious damage and damage by pets.

Other Insurers

Typically, other insurer's only give £2m cover or they charge extra to increase this figure. With some policies it doesn't extend to cover guests.

Benefits of a Schofields policy

We automatically provide £5m public liability cover and £5m employer's liability cover. These are litigious times and liability insurance will cover you for legal costs and expenses following death, injury or damage to a third party on or near your property.

Other Insurers

Although this seems a silly exclusion, given that even in the UK some holiday homes feature a pool or hot tub of some sort, some insurers exclude liability for swimming pool usage. This leaves you potentially exposed to legal action following injury to third parties in or around the pool.

Benefits of a Schofields policy

Swimming pools (and covers) are insured under the buildings section of a Schofields policy. Protection includes public liability insurance of £5m, which covers liability claims arising from the usage of swimming pools. E.g. in the event of an accident in or around swimming pool such as slips and trips or cuts from broken tiles.

Other Insurers

Many insurers have a high excess. Consequently, in the event of a small claim it may not be worth claiming if your excess is high. There will be an additional cost (on top of your premium) of the excess in the event of any claim, which is likely to be more than the small saving made by having a higher excess.

Benefits of a Schofields policy

Our policy has a low £50 standard excess, increased to £1,000 for subsidence, landslip or heave claims and £250 for escape of water and damaged by the weight of snow claims. Our premiums are very competitive, however you can opt for a higher excess in order to lower the premium.

Other Insurers

If you are letting out your property and it becomes uninhabitable due to flooding for example, other policies only cover the costs of alternative accommodation incurred by the policyholder. Paying guest who may be using the property are not covered. It is also wise to check what loss of rent cover is provided should you have to cancel bookings.

Benefits of a Schofields policy

A Schofields holiday home insurance policy will cover additional accommodation expenses incurred by you and your guests. We'll also cover you for the loss of pre-booked rental income in an amount of up to twice the contents sum insured.

Other Insurers

With some policies, claims are often dealt with by the insurer and not the broker you dealt with. In some cases the claims are out sourced beyond the UK, resulting in what can be an impersonal and drawn out process.

Benefits of a Schofields policy

Claims are dealt with by our dedicated in house insurance experts with over twenty years experience and a proven track record in resolving common holiday home claims.

Other Insurers

Some policies offer this cover but it's highly conditional. There's usually a limit on the amount of cover insurers will give for emergency travel and you are only covered if the property is deemed "uninhabitable". This is a term which is open to many levels of interpretation at the insurer's discretion.

Benefits of a Schofields policy

Our Underwriters will include all such emergency travel costs in a claim settlement when, as is often the case, the attendance on site mitigates the overall cost of the claim.

Other Insurers

Typically, if this cover is offered at all, there is a very low limit on theft from outbuildings.

Benefits of a Schofields policy

We offer this cover and do not have a limit. It's surprising how the value of a lawnmower (especially petrol ride-on models), barbecues, garden tools and garden furniture can quickly add up to a substantial sum.

If you have a ride on lawnmower or quad bike at the premises these items must be disclosed on your application form.

Other Insurers

Some insurers have a limit for what they pay out for accidental damage to domestic supplies, for example underground water supplies. £500 is a fairly typical average limit imposed by most, but these claims can run into thousands of pounds, so £500 is not nearly enough.

Benefits of a Schofields policy

Our cover on accidental damage to domestic supplies is unlimited.