Cold weather issues with buildings and contents insurance

The harsh winter weather that we get in the UK can wreak havoc with your home. Pipes can burst, tiles can crack, and rooms can become flooded, especially with some older properties. Usually, either your buildings or contents insurance policy will pay out for repairs or replacements if any of these things should happen to your property. However, many insurance policies cover you for some things and not others, so it is important to know the exact terms of your cover before you make a claim. This article provides a rough guide to what you can and cannot expect from the majority of home insurance policies, although individual policy documents may vary.

If your water tank bursts after freezing up, it is the responsibility of the building owner or factor, or more likely the company that supplies them with their buildings insurance, to pay for repairs, as the water tank is thought of as being part of the structure of the building itself. Unless you have informed your insurer beforehand of any planned absence of longer than a month, and have come to an arrangement with them regarding the insurance of the empty property while you are away, your insurance may not cover any damage incurred to the property during that time.

Damage to the outer shell of a building, or the roof, caused by wintry weather conditions, is usually covered by buildings insurance, although if the problem is perceived by the insurer to have been the result of a lack of vital property maintenance on the part of the building owner, then they might not be entitled to full compensation. It’s important to keep any receipts pertaining to work done on your property by tradesmen or construction firms, as these will be required if a dispute arises between the property owner and the insurer regarding the issue of maintenance.

Thankfully, many insurers are in a position to offer free legal services with the majority of their home insurance policies, and some are even willing to cover some of the costs incurred in any legal dispute. For example, Kwik Fit Insurance offer as an extra to their customers the chance to get covered for any legal expenses they may incur.  Visit their website for information and quotes on contents insurance.