Buildings Insurance

Buildings insurance covers the cost of rebuilding or repairing your home should it be damaged by:

  • Fire, smoke, explosion or lightening
  • Storm or floods
  • Subsidence, heave or landslip
  • Water or oil leakage from a tank or pipes
  • Vandalism, theft or attempted theft
  • Falling trees or branches
  • Impact by an aircraft, vehicle or animal

Policies do vary so it is important to read the small print but some will also include cover for a garage, shed or greenhouse, fence or driveway.  The cost of alternative accommodation can also be included which could be important if your house became uninhabitable for some reason.  And don't forget some plans will offer cheaper rates for over 50s building insurance.

You will find buildings insurance plans also have a number of general exclusions which you will not be covered for.  These typically include:

  • General wear and tear
  • Maintenance or poor workmanship
  • Mechanical or electrical breakdown
  • Frost damage
  • War or acts of terrorism 
  • Claims where the property has been left unoccupied (usually for more than 30 or 60 days)

To compare buildings insurance quotes and see what cover is available, just click on the ‘get a quote’ button, answer a few questions and we’ll do the rest.  It’s as easy as that!

How much Buildings Insurance do I need?

Your level of buildings insurance cover should be based on how much it would cost to completely rebuild your house.

Please note this is the cost of rebuilding, not the property’s current value if you were selling it.  Rebuild costs are usually less but it is important to get this figure right as the insurer will only pay up to the amount you specify.  If you have just bought your home, the rebuild costs should be on your mortgage valuation.  Alternatively, The Association of British Insurers have an online rebuild calculator that will help.

Some insurers provide a set amount of buildings insurance cover.  It may be a flat rate or based on the number of bedrooms you have.  Whilst this can be an easier option if you don’t know the rebuild costs of your house, you may end up paying more for this type of cover so it is a good idea to shop around.

At the end of the day, whether you go for a specified or set amount of cover you still need to check that it meets your needs as you could be seriously out of pocket if you find the rebuild costs are actually higher.

Additional Buildings Insurance Cover

In a similar way to contents insurance, most insurance companies offer additional cover that you can add to your buildings insurance:

  • Accidental damage – It may cost you a few pounds more but you’ll be covered if you have an accident that results in damage to your home. For example you put your foot through your ceiling, crack your bath or accidently knock down a wall
  • Public Liability – Covers any legal fees you may face should someone be injured, die or their property become damaged as a result of something that happened at your home
  • Legal expenses – Covers any legal fees you might have as a result of disputes such as employment or injury claims
  • Home emergency – This covers the cost of call outs and some repairs in the event of an emergency usually to boilers, plumbing and drainage.

To help you get the best home insurance deal, we compare buildings and contents insurance from over 70 insurance companies!

Did you find this information helpful?

We work with

First Choice Health
Age Partnership
Quotezone.co.uk
sunlife.co.uk

Our aim is to provide you with clear and accurate information to help you research your chosen financial products and services. The material on this site is for general information only and does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation.

If a link has an * by it, it means it is an affiliated link to an insurance company or broker that may result in a payment to the site. Should you use the equity release calculator, speak to an Age Partnership adviser and take out a plan out using their services, we receive a commission, however this will not affect the price you pay.

Also, from time to time you may see advertisements from third party companies who pay us a fee to advertise their services on our site.

None of the above arrangements constitute advice or recommendations, as other products and companies are available. You should always obtain independent, professional advice for your own situation.

The information provided on this site is accurate at the date of publication, occasionally however, things will change before we have had the opportunity to update them, so please do check. Always do your own research and take independent advice.

We do not investigate the solvency of any company mentioned on our website and are not responsible for the content on websites we link to.

Over50choices is an independent company and regulated by the FCA (No.594280) for insurance products only and a member of the Equity Release Council.