Surprising things that can invalidate your home insurance

When it comes to securing buildings and contents insurance, we select the things that matter most to us. Perhaps you want to make sure your collectibles are covered, maybe accidental damage is top of your priority list, or maybe your expensive tv needs protecting against theft or damages? Whatever the reason, securing suitable insurance is a vital consideration for all households. So, what if you’re doing something simple that could invalidate that all important cover?

Here a few things to be cautious of to ensure the best from your content’s insurance:

• Installing a pet door
  • Despite wanting to give Rover more freedoms to roam both indoors and outdoors, it could tell your insurers that your doorways are less secure and result in you paying higher premiums. This is one you ought to disclose to your insurer just in case.
• Lacklustre locks
  • If your entry points have substandard locks you could stand to invalidate your claim, should you need to make one. Ensure the locks on your doors and windows are fully functioning and in line with what your policy requires (i.e., ensure the type of lock mirrors your policy’s requirements) and take care of any faults or damages immediately to avoid your claim being dismissed.
• Snapshot sharing
  • It may seem tempting to update your social media following on your latest excursion or exciting trip, but this can be viewed by insurers as advertising that your home is empty. If you’re found to have publicised your vacant home and subsequently make a claim, it could be invalidated. Instead, try to share the snaps after you’ve returned home.
• Business use
  • Following the pandemic, many of us are now finding ourselves working from home. Be it a home office, a kitchen pop-up desk, or a cubby under the stairs; if you’re working from home, it is important to let your insurers know. Equipment such as printers and laptops could impact your policy, although if insured by your company it may not pose as much of an issue. Either way, there’s no harm in keeping your insurers up to date.

When considering contents insurance, it is important to find something that best fits your needs and situation and to understand that while flexibilities and changes happen, it can be the difference between an insurer accepting your claim and denying it.

To source the most suitable contents insurance for your needs, get in touch with us today.