The documents on this page are for Highhouse Landlords Insurance policies using policy wordings version LPIP04-2023.
Please select the relevant document to download:
Author: Highhouse
Highhouse Home Insurance Documents (HPIP04-2023)
The documents on this page are for Highhouse Home Insurance policies using policy wordings version HPIP04-2023.
Please select the relevant document to download:
March 16, 2023
Highhouse Home Insurance Documents (HPIP03-2021)
The documents on this page are for Highhouse Home Insurance policies using policy wordings version HPIP03-2021.
Please select the relevant document to download:
March 26, 2021
Highhouse Landlords Insurance Documents (LPIP03-2021)
The documents on this page are for Highhouse landlords property insurance policies using policy wordings version LPIP03-2021.
Please select the relevant document to download:
March 26, 2021
Data Privacy Notice
The documents on this page are the privacy policy and privacy statement for Highhouse Insurance.
Please select the relevant document to download:
| Highhouse Insurance Privacy Policy (PP 16-05-2018) |  |
| Highhouse Insurance Privacy Statement (PS 16-05-2018) | |
May 16, 2018
Highhouse Insurance Claim Form
The document on this page are for Highhouse Insurance policies and not those that have been brokered through Highhouse. Please contact us if unsure.
| Highhouse Insurance Claim Form | |
May 16, 2018
Cheaper home insurance
Save Money on Insurance Premiums
Cheaper Home Insurance Premiums
Home insurance is a very competitive market and generally in return for the value of the risk covered, most premiums offer very good value. There are however certain things that can be done to reduce premiums further.
Reduce Home Insurance
Obtaining a quote for your property will have been based on your unique set of circumstances. Making your circumstances more favourable to insurers will reduce their perception of the risk and any loads that have been put on your premium could be reduced or removed.
- Check your property meets modern security standards-
Insurers base their premiums on the level of risk they feel they are covering. By conforming to modern security standards and making your home as safe and secure as possible insurers will usually discount their premium. It is important to ensure that all windows and doors have locks. External doors should have five-lever mortise deadlocks (British Standard BS3621) and all accessible windows should have key-operated windows locks. Fire alarms are essential in your home whether you insure your house or not. However insurers will often ask whether you have these and may incorporate this into the premium. - Fit fire alarms and reduce fire associated risks-
Fire alarms are essential for your own safety and can sometimes reduce your home insurance, remember however if you state you have them, you must remember to keep them in working order or this may invalidate your insurance if subjected to a claim. - Have an alarm installed-
Having a Burglar or intruder alarm, especially those that are NACOSS- approved will install great confidence with insurers and an area where you are likely to be able to reduce the premium by going above and beyond the minimum security requirements. - Maintain trees close to the property-
If you have trees or shrubs over several metres high within 3 metres of the property it will usually be an insurance requirement that these trees are maintained. Also always employ a qualified professional to remove or maintain trees and shrubs as accidents caused by maintenance are not often covered under standard policies. - Install a safe for high-value items-
If you have and list high value possessions such as jewellery on your insurance policy then it is usually worth having a safe installed. There are sometimes good discounts available for doing this and should pay for itself in time as well as provide that extra piece of mind for both you and your insurer. - Join a neighbourhood watch-
Becoming part of a neighbourhood watch can sometimes reduce the premium offered by an insurer although the discount for this will usually be very small if any. The real benefit of joining such a scheme is the knowledge and advice offered by such a committee which in turn may decrease the chances of you being burgled and thus less likely to claim (maintaining a no claims bonus).
Finding cheaper House and Buildings Insurance
There are many insurance companies offering a number of different insurance products for house and buildings insurance. Below are a few tips that will help you to make savings which can affect premiums when choosing house insurance:
- You do not have to insure your property with your mortgage provider-
It is not a legal requirement to have buildings insurance but mortgage lenders will often require it to be in place when you can take out a mortgage. They may offer you their own insurance policy so you can tie it neatly in with the mortgage seamlessly. However it is worth looking around as you may find other competitors to be far cheaper and offer a more comprehensive product. - Compare the amount of excess applicable to the policy (the first amount you pay of any claim) –
Most insurance policies have a standard excess rate to deter policy holders from making claims for small items or incidents that are although covered under the policy and therefore claimable, are not really what the policy is intended for. The rate of excess an insurer requires can vary and when comparing what different policies have to offer, the excess rate is something that should be looked at. Some insurers offer low competitive annual rates for their product but they may set their standard excesses considerably high as well ! The excess can also vary depending on what a potential claim is related to, for example excess for subsidence is usually higher than for the standard excess for the rest of the policy. It’s always worth looking at the ‘small print’ when comparing insurer policies. - Increase voluntary excess-
You can make savings by increasing your excess voluntarily, most insurers give you this option and in return discount your premium. Note though that voluntary excesses are in addition to the insurer’s standard excess. So when you want to make a claim the total excess will be standard and voluntary excess added together. - Combine buildings and contents-
Insurers normally offer discount when you combine insurance cover together such as buildings with contents and also more convenient having a combined renewal date on a single policy. It is worth however, getting a quote for both insurance types together and separately as different insurers assess the risk differently and set their premiums accordingly. - Insure only at the level needed-
The key to finding the right insurance is to know exactly what you want to insure, the cover required and correct level to insure at. Many insurers can be quite flexible with their policies so it is to your advantage to know what values you want covered without estimating. This avoids paying higher premiums than necessary which on a year-on-year basis can soon add up. - Give yourself time to look around for cover when choosing which house insurance-
The insurance market is hugely competitive and each insurer will offer different benefits and premiums for their product. Look at your insurance needs as early as possible and if possible give yourself time to assess what insurers have to offer. It is important to not instantly go for the cheapest quote before assessing the quality of the policy they are offering. If possible ask for the associated policy wording and look at the ‘small print’. What will they cover you for?, what will they not cover you for?, what are the limitations and excesses for the cover? The cheapest cover isn’t necessarily the best value and important areas of cover are sometimes stripped down or removed completely to offer the premiums derived at. At the same time the most expensive premium quotes don’t necessarily offer the most comprehensive cover for your needs, look around and make sure the insurance quote you finalise offers you the best all round value whilst still covering all your specific needs. Although comparison websites profess to do the looking around for you, some insurers are not represented here, they offer cheaper quotations if you go to them directly, as they do not have to pay the comparison web sites for the introductions. Also, do not forget that your local high street insurance brokers are still there and offer good and personal service and can be cheaper than buying policies on line. - Pay the premium in full-
This is often cheaper than paying by direct debit on a monthly basis so it is often worth finding out the details of a direct debit alternative.
November 18, 2015
Contents Insurance
Contents Insurance
Home Contents Insurance
Contents is defined in insurance terms as household goods and personal property, within the home, which are your property or which you are legally liable for.
Unlike building insurance however, contents is always optional as no other party such a bank or lender will have an invested interest. In most cases it is normal to have house and contents insurance combined but if you own a flat and you share your buildings insurance with other residents known as block insurance it is usually recommended to have a separate ‘contents only’ insurance policy.
What items are included in contents insurance
Household goods and personal property classed as insurable are usually items that you would take with you when you move property.
Standard items such as:
- Televisions, computers, cameras and other electricals,
- household appliances,
- beds, sofas and other furniture,
- clothes and jewellery,
- pots, pans crockery and cutlery,
- Ornaments and toys.
Where possible, keeping receipts for items will help prove ownership, including their brand and model numbers should the need for a claim arise (this can of course prove difficult in the case of a fire).
Although items such as jewellery are for the most part considered standard, insurers will often cap the value paid out for these items in a claim. If you own high value items such as jewellery, paintings and antiques, it is worth informing the insurer of these, some insurers may request that items over a certain valuation be specified and will be noted on the insurance policy itself. The value of these high value specified items can factor into the cost of your insurance premium and if it may be possible to find alternative specialised insurance for that item such as a jewellery insurance policy.
There may be limits placed on contents stored in the open such as the garden area or in outbuildings, where they are not considered as secure as the main property.
Other items that may be offered in addition to standard contents, include domestic pedal cycles, freezer contents, office equipment and cover of possessions for members of the family whilst at University/ college up to a specified value.
Assessing the contents sum insured
When people think about how much contents insurance they are likely to need, they usually come up with a set figure that is more of a rough guess than a good estimate, often because when we assess our contents to determine its value we think of a few key items that are either more important or personal such as a computer, television or pieces of jewellery. They may then think about the cost of replacing domestic appliances such as the washing machine or fridge freezer or the larger items in the house such as the sofa. However, when looking at insurance it is important to think about the worst case scenario. With contents this may be in the event of a fire or flood where all your contents and personal possessions had to be replaced. It may be surprising at how much this would actually cost, not only would you have to replace jewellery, clothes or home electricals but also all your kitchenware including pots and pans, cutlery and crockery, curtains, linen, food, books, dvds and sometimes carpets (varies on insurer and policy type as to whether carpets are listed under buildings or contents insurance). There is a risk of underinsurance, where the values for contents sums insured doesn’t meet the true cost of replacing goods and we have written a good article on Overinsurance and Underinsurance.
What is contents covered against
As standard a contents insurance policy will insure you against:
- Fire
- Flood
- Theft
These are just standard perils but most insurers will include much more as standard in their policies, such as storm damage, subsidence, landslip or heave, falling trees, riots, violent disorder and malicious damage.
The values of the contents sum insured may also be index linked each year so the value of the sum insured increases. This is designed to protect you against rates of inflation so should a claim arise you are not underinsured when items are replaced on a like for like basis.
Getting insurance for contents
Contents can either be insured on its own but is usually cheaper when combined with buildings insurance and accidental damage is normally an optional extra should you require it. If you rent a property you will only require contents insurance as the building will already be insured by the landlord or property management agency. Alternatively if you are a landlord you can get contents insurance for communal areas providing you own the contents you wish to insure.
If you would like a quote for contents then Highhouse will be happy to provide you with a quote, we have our own binder for both home and let property insurance underwritten by the highest rated insurers and can normally have you insured and your documents over to you the same day should you require it.
October 25, 2015
Home Insurance FAQ’s
Every now and then we get asked questions that we feel should be answered but aren’t covered in our home guides. Since closing our forums we have moved the best questions into this section.
Q) Can I use my Homeowners Insurance on a theft from my car while it was parked at home?
A) There is cover for personal effects under the motor insurers for a small amount, however, depending on what has been stolen from the vehicle, will be dependent on the cover provided by the home insurer. For example the theft of a laptop from an unattended vehicle is not normally covered.
Q) Do you have to have a survey of your home to get homeowners insurance?
A) No having a survey is not a requirement, however, the survey may be helpful to establish the rebuilding costs of the property for insurance purposes.
Q) How often should I inspect the home for insurance purposes?
A) All homes should be checked at least once every 14 days if the property is unoccupied and a detailed itenery of visits maintained. There may be other cover restrictions that could apply and as such you should always refer to your policy.
Q) Are Home Foundation Repairs Covered by Home Insurance?
A) The repairs to foundations are included as a result of the insurable perils under the policy, such as Landslip/heave and subsidence. But not as a result of faulty workmanship.
January 8, 2015
Over Insurance and Under Insurance
Underinsurance can lead to not covering a full rebuild
When providing quotes for property insurance here at Highhouse we often come across enquiries where people are unsure about true values for either their buildings sum insured (BSI) or contents sum insured (CSI) and have never really taken stock of what assets they own and how much it would cost to replace everything in a worse case scenario such as a fire or flood, where everything could be damaged or lost.
When you guess or base your insurable values on inaccurate or incorrect figures, this can lead to either over insurance or underinsurance. The stresses and strain of having to deal with a worse case scenario and picking up the pieces for your family could be further worsened if you find yourself thousands of pounds out of pocket and unable to replace half of what is needed to start up again.
Under Insurance
Underinsurance is where the sums insured are inadequate and the insured will usually only become aware of this when it is too late and a claim has been made only to find out that the final settlement is far less than the accurate cost of replacing lost or damaged property. The sums insured for buildings should be the full value of a complete rebuild and remember that it is the maximum figure that the insurer will pay out.
An example of underinsurance for buildings is when a property rebuild value has increased because either renovation work and/ or extensions have been built or in the case of listed buildings, the cost of listed building materials have increased faster than the protective index-linked rate.
An example of underinsurance for contents is when the insured sets a CSI based on a blanket figure to take into account the cost of replacing big items they would like to have cover for such as fridge/ freezers, cookers, TV’s, computers, beds and basic furniture including carpets. This does however fail to take into account a true reflection of what may have to be replaced and its the smaller items such as smaller electrical appliances, DVD’s, CD’s, crockery, cutlery, pots and pans, curtains, blinds, mirrors, bed linen, clothing, ornaments and so on. By listing everything in a room and adding up their values, its amazing what the actual cost of replacing like for like really could be.
Tips on preventing becoming underinsured
- For Buildings – The sum insured should be the cost of a full rebuild which in the worse case scenario of a fire may include the cost of demolition, debris removal, architects fees, surveyors and legal fees and of course the rebuild itself.
- For Contents – go thoroughly through each room and note as many items as possible, creating a checklist with a full replacement value for each item, think of the worse case scenario and you had to replace everything and therefore you want to have the correct sums to be able to do this. Remember to include contents from the garden and outbuildings and create a list that can be reused or changed to make the process of updating easier in the future. We have put together a sample checklist later in this guide to help get you started.
- Heirloom items, antiques, jewellery, fine arts and other expensive items should be correctly evaluated by properly qualified valuers to their full market or current market value depending on the piece and be aware of any market trends that may affect their value.
- Where an insurance company will not dispute you owning a washing machine or television in the spare bedroom, they may however require evidence of ownership or proof of existence for more expensive ‘specified items’ like jewellery or antiques. Keeping photographic evidence and as much proof of ownership as you can in a safe place will help, should a claim arise in the future. Ideally a backup of proof should be safely stored away from the property in case of a fire where all evidence could be lost as well.
- Don’t take out insurance and then forget about any endorsements or exclusions that have been applied to the policy. For example some insurers apply a safe clause endorsement for specified items such as rings or necklaces and will not cover theft of jewellery from the home unless it is kept locked in a safe whilst not being worn.
Over Insurance
Overinsurance means the insured is paying too much for the cover required and would save money by reevaluating the correct values. It is also possible you may have an item insured more than once under different types of policy such as home insurance and insurance cover through banks and credit cards.
An example of where a property might be over insured is where they have based their BSI on the market value of the property and not the rebuild cost which is usually less (except in circumstances such as some listed properties) as it excludes the value of the land the property is built on.
An Example of where contents might be overinsured is an evaluation of items that had a higher value a few years but have since gone down in price. Remember its not the price you paid for something that you are insuring but rather the cost of replacing it like for like and with advances in technology making appliances and devices cheaper, their cost to replace is also reducing.
Tips on preventing being overinsured
- Don’t guess or purposely evaluate an item to be worth more than it is especially to the extent where you think you would make a profit by doing this, insurance companies and in particular loss adjusters are very good at determining an accurate value of items and it is in your interest to do the same.
- Don’t do an evaluation of how much buildings and contents cost in the first year of insurance and then never do it again. It may be unrealistic to expect people to evaluate everything every year but remember that what you own collectively and insure in year 1 isn’t going to be the same as in year 10. For high value listed items on an insurance policy, you should keep the insurance company notified when you sell them, if they are damaged (but you don’t claim) or if their value has dropped significantly.
- Check that your possessions aren’t insured over several different policies. Banks these days often offer a premium service for monthly fee which may include phone and gadget insurance as well. Ideally it is not worth claiming for a phone or small electrical items as a singular claim on your home insurance because losing a no claims bonus and an increase in premium can out way the benefits of the claim in the long term. That said it is worth noting when items are insured and with whom because you may be paying for a separate phone insurance policy when you already have insurance with your bank.
- If you live in a flat and contribute towards a management company then make sure you don’t have duplicate cover with a single flat policy you have taken out and a block of flats policy taken out by the management company.
Contents Inventory Checklist
To aid in assessing your contents on a room by room basis we have provided a contents inventory checklist to help you get started:
| Lounge | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Total | £ |
| Carpets, rugs & curtains | £ |
| Three piece suite & chairs | £ |
| All furniture | £ |
| Pictures, mirrors, clocks & ornaments | £ |
| Tv, stereo & electricals | £ |
| Media like DVD’s, Cd’s | £ |
| Other Items: | |
| £ | |
| £ |
| Dining Room | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Total | £ |
| Carpets, rugs & curtains | £ |
| Table and chairs | £ |
| All other furniture | £ |
| Pictures, mirrors, clocks & ornaments | £ |
| Tv, stereo & electricals | £ |
| Media like DVD’s, Cd’s | £ |
| China, glass, crockery and cutlery | £ |
| Other Items: | |
| £ |
| Kitchen | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Total | £ |
| Curtains, blinds, rugs | £ |
| Cooker, microwave | £ |
| Washing machine, dishwasher, tumble dryer | £ |
| Pictures, clocks & ornaments | £ |
| Electrical appliances | £ |
| Pots, pans and other Utensils | £ |
| Knives, forks and crockery | £ |
| Refrigerator and freezers | £ |
| Refrigerator and freezer contents | £ |
| All Food and drink | £ |
| Tv’s & other electrical equipment | £ |
| Other Items: | |
| £ | |
| £ |
| Study | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Total | £ |
| Carpets, rugs & curtains | £ |
| Desk, chair and furniture | £ |
| Computer and other hardware | £ |
| Books | £ |
| Tv, stereo & electricals | £ |
| Pictures, mirrors, clocks & ornaments | £ |
| Other Items: | |
| £ | |
| £ |
| Bedrooms | Bedroom 1 | Bedroom 2 | Bedroom 3 | Bedroom 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Carpets, rugs & curtains | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Beds and bed linen | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Bedroom furniture | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Electrical items | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Tv, stereo & other electricals | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Pictures, Mirrors, Clocks & Ornaments | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Clothing, shoes, toys, personal items | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Other Items: | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Bathrooms | Bathroom 1 | Bathroom 2 | Bathroom 3 | Bathroom 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Floor coverings, rugs and blinds | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Furniture | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Pictures, mirrors, clocks & ornaments | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Other Items: | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Hall, stairs, landing and conservatory | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Total | £ |
| Carpets, rugs & curtains | £ |
| Three piece suite & chairs | £ |
| All Furniture | £ |
| Pictures, mirrors, clocks & ornaments | £ |
| Phone and other electrical items | £ |
| Household items | £ |
| Other Items: | |
| £ | |
| £ |
| Garage, outbuildings, loft, cellar and garden | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Total | £ |
| Lawnmowers, strimmers etc | £ |
| Other garden tools | £ |
| DIY tools, drills, saws and sanders | £ |
| Garden furniture, statues, bbq | £ |
| Other Items: | |
| £ | |
| £ |
| Specified items and valuables | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Total | £ |
| Jewellery | £ |
| Watches | £ |
| Gold, silver, gold and silver plated | £ |
| furs | £ |
| Pictures | £ |
| Pedal Cycles | £ |
| Other Items: | |
| £ | |
| £ |
| Area of property | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Total | £ |
| Lounge | £ |
| Dining | £ |
| Kitchen | £ |
| Study | £ |
| Bedrooms | £ |
| Bathrooms | £ |
| Hall, stairs and conservatory | |
| Garage, outbuildings, loft and garden | £ |
August 19, 2014
