An insurance policy is one of those things most of us recognise the importance of having in place — but, because we hope never to need it, we tend not to think about it much. If you do have to make an insurance claim, though (whether it’s due to fire, flooding or theft), it’s vital to know what you’re claiming.

Whether you have one or two policies for your home, they should cover both building and for contents — and, if they don’t, get onto your insurance broker straight away. Any specific loss or damage will need to be made under one or the other of these, and claiming under the wrong one could see you turned down by the insurer’s loss adjuster.

In addition, you need to make sure you have sufficient cover. This is vital at the moment, since prices have risen sharply due to Covid, Brexit and global supply issues. If you haven’t reviewed your level of cover, you could find yourself having to pay a share of the repairs yourself.

So Which Is Which?

You’d think it would be simple enough to make your insurance claim. If something is a fixture, it should come under your building insurance, whereas anything movable should come under your contents insurance.

The trouble is that, like so much in insurance, it’s not always straightforward. Any given loss adjuster might have individual views about what’s a fixture and what isn’t. For instance, where do you stand with a carpet? It’s fixed down — but, if you had the carpet laid yourself, it could be interpreted as contents.

This applies to a much wider range of items than you might expect. Certainly, if you lose your collection of original Star Wars figures, that’s going to come under contents, as will movable furniture. What about fitted units, though? Or TV antennae on the roof? Or even laminate flooring? These can all be open to interpretation.

If you claim under the wrong policy, you could see your claim thrown out, while if you haven’t reviewed your level of cover, in the light of price rises, the pay-out may not be enough. It’s well worth reviewing your insurance policies straight away. And, if you do have to make a claim, call Allied Claims and leave it to our expertise to make sure you get everything you’re entitled to.

Disclaimer

All content within this column is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the Insurance advice of your own broker or any other Insurance professional. Allied Claims is not responsible or liable for any decisions made by a user based on the content of this site.

Allied Claims is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites. Always consult your own Insurance broker if you’re in any way concerned about your insurance cover.