Specialist home insurance
If you have an unusual or expensive home, live in a flood-risk area or have a poor credit or claims history, you may need specialist home insurance.
Find out everything you need to know about specialist home cover in our handy guide.
If you have an unusual or expensive home, live in a flood-risk area or have a poor credit or claims history, you may need specialist home insurance.
Find out everything you need to know about specialist home cover in our handy guide.
60-second summaryWant an at-a-glance understanding of specialist home insurance? Here are the main points:
Comparing quotes could be one of the easiest ways to find specialist home insurance cover that meets your needs. |
What is specialist home insurance?
Specialist home insurance is cover for people whose property or personal situation isn’t entirely conventional.
There are a host of reasons why you might need specialist cover, from how your home is constructed to where it’s located or even how you use it.
For example, you might have a thatched roof or particularly valuable possessions. Or you may live in flood-risk area or run a business from your home.
In these instances, a standard insurance policy might not cover you. And, chances are, you’ll only find out when you come to arrange your mortgage, have a valuation or get an insurance quote.
What types of property need specialist home insurance?
Properties that might need specialist home cover include:
- Homes of non-standard construction – this typically describes properties that don’t have brick or stone walls, or a slate or tile roof. Though this may differ between insurance providers.
- Thatched properties – thatched roofs are deemed a fire hazard and a higher risk to insure. Thatching is also a highly specialist trade, which means expensive repairs.
- High net-worth homes – if your house or belongings are worth a lot of money, you may need ‘high net-worth’ home insurance. Cover can be arranged for individual items or collections that are worth more than the limits on standard home insurance policies.
- Listed buildings – if you live in a building of ‘special historic interest’, you’ll need permission to carry out repairs or alterations and will likely need specialist insurance. Most listed buildings require specialist tradespeople and traditional materials to repair them. This makes them much more expensive to maintain than other homes.
Why else might I need specialist home insurance?
Aside from having a non-standard property, you may need specialist home insurance for things like:
- Properties unoccupied for more than 30 days
- Homes in flood-risk areas
- Properties affected by subsidence
- Holiday homes
How the property is used may also impact your insurance.
For example, you may need specialist home insurance if:
- You work or run a business from your home (apart from clerical work)
- You run a bed and breakfast or guest house
- You’re a landlord and let your property to paying tenants.
And your personal circumstances might also affect your eligibility for standard home insurance, including:
- Having adverse claims experience
- A previous insurance provider declining, voiding or cancelling your policy
- Bespoke requirements
- A high-risk job – if you’re a professional sportsman or sportswoman, for example
- Bankruptcy
- Criminal convictions.
Is specialist home insurance more expensive than standard home insurance?
It may be, yes. Anything that’s considered a higher financial risk to an insurance provider could bump up your premiums.
High-value collections, non-standard building materials and niche tradespeople are likely to mean a bigger claim payout for insurance providers. This risk may then be reflected in your policy price.
Even though specialist home insurance might cost you more, honesty is always the best policy. If you haven't disclosed any special circumstances, your insurance claim may be rejected.
Comparing quotes could be one of the easiest ways to find specialist home insurance cover that meets your needs.
How do I know I need specialist home insurance?
Often, you’ll find out you need specialist cover when you get a quote for home insurance apply for a mortgage or have a home valuation.
Insurance applications are designed to assess how risky you are to insure, and you’re quoted on that basis.
At Compare the Market, comparing both standard and specialist home insurance quotes is simple.
Once you’ve entered your details and answered a few questions, we’ll show you quotes from all insurance providers that can offer you cover for your home.
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Anna McEntee – Home, travel and pet insurance expert
Anna’s all about delivering fantastic insurance products at a great price. Value is the most important thing for Anna, as she cuts through the jargon and finds what’s most important and worth your hard-earned money.
Rachel Lacey - Insurance and money expert
Rachel’s a self-confessed money nerd who’s been writing about personal finance for more than 20 years. She spent 17 years writing for Moneywise, including a few years as Editor, and likes making complicated subjects like insurance, pensions, investing and tax, easy for people to understand.