If your home is a listed building, has a thatched roof, or is not made of the usual types of material which homes in the UK are made from, you will need to arrange specialist insurance to get the cover you require as normal household policies do not tend to provide cover in this instance.
Usually, homes are built from brick or stone with a slate or tile roof, a non-standard home may be built with things such as :
- Steel or timber frames
- Cob (common in Cumbria and the south-west)
- Wattle & daub
- Straw bale or flint
- Grass and peat walls (often found in Scotland)
- Other cladding
- Thatched, rubber, plastic, or shingle roof tiles
You may also fall under the category of ‘non-standard construction’ if you have a modular or prefabricated home or live in a converted building such as an oast house or windmill.
Why Do I Need A Specialist Policy?
These types of property tend to require a higher level of skill to construct and therefore any repair costs are usually higher than the usual brick built property.
In addition, the materials may require a higher level of ongoing maintenance because of how they may be more vulnerable to damage. A good example of this may be something like a thatched roof.
What Are The Costs Of Non-Standard Construction Insurance?
The cost to insure a non-standard property may be higher than a standard brick & tile property because of the specific risks involved.
As highlighted above, a thatched roof poses a greater fire hazard than a slate or tile roof and a flat roof would be more prone to weather damage. The costs to repair this damage will also generally be higher than traditional construction.
What is important to now, however, is that your mortgage provider will require you to have the appropriate type of insurance in place and therefore the crucial thing is to make sure you have the right product in the first place.
As a specialist insurance broker, we can not only make sure you have the correct level of cover but also that you have the most competitive insurance premium.
If you require any assistance with insurance for a non-standard construction property then please get in touch and we will be more than happy to help!
