Holiday Home Home Insurance

Given that insurance policies in the UK are designed in accordance with the risk of what is being insured, the majority of regular home insurance companies are very reluctant to provide holiday home insurance cover, especially if they are based abroad. Many companies simply refuse to provide insurance. This is because they are generally considered as high risk as they are often left for long periods of time unattended, meaning they are more susceptible to burglary and damage.

However, more and more companies are beginning to respond to the need of many Brits, and starting to offer holiday home insurance cover for both properties at home and in some foreign countries. Holiday home insurance premiums, as you would probably guess, are based on how often the property is occupied, as well as whether it is let to third parties, and on what basis. Policies normally work on the premise that the holiday home is not left unoccupied for more than 30 days. If it is left unoccupied for a longer period than this, the policy then becomes invalid.

In general, it is possible to purchase home insurance for your holiday property in the country in which it is located. However, when it comes to the finer details of the policy, or in the case that you need to make a claim, you may encounter problems if you do not speak the particular language fluently. Policies from foreign insurers may well include clauses similar to those in UK policies (for example, the one mentioned above, with regard to the 30 day period) which may get lost in translation. For this reason, it may be more advisable to choose a UK-based holiday home insurer.

Most specialised holiday home insurance policies usually include an English based claims service, emergency travel and accommodation cover and accidental damage to the property. It is worth checking to see if your policy offers third party liability cover, protecting you from any claims made for injuries sustained in your property.