Unoccupied Property insurance

Risk Management - prevention is better than cure

It is better to not have to make a claim at all on your unoccupied property insurance, since even the best insurance company will take some time to organise repairs and it can take weeks to dry out property that has been flooded - either by escape of water from the central heating system or from flooding in the are. This can seriously delay any planned disposal of the property.

Companies providing unoccupied property insurance, will normally only do so if the insured is willing to help reduce the chance of a loss - this is known as risk-management.

• Many insurance companies insist on regular checks on the unoccupied property. Arranging a regular inspection of the empty property either directly or by a trusted agent.

• Insurance companies may insist on turning off the central heating in the property or ensuring that it is on permanently to reduce the risk of burst pipes. Escape of water from central heating systems is an increasing problem as, in many houses, the pipes are made of plastic that is now reaching the end of its lifespan - this is one reason why the excess for escape of water is increasing. Not only that, if water does escape then it it likely that it won't be detected for several days (or weeks!) until the owner visits the property.

• Some contracts of insurance require Sealing off letter boxes in the home. The former stops vandals putting burning newspapers through, for example.

• Anyone whose property has been flooded knows the distress this can cause and this is also true even if the property is unoccupied. It is sensible for perishable furnishings to be kept several feet off the floor and any rooms at or below street level to be empty (or at least if used for storage anything to be stored well off the ground). Drains should be checked to ensure that they are not blocked and the garden/ patio viewed to ensure that water cannot congregate to a substantial depth and runs away easily.

• Whilst ingress by water cannot be stopped, it is possible to buy barriers that can fit across the doors.

• If the property has been flooded we can arrange cover but will need to know how often, to what depth and what measures have been undertaken by both the owner and the authorities to prevent a re-occurrence.

• Damage occurred by theft can be reduced if it appears that the property is lived in. Having lights coming on in the evening on trip switches can help.

B Portwood & Co Ltd are an insurance broker specialising in the property insurance market and as such have researched various insurance schemes that are suitable for insuring unoccupied property. We have recently launched our own policy that is more flexible than others in that we can cover the property no matter the reason why it is up for sale, can include property being renovated and, since the same policy wording is used, simply convert the cover to a landlord insurance policy or property owners policy depending on whether the property is to be let out or the new owner move in. So if you have difficulties arranging cover why not contact us?

Unoccupied property Insurance quick quote Info Policy Wording Key facts Postcode Sum Insured - Buildings £ Sum Insured - Contents £ Accidental Damage Cover Not required Buildings Only Contents Both Tenants (or unoccupied) Unoccupied - Limited Cover Structural Renovations Unoccupied - Full Cover Non Structural Renovations Construction of Buildings <25% flat roof 25-50% flat roof 50%-75% flat roof >75% flat roof No claims Bonus None One Two Three + Excess required £75.00 (Default) £150.00 (save 10%) £250.00 (save 20%) Social Media Discount? Yes No Legal Expenses/ Rent Guarantee No Yes Insurance Premium Buy Online - immediate cover

We can also quote for unoccupied property insurance as well as residential let insurance. Immediate cover is available online for unoccupied property insurance.

Compare Landlords Insurance

You can compare landlord insurance quotes on our home page. Landlord insurance covers  property let to residents of different types. Options include accidental damage to buildings and contents as well as voluntary excesses.

B. Portwood & Co also offer cover on other types of property insurance: e.g. landlords buildings insurance

Please call us on 0844 8262616 for further assistance if needed.