UK Home Insurance Quote Online
Until, very recently, the only way to obtain a quotation for your home insurance was to visit your local insurance broker or telephone one of the many companies that advertised in the trade directories. The birth of the Internet has changed all of that and now, obtaining an online home insurance quote is very easy and straight forward. In the early days of the internet, the choice of product provider for online home insurance was very small, the quote systems, they employed were inaccurate and at best the quotes could be viewed as a guide only. However, the accuracy of online home insurance quotes is improving all the time and now the majority of information supplied after a quote has been applied for is fairly accurate. When searching for insurance, the companies offering cover do vary in the type of service they offer. The new style, online aggregators who seem to be spending the most amount of money convincing people to use their service,ask customers, to complete a generic questionnaire, which is then used to scrape, product providers data bases to produce the online quotation. Sometimes a wide range of questions are asked or a combination of questions and assumptions are used.
Following the completion of the home insurance online quote form, the results are displayed. The customer is then free to click on which ever quote he or she find appealing, at which point transfer to the product provider’s web site takes place. In almost all of these instances, fulfilment can be achieved online, and policies documents can be downloaded instantly. If this is not the case, usually confirmation of cover is sent, with the policy documents following shortly by post. Many online home insurance providers are able to keep their costs down by insisting that customers print their own documents. These are available quite securely online and the documents can be downloaded in a pdf format.
As well as these sales sites, there are many more traditional insurance brokers and intermediaries advertising online. Most will have a form, which they need completed. This form is then sent by means of a script to the broker’s office, where a member of staff will view the quote, calculate the premium and then pass on a quote recommendation either by telephone or email.
This type of service is still popular; many people feel that actually speaking to a “real-person”, they will better be able to understand their exact insurance needs and advise accordingly. One real criticism of online quote systems in general, is that the generic quote forms used, can not cater for every scenario. If you are intending to use an online quote generator to source your own home insurance quotation, remember to study the supplied documents most carefully, these should include a terms of business or customer charter and a Key-facts document outlining the scope of the cover on offer. By employing the services of a broker, you will have someone explain the more salient details of a contract to you. If you buy your policy online, you will need to do it your self, thus careful attention to the detail is required. Always remember, that the information you provide online is used to form the basis of the contract between yourself and the insurance company., You are responsible for any inaccurate answers as these may affect the quote or more seriously, the actual scope of the cover on offer If you find that the online form you are using, does not cater for your own set of individual circumstances, it is probably best if you give the company a ring and put your question to them.
When applying for your quote, an insurance company or broker will require you to furnish them with certain amounts of information. This will enable them to offer premium for your home. There are lots of various factors that govern the rating of home insurance including some of the following:-
- Postcode – this is probably the most important piece of information, when applying for an online home insurance quote. From your postcode, the insurer will be able to determine a number of important facts about the area in which you live. These include: the likelihood of flooding, details on crime in the area and the properties susceptibility to damage by subsidence. Insurer’s postcode data is now highly sophisticated, and it is not unknown for two properties within the same postcode area but in different sectors, to attract different premiums.
- Sums insured – when you apply for your online quote, you will be asked for details of your sum insured. If you re requesting a quote for buildings, you will need to supply the rebuilding cost of your property. This can cause a little confusion, as most people know the value of their home, but few are aware of it’s rebuilding cost. One place, you can check is on your survey report, proving of course that it is reasonably recent. The Association of British Insurers also has a guide online that you are free to use. If you have any doubts over the actual rebuilding cost of your home, you should seek expert advice and opinion. With regard to insuring your contents, you will usually be asked to provide a valuation of your contents on a “ as new” basis. These type of policies are now almost always arranged on a new for old basis, and by valuing you belongings on a replacement basis, you can ensure that you receive this protection. Many online insurance covers are now offering polices on a” no sum insured” basis or with high basic limits, to help over come the tricky problem of dealing with rebuilding costs or having to value your contents.
- Previous Claims. Most insurers will want to know, if you have suffered any previous losses. This can have a direct bearing on the premium you are asked to pay or any special terms that need to be applied. Most online quote engines, don’t seem to have space for a great deal of claim information, if you have suffered more loses than you can fit in the online form, always contact the product provider with the additional information. Do not assume, that they only require details of the few claims you can fit on the online form.
- Use of the property – most online facilities will assume that you only use your home for residential purposes, and that you do not conduct any business at the property. Many people now run a business from home and in many cases, insurers will be able to offer cover, but usually, you will not be able to obtain your quote online, you will have to phone the company and discuss your needs. If you are renting your property, this as l will require a different form of policy noting that your property is rented to tenants.
The Key facts Document – this document was introduced as a method of making sure customers had sufficient information about an insurance product, to enable them to make an informed decision as to a contracts suitability. The keyfacts document will contain other important information which you should study. This will include information about your insurance company, the duration of the contract and how to make a complaint or a claim. Most insurance intermediaries will also provide you with a terms of business agreement document or a customer charter, this will outline details of the service they are offering to you.
When you buy your home insurance policy, you will be supplied with a policy document which will come with a schedule of insurance attached. The policy document, will outline all all of the perils you are covered against and will also list all the terms & conditions applicable. The policy document should always be read in conjunction with the schedule as it is this document that actually outlines which sections of the policy you are covered for. The schedule will also list other important unique information.Always keep your policy documents safe.
- Policy number – This is your own unique number and should be quoted in all correspondence with the insurance company or the intermediary who issued the cover. You will certainly need to quote it in the event of the claim.
- The name of the policyholder – this sections lists the names of the persons that are covered under the policy. If you have a mortgage on your home, your lenders name should appear on the schedule although it normal practice to list it in an ‘additional interests’ column.
- The contract dates – Both dates are inclusive and will state the dates for which you policy is in force, if you renew your policy you will be provided with a new schedule with revised dates.
- Sums insured – details of the amounts you are covered for and the operative sections will be listed on the schedule. If a sum insured is not mentioned on the schedule, then that section of your policy will not be operative. This is often the case with ‘optional extra’ sections of the policy such as All risks
- Warranties & endorsements – most policies will have warranties and conditions and these are stated on the schedule or a continuation sheet, these should be studies carefully as they will state certain requirements necessary, to make the policy valid ( such as a requirement to fit deadlocks on doors and key operated window locks). The schedule should also state any excess you are obliged to pay and any additional excess you have elected to pay.
For a Home Insurance Quote contact Assetsure. We are able to offer insurance for a wide range of UK property types including nonstandard construction
