No, it is not a legal requirement to have home insurance in Northern Ireland or the UK. However, most homeowners need to borrow anywhere from 75% to 95% of the value of their property to be able to buy it. The mortgage lenders do require that the borrowers have house insurance in place for the duration of the loan.

In reality, even if you do own your home outright, it makes common sense to protect your biggest asset. In 2019, the House Price Index in Northern Ireland revealed that the standard property price was £136,767. In 2020, this figure had increased by 3.4% to £144,053.

The most important aspect of understanding what type of cover you need for your home is that it must include the potential cost of replacing everything. The property itself, all fixtures and fittings and its contents.

Be sure not to skimp on doing this 100% correctly. Also, don’t forget that high-value items (often classified as high value when over £1,000 – but do always check this out) need to be specifically listed. Keep the receipts also.

Too many people ask what they are covered for when they need to make a claim. We work with you to ensure that you understand what cover you have at the outset. This way not only do you understand but we can advise you on aspects of cover specific to your circumstances.

As you can imagine, there are various levels of home insurance cover on the market. We like to say to customers – start off by thinking perils! Perils are events such as a fire, flood or fire. On most policies, these can be viewed in Section A.

When you read this wording it may become clear to you that the policy doesn’t cover maintenance issues, including dry rot, wear and tear, and damp. Some people assume that their home insurance policy will cover these types of issues. However, this is not the case and it is up to you to maintain your home to avoid these unfortunate situations.

Top tip: It is a good idea to find a local handyman that you can trust. He will be able to keep on top of maintenance issues such as clearing gutters, unblocking drains and lots more odd jobs.

During winter is when the majority of damage occurs. The weather here in the UK and Northern Ireland can be tough on properties – wind, rain and snow – can lead to various issues. A reliable handyman will be able to keep on top of things that you don’t have time to do. The money spent on him is a good investment.

Fire insurance covers damage to your home caused by smoke, fire, lightning or explosions.

Earthquake insurance is not commonly thought about here in the UK, so it might be easy to disregard it. However, Co. Durham had an earthquake on 23rd January 2020 of a magnitude of 3.0. Residents described buildings shaking and hearing the rumbling.

As the climate continues to change earthquake insurance could become far more important here in the UK and Northern Ireland.

If damage is caused to your home due to rioting or civil commotion then you can claim on your riot insurance cover. You should do so quickly – the wording on most policies gives you a maximum of 7 days.

Vandalism insurance is frequently claimed in the UK when vandals damaged properties. However, if the vandalism has been carried out by someone in the family or a person you allowed in your home, then the insurance company will not pay out.

This includes tradesmen, cleaners, tenants etc. Also if the property is not occupied then this type of insurance is excluded.

Storm insurance is not widely used in the UK but in certain areas where storms are more prevalent, damage to property can be severe.

Storms here in the UK are defined by the below so this is when your storm insurance would come into play:

• Strong winds of over 55mph
• Damage by extreme rain or snow. If more than an inch falls within a single hour rainfall is normally considered to be extreme.
• With regard to snow – it is considered to be extreme if 12 inches or more fall with a 24 hour period.
• Swimming pools and hot tubs, gates and fences are normally excluded in your storm insurance coverage.
• If there is evidence of poor maintenance and signs of wear & tear internally, damage may not be covered.

If water enters your building from the ground floor or basement levels, flood insurance is applicable. Always check the wording in your policy as often water entering at a higher level does not constitute a flood.

Gates and fences, swimming pools and hot tubs are all standard exclusions under this peril on an insurance policy, so you should make sure they are covered separately.

So what is included in Subsidence Insurance and do you need it? This type of insurance commonly encompasses subsidence, ground heave and landslip. How do you differentiate between these?

• Simply when land/ground moves under a building this constitutes subsidence.
• When land moves sideways or upwards then this is a case of ground heave.
• If a property is located on top of a hill and the ground below it moves, then this is considered to be landslip.
• Be careful to check with your provider as there are a number of exclusions to this type of insurance, including if a building has been constructed by materials that have the potential to either expand or shrink.
• The settlement will also not be a standard inclusion. Another important fact to consider under this type of insurance is that it does not cover erosion caused by a river or the sea.
• Check your policy wording closely to ensure your individual circumstances are covered.

Escape of water insurance usually includes damage caused by water leaking from a tank, pipe or boiler. During the winter months, common occurrences include freezing pipes resulting in leaks which will be covered under this type of insurance. It also includes water leaking from home appliances or even fish tanks for example.

There are some standard exclusions, however, so look at your policy wording. These include the likes of the escape of water whilst the property is empty, or perhaps the failure of sealants or lack of grouting due to wear & tear. Two great reasons to keep your property well-maintained.

If you have an oil-fired heating system this type of cover is perfect as it includes leaks from pipework.

If you have an oil tank on site, it is prudent to check this regularly for any cracks or wear and tear to prevent any oil leaks directly from the tank itself. Oil can have an environmental impact if your property is located in a protected area, so it might be wise to look at Environmental Liability Policies too.

This type of insurance normally covers policyholders for any damages to their property resulting from theft or attempted theft. Consider fixtures and fittings, copper pipes and lead flashing, for example, that in the UK fetch high prices so can be stolen frequently.

There are some notable exclusions to theft insurance including theft or attempted theft by anyone legally on your premises, such as a gardener, nanny or cleaner. Theft whilst the property is unoccupied is a strict exclusion on a standard policy. Check your policy documents carefully.

Legal fees, surveyor fees and architect fees are included in this type of insurance. In the event, your property is damaged and as long as the damage is covered elsewhere in the policy, this type of insurance is ideal should you need major correctional works. This could be a sizeable amount if your building requires substantial work to correct.

You may need this cover in the event of finding issues with the underground pipes, drains and tanks of your property. Your standard policy should include cover for issues relating to your drains, tanks and underground pipes. Please be aware that this does not include when you have blocked drains. There is an exception to this which is when the blockage is the result of some structural damage.

What you can expect is that costs to repair the tanks, pipes and drains of your home should be covered. As always, it is best to double-check the wording on the policy.

Glass and sanitary items that are considered to be permanent fixtures are mostly protected under a standard policy. Some examples include the glass of a ceramic hob, oven doors, fixed glass of doors and windows. Please note that the concept that they are permanent fixtures is central.

Also, if a window is damaged the cost of repairing the frame is not included under this part of the coverage. You should read the wording and ask your insurance provider about this, especially as broken windows are not uncommon.

If a property is not occupied then this type of damage is normally excluded from a standard policy.