Sometimes we need some further information about your home or contents in order to complete your quote. We do this to make sure your quote is tailored to meet your exact needs and ensure you have complete peace of mind. If you have been asked to call us, please do so as we have experts on hand to help finalise your quote.
An excess is the amount of a claim that is payable by you. For instance if you select an excess of £500 and have a claim worth £2,500, then you will pay the first £500 and Hiscox will cover the rest (in this example £2,000).
No, when you take out a quote with us, we always check your claims history with the Claims and Underwriting Exchange (CUE). If there are any discrepancies in the claims history you have provided, we will contact you. It’s important that you’re as accurate as possible when telling us about your claims history, as some discrepancies may result in your policy being voided or your premium increasing.
When we say unlimited cover, we mean that the total amount we pay for a claim is unlimited, unless stated otherwise. For example in the event of a fire or flood, there would be no cap on the amount we would pay for a claim. For some claims, such as tracing a leak or losing money while away from home, we apply a maximum amount of cover.
Jewellery and watches are not part of the unlimited cover, so you would need to add up the value of all your items (including items such as a gold coin collection) and we will insure you at that value. To make things easier, you only need to give us more specific details of items, pairs or sets worth £15,000 or more.
Yes. Musical instruments are part of your unlimited contents cover and can also be taken away from home for up to 60 consecutive days.
Yes. Your hearing aid is part of your unlimited contents cover and can also be taken away from home for up to 60 consecutive days.
Yes. All these items are part of your unlimited contents cover and can also be taken away from home for up to 60 consecutive days.
Absolutely. All your contents are covered for up to 60 consecutive days away from home, anywhere in the world (no geographical exceptions). There’s also no limit on how much you can take away with you at any one time.
Yes. Bikes are covered on an unlimited basis while at home, although you should be aware that if you keep your bikes in an outbuilding, there’s a £10,000 limit on theft from an outbuilding. When away from home bikes are covered up to £3,500 each as standard, providing you secure it to a fixed structure if you ever leave it unattended.
Yes. All of your children’s possessions are covered away from home while they’re in full-time education. This is also on an unlimited basis. The only exception is that we will not cover theft or attempted theft of their things within a building unless violence and force are used to enter or leave the premises (i.e. they won’t be covered if they have left their room unlocked).
There is no set maximum value. If you are unsure of the cover you need, or have an item you are especially concerned about, one of our insurance experts will be happy to help. Please call us.
You will need to list any items, pairs or sets worth £15,000 or more.
No, we will not ask you for any receipts or valuations when you buy your policy. However, these things could help to speed up a claim if anything happens, especially to more valuable or unusual items e.g. jewellery or art work. Receipts, valuations and photographs are always very helpful should you need to make a claim.
It is recommended that you have all valuable items re-appraised every three years. The values can change dramatically and we don’t want you to be underinsured, or paying for cover you no longer need.
Buildings insurance provides cover for the property itself, such as its roof and walls, fitted units and wooden flooring, plus any outbuildings you have (including swimming pools, tennis courts, fountains etc). Contents is everything else that is in the property, including carpets.
The purpose of our policy is to provide comprehensive cover for all your possessions, so if there is anything you want to exclude, please let us know. If you don’t specify to us that you would like to exclude certain items then we will assume these were intended to be covered, and if you are underinsured in the event of a claim this could impact the amount we’re able to pay out to you.
No, our standard covers are designed to provide you with an appropriate level of protection so we aren’t able to remove these.
No. You’ll be asked to provide details of the number of people living in the house as part of your quote, so be sure to include a Nanny or Au-Pair in the total. They will be classed as part of your immediate family for the purposes of the quote. If you have any tenants or lodgers who are not Nannies or Au-Pairs, then you should select the option that includes ‘tenants or lodgers’ when asked about who lives in the property.
No, your premium will not be affected. If you are required by the policy to have an alarm this will be made clear to you in the ‘Clauses’ section of your documents. The benefit of having an alarm is that the better the security at your home, the more potential we have to extend your cover for things like jewellery and watches should you need it.
If this is something we require it will be made clear in the clauses that apply to your policy. If there is no clause to stipulate that your alarm must be in operation at all times, then when and how to use your alarm is at your discretion.
If this is something we require it will be made clear in the clauses that apply to your policy.
No. As long as you are not carrying out any building works with a total value of £150,000 or more, there is no need to let us know about scaffolding or any smaller value works. We would however advise that you keep all upstairs windows locked and put any valuables out of sight, as scaffolding can make the upper floors of the property more accessible than they are normally. It’s possible to have your scaffolding alarmed, which is an option you may wish to explore.
If the total value of your project is less than £150,000 your policy continues as normal and there is no need to inform us of the works. If your project exceeds £150,000 then you will need to let us know. We have designed specific renovation and extension cover that is added to your home insurance policy for the duration of the works. Please call us to find out more about this comprehensive additional cover.
If we insure your main home we can quote for a second home and/or holiday home as well. We can also put all of your properties onto one policy so that you have one set of documents and one renewal date for all of your insurance. Please call us to discuss adding a second or holiday home to your policy.
A second home is occupied more than 25% of the year and a holiday home for less than 25% of the year. We differentiate between the two so that we can better understand how often your property is likely to be occupied, but there are no differences in cover between the two.
If we insure your main home then we can quote for properties you let as well. We can put all your properties onto one policy so that you have one set of documents and one renewal date for all of your insurance. Please call us to to discuss adding a let property to your policy.
Your policy covers all your possessions worldwide for up to 60 consecutive days, but does not provide any cover for cancellations or medical situations. If you require more comprehensive cover for travelling, please contact our specialist travel insurance team for a quote.
Your policy is not intended to cover events, however if the event is being held at the address that we insure, we may be able to extend this cover for you. Alternatively, for specialist event insurance please call us on 0800 840 2469.
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