This category is about all aspects of Holiday Home Insurance and will be of interest to owners of holiday homes, cottages and holiday complexes across the UK. As Holiday Home Insurance Specialists Boshers are experts and provide tips and guidance. Check out these posts, Holiday Homes – getting your Buildings Insurance Right, Dog Friendly Holiday Home Insurance, How much should your holiday home insurance cost?, Frequently asked holiday home insurance questions, Getting your Holiday Let Insurance Right – Public and Employers Liability

rebuild cost

Study shows that 1 in 5 people `guess’ the rebuild cost of their property

rebuild costIf your holiday home were to be significantly damaged by fire or flood, do you know how much it would cost to rebuild and restore it to its former glory? If the answer to our question is ‘no’ then you may have the wrong level of buildings insurance in place.

While we hope the worst will never happen, there are more than 37,000 house fires in the UK every year. That’s in excess of 100 every day. While thousands of homes have also been affected by flooding or storm damage in the increasingly extreme weather patterns that have hit our shores in recent years.

In these circumstances, understanding and knowing the true cost of rebuilding your home or holiday home is key. By being informed you can ensure you have the right level of buildings insurance in place.

What does a rebuild cost represent?

The rebuild cost represents the costs you’ll need to cover in order to restore your property; you’ll need to pay the builders, pay for scaffolding and materials, cover the costs of new windows, etc.

Recent research from RebuildCostASSESSMENT.com has found that when setting their buildings sum insured:

  • over a third of policyholders are using the ‘market value’ of their property; and
  • one in five ‘simply guess’.

Thus leaving them potentially out of pocket if they’ve underestimated this figure and the worst happens, or overpaying on their insurance premium if they’ve overstated the costs of rebuilding.

It is a common misconception that buildings insurance relates to the current market value of the property, rather than the cost of rebuilding it, but in reality these figures can often be far apart.

 What do you need to consider when calculating your rebuild cost?

It can be difficult to calculate the exact costs of rebuilding your property, but you’ll need to think about all of the following:

  • The building cost of reinstating your property – this isn’t just limited to the walls of your holiday home, and can include items such as swimming pools, paths, drives, patios, and other things that you might not think about, such as satellite dishes, fences and landscaping.
  • The cost of replacing fixtures and fittings – for example, do you have built-in wardrobes or specialist light fittings that would cost significant sums to replace or restore?
  • Will debris need to be removed from the site? Will you need to hire skips? How much will you be charged for removing waste from the building site?
  • What will be the cost of complying with Local Authority Buildings Regulations or other statutory requirements?
  • Professional fees – to get your property back to where it was before the incident you’ll likely need to consult with engineers, architects and surveyors.  Their fees will also need to be included in your calculations.

How can you make sure that your rebuild cost is correct?

There are a number of ways and methods you can use to calculate the value of your holiday home.  These range from using the ABI online calculator if your holiday home is of a standard construction (http://abi.bcis.co.uk/) through to instructing a RICS qualified Chartered Surveyor (a method used by only 5% of respondents to the RebuildCostASSESSMENT.com survey).

Take the hassle out of setting your rebuild cost with a desktop survey

The good news is that we have teamed up with RebuildCostASSESSMENT.com to offer our home and holiday home insurance clients a discount off of their cost effective desk top surveys.

For more information on your options please take a read of our blog post:

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. Need an insurance quote for your holiday let? Give us a call on 01237 429444.

 

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Holiday Homes – Getting your Buildings Insurance Right

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Avoiding underinsurance for holiday home owners

As holiday home insurance specialists we understand the industry and know the insurance needs and demands of letting a holiday property; that’s what comes with using a specialist. Please take a minute to read Holiday Homes – Getting your Buildings Insurance Right and give us a call if you have any questions.

We’re here to give you the peace of mind that should the worst happen you’ll be covered and supported. In order to do that we want to make sure that you have the right cover in place. One aspect of your insurance cover you should be checking is that your building sums insured are correct. It’s important that you make a Fair Presentation Of Risk which includes providing the correct sums insured.

The risks of underinsurance

The buildings sum insured is the maximum amount your insurer will pay out if you make a claim.

For this reason it’s vital to get it right and ensure it’s sufficient. It must represent the cost of rebuilding, repairing or even replacing your property should the worst happen.

If you’re underinsured you bear the risk that you may have to fund a proportion of the cost from your own pocket. This can be potentially crippling to your own finances or that of your holiday business.

The cost of rebuilding and not the value of your property

A common misconception is often that your sum insured should represent the market value of your property. For insurance purposes your sum insured should actually reflect the cost of rebuilding your property.

This can be a tricky figure for holiday home owners to calculate so please do take time to consider what that figure should be.

You’ll need to think about:

  • The building cost of reinstating your property; this can include items such as swimming pools, paths, drives, patios and other things that you might not think about such as satellite dishes or fences and hedges.
  • The cost of replacing fixtures and fittings, for example do you have built in wardrobes, specialist light fittings or bedroom furniture that would cost significant sums to replace or restore?
  • Will debris need to be removed from the site and what implication will this have on the cost of restoring your property?
  • What will the cost be of complying with EU legislation Local Authority Buildings Regulations or other statutory requirements?
  • Professional fees; to get your property back to where it was before the incident you’ll likely need to consult with engineers, architects and surveyors.  Their fees will need to be included in your calculations.

Index Linking – make sure the initial figure is correct

Your buildings sum insured is index-linked, which means that it adjusts according to inflation. This ensures your sum insured is increased in line with any changes in the cost of rebuilding your property.

Despite this index linking it of course remains vital that the sum insured was correct in the first place.

Have you made improvements? Let us know

As you make improvements to your holiday home make sure your sums insured represent the increased cost of replacement and don’t wait for your insurance renewal to make the increases.

For example, if you add a hot tub to the garden or update the interior of the property contact your insurer to let them know and make sure they’re covered from day one.

Calculating the cost of rebuilding your property 

Three methods you can use to calculate the cost of rebuilding your home, holiday home or buy-to-let property. Please use one of these to ensure you are Getting your Buildings Insurance right.

  1. ABI Rebuilding Cost Calculator

If your holiday home falls within a range of standard house types the Association of British Insurers offers a rebuilding cost calculator (http://abi.bcis.co.uk/), which will help you to assess the level of insurance you need.

This is however no substitute to instructing a professional Surveyor to prepare a Rebuilding Cost Assessment for insurance purposes. Although there is a cost for these surveys they’ll make sure you have the right level of cover.

2. Desk Top Rebuilding Cost Assessment 

Getting someone to visit your property to carry out a professional assessment can be time-consuming and expensive. However thanks to our partnership with Rebuild Cost Assessment Ltd we can offer you a reliable low-cost service; from a `Regulated by RICS (Royal Institute Of Chartered Surveyors) organisation.

You’ll receive a comprehensive Rebuild Cost Assessment (RCA) report guiding you on how much you should insure your buildings for. This is a fantastic and affordable online service which can protect you, your home, holiday home or buy-to-let property from the potentially severe consequences of under-insurance.

Rebuild Cost Assessment Prices Start from as low as £193.50.

However we have negotiated a SPECIAL DISCOUNT of £20.00 with www.RebuildCostAssessment.com on your behalf. Simply enter the code BOSHERS20 when placing an order online to get your discount. Use the appropriate link below to order your assessment and once receive please forward a copy to your insurance adviser at Boshers.

Nb. Boshers Ltd have no commercial interest in Rebuild Cost Assessment Ltd and we do not receive any financial benefit for the referrals. We have negotiated the discount as we believe this service is a cost effective way to help our clients obtain accurate costs for rebuilding their properties.

3. Instruct a RICS qualified Chartered Surveyor to visit your property and carry out a rebuilding cost survey.

To search for a chartered surveyor in your area please click here: http://www.ricsfirms.com/

What should you do now?

If you need to adjust your insurance cover once you have reviewed your sums insured please contact us. You can call our team on 01237 429444 Monday to Friday.

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Dog friendly holiday home insurance

Dog friendly holiday home insurance – is yours?

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Dog friendly holiday home insuranceDog friendly holiday home insurance is well worth considering if you offer pet friendly self-catering accommodation. The dog-friendly tourism market is one that’s grown exponentially over the past decade. This isn’t surprising considering that a staggering one in four UK households has a dog to call their own.

With more and more of us taking our dogs and other pets on holiday with us, have you asked yourself whether your holiday home insurance is as dog friendly as your accommodation?

Some insurance policies (even those with accidental damage cover included) exclude damage caused by pets. Therefore if a guests golden retriever unwittingly knocked the television off its stand you’d not be able to claim.

When it comes to our own holiday home insurance we’re striving to offer owners an unrivalled range of cover. So we of course include your guest’s pet causing an accident too. However there are a few things for you to consider before welcoming dogs into your holiday home.

Things to consider with your insurance when welcoming dogs

What’s covered?

When you welcome dogs into your holiday home this will inevitably lead to a heavier level of wear and tear over time. This won’t be covered within an insurance policy, which is why some holiday homeowners will make an additional charge for those bringing dogs with them to cover the costs of the additional time it may take to clean and remove dog hairs.

Your insurance is there for a one-off identifiable event; if for example a dog were to knock some items off of a shelf causing them to fall and shatter, this would be covered under our policy, but not if your insurer excluded damage by pets from theirs.

Minimising the potential for problems

If you welcome dogs to your holiday home, you’ll want to be sure that their owners know and understand their obligations before they arrive.

Consider outlining a few ground rules at booking such as:

  • Setting a maximum number of dogs allowed per booking.
  • Indicating that dogs can’t be left alone or unsupervised in the holiday accommodation.
  • Dogs are not allowed in the bedrooms or on furniture.
  • That dogs are up to date with vaccinations, worming and flea treatments.
  • That dogs are in good health.

You may also want to communicate this in your welcome pack to ensure everyone is clear on where the dog can and can’t go within your holiday home.

Advice for pet friendly accommodation

If you’ve been welcoming pets for some time you’ll have no doubt found the best way to accommodate them.  If you’re currently considering it then here’re a few tips. They’ll help ensure wear and tear is kept to a minimum and you’re ready to greet a man’s best friend.

  1. Consider having tiled or wooden flooring on the ground floor of your property; it’ll be far easier to clean up hairs and mud than that beautifully laid carpet!
  2. Stair gates aren’t just for children; they can also be used to stop pets making their way upstairs!
  3. Some dogs like life on two paws as much as they do on four; ensure that furnishings, ornaments and vases are kept in places they can’t be knocked down or seized upon for a good chew!
  4. Fix flat screen televisions to the wall rather than placing on consoles; a broken television is one of the most common household claims in the UK.
  5. Use a vacuum cleaner with a “HEPA” (High Efficiency Particulate Air) rated filter to reduce allergens which can affect people who are susceptible to allergies or asthma.

Welcoming guests with assistance dogs to your holiday home

To help you understand the rights of guests with assistance dogs, The Equality and Human Rights Commission and VisitEngland have produced an informative publication mentioned in our previous article, link below:

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. For information on how our dog friendly holiday home insurance can help protect your holiday letting property, call us on 01237 429444.

 

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Holiday home insurance cost

How much should holiday home insurance cost?

Holiday home insurance costA question that all holiday homeowners will have asked themselves, or perhaps wonder when their insurance is up for renewal. How much should I be paying and is it value for money? So how much should your holiday home insurance cost?

When it comes to insurance, the true cost is the price you would pay should the worst happen. Especially if you find you’re not fully covered. What would you do, if for example your holiday home were to become uninhabitable? This could be due to a fire or the severe flooding we’ve seen across the UK in recent years.

In this case having the wrong insurance in place at a lower premium would be a false economy. Thus a proportion or at worst all the cost of restoring your cottage potentially falling at your feet.

For that reason, we’ve taken a look at some of the key areas you need to focus on when arranging holiday home insurance.

Is your insurer aware that you let your holiday home to paying guests?

Most conventional home insurance policies exlude cover for letting to paying guests. Therefore relying on a home insurance policy to cover your second home for holiday letting is false economy. In the event of a claim the policy may not provide you with the cover you need.

How much would it cost to rebuild your holiday home?

Understanding the cost of rebuilding your holiday home, rather than its current market value is very important. The cost of rebuilding your holiday home is central to ensuring you have the correct buildings insurance in place. This is the maximum amount that your insurer will need to pay out should the worst happen, and therefore the amount you should be insured up to. Under declaring the cost of rebuilding your holiday home to save premium could mean you are underinsured. The effect of this is that you may have to meet a proportion of the cost of a claim yourself. The amount would depend on the degree of underinsurance but far outweigh any saving made on your holiday home insurance cost.

If your holiday home falls within a range of standard house types the Association of British Insurers (ABI) have a useful rebuilding cost calculator to aid you in getting the right figure. You can read more about how to get your holiday home insurance buildings sums insured right here:

How high is your Public Liability cover?

With so many guests visiting holiday homes across the UK each year, not having an adequate level of Public Liability insurance is a potential risk. Whether there’s been a slip that resulted in cuts and bruises, or a far worse accident, this area of cover will keep your holiday cottage protected against the legal costs and any compensation that may occur.

Our own policy covers our holiday homeowners for up to £10 million, so it’s worth checking your own Policy to review your current level of cover.

Loss of rental income

Holiday homes come with specialist circumstances and therefore need specialist insurance.  A key component of this is loss of rental income, which steps in to support you if your holiday home were ever to become uninhabitable due to fire, flood or storm damage.

This cover ensures you’ll not lose out on the rental income you’d otherwise have gained during that period, which could be catastrophic, particularly if your holiday cottage were to be out of action during the peak summer months.

We encourage all holiday homeowners to check that they have this cover in place, and that they have an adequate level to cover their current rental income.

Our own policy offers our holiday homeowners £75,000 of loss of rental income over two years as standard. Is your rental income higher? We can extend your cover to reflect that.

Accidental damage and theft even whilst occupied by guests

We’ve covered off some of the larger and key areas of cover that make up your policy, but there can be some added extras that support you and really add value to the premiums you pay each year when you need to call upon them.

Guests bring with them plenty to think of when it comes to insurance; what happens if they break something? Stain that new carpet or rip those beautiful curtains? How about if something were to be stolen whilst your guests are staying?

As specialists in holiday home insurance for over 25 years, we understand the day to day running of holiday cottages. Our holiday home insurance policy reflects that in the broad range of cover we provide. Whether it’s accidental damage, covering you for that theft or getting you back on your feet after a significant event, we’re here to support you.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. Need an insurance quote for your holiday let? Give us a call on 01237 429444.

 

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insure your home and holiday home

Why insure your home and holiday let together?

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insure your home and holiday home As specialists in holiday let insurance we advise thousands of holiday cottage owners across the United kingdom. Providing them with policies tailored to the unique needs of their holiday homes. We also offer many of them that same level of service when it comes to insuring their own home. Whether you live onsite or miles from your holiday let, there are benefits to having your insurance under one roof. So here are a few good reasons to insure your home and holiday let with one insurer.

Simplicity is bliss

Having a single provider brings with it simplicity. All of your policies can be brought in line with a single renewal date. Meaning both payments can be taken at the same time. This can bring peace of mind, remove uncertainty and reduce the level of admin you need to undertake in relation to insuring your home and holiday let.

A lack of grey areas

This simplicity extends to when you need to make a claim. If you live on the same site as your holiday cottage(s) there can sometimes be a degree of confusion as to who you need to contact. For example, if an accident were to occur between your house and your holiday home, where is the boundary drawn and which policy should you claim under?

Having it all under a single provider allows you the comfort of knowing who to contact, no matter what the circumstances or the query you may have.

What if you live onsite?

Holiday letting can take many forms, such as an annexe attached to your home, or a complex of holiday cottages in your grounds. If you live onsite it is almost always best for you to insure your home and holiday let property with the same insurer so there is no doubt who will deal with a claim when one arises.

What if you live miles away from your holiday cottage?

It’s not uncommon for holiday homeowners to live a considerable distance from their cottage.  In this case, having your home and holiday home insurance with a single provider can be particularly beneficial when you use the property for your own vacations. In this example you’ll always know that anything you take with you such as personal possessions, valuables and sports equipment including bikes can be covered without ambiguity.

Continuity of service

The good news is when you contact us you’re likely to speak to someone you’ve dealt with before. Our holiday homeowners are never passed from pillar to post; no matter what your question or which policy you’re wanting to talk to us about, you’ll speak to an experienced member of the Boshers team.

The benefits of specialism

We specialise in holiday home insurance and speak with cottage owners every day of the week. We bring our knowledge and experience to ensure that your home and holiday let both have the most suitable cover. Should the worse happen, we always aim to support you in getting back on your feet. Our understanding of your circumstances plays a big role in ensuring we’re able to achieve this. Speak with our team today. They’ll highlight other reasons to insure your home and holiday let together through Boshers.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home and property insurance to holiday cottage owners across the country. For more information on our policies have a look around Boshers website. For a quote or to ask any question please give our team a call on 01237 429444.

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Insurance Premium Tax

Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) increases again from 1st June 2017

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Insurance Premium TaxIn the 2016 Autumn Statement, the Chancellor confirmed an increase of 2.0% in the standard rate of Insurance Premium Tax (IPT). [The tax paid each time an insurance policy is purchased in the UK]. The increase is effective for new policies and renewals due on or after the 1st June 2017.

The standard rate of IPT is therefore rising from 10% to 12%. This is the second increase in the past 12 months.

This change will affect the majority of policies purchased by private individuals and small businesses including insurance for self-catering holiday lets where the risks are located in the UK.

Insurance Premium Tax increase effective 1st June 2017

Affected insurance policies with a start date after 31st May 2017 will have IPT charged at the new rate. This will increase the cost of a Holiday Home Insurance policy with a net premium of £500 by £10.00 bringing the total premium to £560 including Insurance Premium Tax at 12.0%.

Higher rate IPT remains unchanged at 20% and applies to:

  • travel insurance
  • warranties for some mechanical and electrical goods

According to the Treasury the IPT increase will bring in an additional £4.06bn for the Treasury by 2022*. This was the second largest revenue raiser in the Summer Budget.

James Dalton, director of general insurance policy at the Association of British Insurers (ABI), called on the government to halt the increase.

“This tax penalises hard working families, as well as businesses, who have done the right thing by taking out insurance to protect against many of life’s uncertainties,” he said. “This latest hike must be the last. The next government must freeze this tax, to give hard working households and businesses a break.”

Insurance Premium Tax was first introduced to the UK in 1994. The rise on the 1st June is the 6th increase in the standard rate since its introduction:

  • From 1 October 1994, a single rate of 2.5% was charged
  • 1 April 1997: increased to 4%
  • 1 July 1999: increased to 5%
  • 4 January 2011: increased to 6%
  • 1 November 2015: increased to 9.5%
  • 1 October 2016: increased to 10%

*This is according to HMRC’s own figures summarising the impact of the move.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. Require a quote for your holiday apartment, cottage or complex? Please give us a call on 01237 429444.

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holiday home insurance questions

6 of our most frequently asked holiday home insurance questions

holiday home insurance questionsWhether you’ve recently bought a holiday home or survived your 30th season, it’s equally important to have the right insurance. As holiday home insurance specialists we answer questions from cottage owners on a daily basis. We’ve pulled together six of the most frequently asked holiday home insurance questions to give you a quick insight into the cover you potentially need.

We’d like to use our cottage for our own holidays, and for friends and family.  Would this be covered under a holiday home insurance policy?

Your holiday home needs to be available to paying guests for the majority of time throughout the year (the amount of time may depend on your individual policy). What this means is that you, or your family and friends, will be fine to use your cottage as long as it remains available to paying guests for the required period in any given year.

If something goes wrong, does the Holiday Home Insurance policy cover loss of rental income?

Insurance is there to help you through tough times, and we know that if something were to happen to your holiday home you not only face the potential bill to fix the issue, but also the cost of the rental income you would have otherwise gained whilst you wait for it to be repaired.

For this reason, our own policy automatically covers cottage owners for up to two years’ loss of rental income up to a sum of £75,000 should your property become unavailable as the result of an insured event such as storm damage or fire. Does your holiday home have an annual gross rental income in excess of £37500 (£75000 over two years)? We can provide additional cover on request. We’re here to get you back on your feet and we feel this is a great part of the cover we’re able to offer cottage owners.

What happens if a guest accidentally breaks something, or even steals items from our cottage?

It’s an old cliché, but accidents do happen. If you have hundreds of guests enjoying your holiday home each year, there is a small chance that some items in your cottage may get damaged. The good news is that this would be covered under the accidental damage section of your policy, subject to an excess.

Cover for theft by guests is also automatically included, although we of course hope you won’t need it!

I employ a cleaner and a few others on a part time basis; would our holiday home insurance policy cover us for this?

If you employ staff, even if on a part time basis, it is a legal requirement to have Employers Liability insurance. This is covered under our own holiday home policy as standard. You will be issued a certificate upon taking your insurance out. Remember that you need to retain this with your records.

Do I have to regularly inspect the holiday home?

As part of our specialist insurance cover you will need to inspect the property on a regular basis. Regular inspections are also good practise from a customer service perspective. The policy includes the condition that:

  • whenever your holiday home is left unoccupied, you will arrange that the premises are inspected at least every 14 days.

This inspection can be carried out by you, or by an authorised person responsible to you. It ensures your cottage is kept in tip top condition for those happy guests.

My holiday let is an annexe of my main property, can I cover it?

You certainly can, as long as any adjoining door between your home and holiday letting annexe is kept locked. The holiday let insurance needs to be kept separate. In situations such as this we would also look to provide home insurance for your main residence.

Remember that this article only gives a brief indication of some of the cover involved in insuring your holiday home.  For further advice please contact us to ensure you have the cover your cottage really needs.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. If you have any more holiday home insurance questions please give us a call on 01237 429444.

For further information on UK holiday home insurance visit the website page most relevant to you:

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accident report guest injured holiday home

5 steps to take if a guest is injured at your holiday home

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accident report guest injured holiday homeAccidents happen, and whilst health and safety measures will reduce potential risks there may still be a time when a guest is injured at your holiday home. Our holiday home insurance policy comes with public liability as standard, but there are some steps you’ll need to carry out should an accident occur.

Make sure communication is at the forefront of your mind

First and foremost, make sure that as soon as you’re made aware that a guest has been injured, you check on their condition. Identify how serious the incident was, and also exactly where, how and when it took place. Having firm and hard facts will be important when dealing with your insurance provider.

Don’t admit liability

It can be a very English thing to say sorry as soon as someone has been hurt. However, sometimes accidents happen, so until it is completely apparent that the incident has taken place as a result of your actions, don’t steam in and admit any liability.

If someone has been injured discussions in the immediate aftermath can become heated. Think of the best way to deal with the situation. Whether that would be through a face to face meeting or asking them to provide a written account of what has happened (often a good way for them to let off some steam). Do not respond to any correspondence beyond acknowledging receipt and stating that you have passed it on to your insurers. It is imperative that you forward correspondence to your insurers as soon as you receive it.

Inform your insurance company

Next, you will need to inform your insurance provider. We recommend you do this as soon as possible for the benefit of you and your guest. Provide them with full details of what happened (which is why it’s vitally important you gather this information), as well as information on any injuries sustained. The more information you let your insurance provider have the better. If it’s received as quickly as possible they’ll be able to deal with your claim and resolve it. Afterall, this is ultimately what you and the injured party will both want.

Begin gathering information

Once your insurer has been informed, you may need to gather evidence which proves your holiday let is well run. Paying particular attention to how you manage it in accordance with health and safety regulations. This evidence could include maintenance schedules, proof of adherence with legislation, updated risk assessments. Gather these, together with anything else that may be relevant. By displaying that your property and grounds are safe and well maintained will demonstrate that you’ve taken reasonable precautions. Don’t be alarmed if the insurance company appoint an independent adjuster to take photos and discuss the claim with you. They are just gathering the facts, so always be open and honest with them. They’ll take the matter forward with the intention of concluding the claim on the best terms.

Forward all communication to your insurance provider

Finally, ensure that any correspondence from the injured party (or their representative) is dealt with promptly. Where possible forward it to your broker or insurance company by return of post or immediately if by email. Any delay could prejudice your position.

Whilst reading this article you’ve probably been asking yourself if you have taken all possible measures to protect visitors to your holiday home. We have many other articles on these subjects, here are links to a few which may be of interest to you:

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. For more information on how a specialist insurer can help and support your holiday home business, please give us a call. Alternatively for further information on holiday home insurance visit the website page most relevant to you:

 

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Modern Living Room Holida Home Contents Insurance

Renewing your holiday let property insurance

Modern Living Room Holida Home Contents InsuranceWhen you’re renewing your holiday let property insurance there are a few points you need to bear in mind. As you’re aware, a holiday let is very different to your average home, so having specialist insurance is vital. You’ll want to be sure you’re fully covered when something goes wrong and you need to make a claim.

Our holiday home insurance incorporates a lot of factors as standard, including public liability, accidental damage and full theft cover. When coupled with loss of rental income cover, these will really help you out should you need them. This is why they are automatically covered, but there are some aspects we’ll need to know about in order to give you the best holiday let property insurance possible.

Employment

Our Holiday Home Insurance automatically covers employer’s liability for £10,000,000 and you’ll receive a certificate stating this with your policy. It is important that you keep your employees in mind when discussing your policy with us, particularly if you’re renewing and your circumstances have changed. This is particularly important for larger holiday cottage complexes who may employ a housekeeper or maintenance staff. If you run a payroll we’ll need to know your Employers Reference Number (ERN) for short.

Building work

If you’re renewing and have had any building work done, you’ll have to let us know so we can get your cover right. If you’re taking out a new policy, and are planning on carrying out any work, whether that be demolition or building, we will also need to know. Letting us have a clear idea of what will be changing in the next 12 months will make it easier for us to provide you with the right cover and advise you when you’ll need to update it further.

Hot tubs and pools

We know that guests love hot tubs and pools, but you’ll also have to make it clear that you have one (or both!) when it comes to taking out your insurance. If you’re renewing and have recently installed something such as a hot tub, swimming pool or other guest facilities then you’ll need to let us know.

Security

We want your holiday home to be secure. That said, it’s unlikely we’ll ask you to meet strict security requirements unless your holiday home contents has a high value. If you’ve made alterations to your cottage security by installing something such as an alarm system, then please do let us know when renewing your policy. You may consider using a key safe for convenience, we have no problem with this but if your holiday home is insured elsewhere do check to ensure your not compromising your cover. If in doubt call us for a quote.

Increasing holiday let property insurance sums insured

Whether it’s holiday let property insurance to cover contents, buildings or public and employers liability, the most important part of an insurance policy is ensuring that you have the right level of cover for your holiday home. Renewal is a great time to review your sums insured to see if they need to be increased. Bear in mind that you will need the cover if the worst should happen. Don’t be tempted to underinsure no matter how many years you’ve been claims free. Our goal is always for you to have the right cover for your needs.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. For more information on how a specialist insurer can help and support your holiday home business, please give us a call on 01237 429444.

For further information on UK holiday home insurance visit the website page most relevant to you:

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Loss of holiday letting income insurance

Cover for loss of holiday letting income

Loss of holiday letting income insuranceFor many holiday homeowners across the UK 2016 was a great year. For some it may have even been record breaking. As we approach the new year with optimism and await the January influx of Easter and summer bookings, have you considered what you’d do if your holiday home became unavailable for all of those guests to stay in?

Whilst fire, flooding and other insurable damage to your property will be something you’ll want to keep to the back of your mind and cross your fingers it never happens, for some it will, and for those people cover for loss of holiday letting income can be a real business saver.

Why loss of income insurance is so important for holiday home owners

Imagine if your own home were to become uninhabitable due to a fire, flood or severe storm damage. You’d find yourself waking up to some sobering consequences; having to find somewhere to stay, arranging the repairs and saving as many of your belongings as possible, all whilst continuing to live your daily life.

As a holiday homeowner you have an added concern; for every day your holiday home is out of action you’ll be feeling the pinch as you lose the money you would otherwise have gained from paying guests during that period.

If that time comes in the height of the summer season the financial implications could be doubled or even trebled while you race to get back on the market.

As specialists in holiday home insurance we understand the consequences of your cottage becoming uninhabitable. For that reason we offer to cover the loss of rental income you would have potentially gained for up to two years.

We’re here to support you should the worse happen. We’re here to get you back on your feet as quickly as possible.

How much cover do you currently have?

Having the cover is great, but you’ll need to make sure you have the right amount of cover; too little and you’ll feel the pinch, too much and you’ll be over-insured and paying for cover that you don’t need.

When it comes to our own insurance policy, we cover holiday cottages for a minimum of £75,000 of lost income over two years. So the questions for you would be, is that enough? Do you need to take out more cover with us? Our team, who talk to cottage owners just like you each and every day, will be happy to discuss this with you whenever you call.

If you’re insured elsewhere make sure you not only have this cover in place, but that you have an adequate level of insurance to cover your potential loss.

Unsure of how much cover you need? Take a look at your gross revenue for the past two years – is it higher or lower than £75,000?

Knowing you’ve got extensive cover for all scenarios

Insuring with a specialist provider has its benefits for holiday cottage owners; our cover is comprehensive and as a result of our knowledge and experience with holiday home owners we’re able to provide a wide range of cover.

Our own loss of insurance is for business interruption, meaning that we’ll take into account the letting history of your property, along with its future potential, rather than cover for holidays that have already been booked and paid for by future guests.

This can be quite a significant difference should you find yourself facing the need to rely on it. Always make sure you know the level and breadth of cover you have in place.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance which includes cover for loss of holiday letting income. Cover is triggered following a claim for an insured peril. For information on how we can help support your holiday letting business call 01237 429444.

Boshers are proud to be one of a limited number of UK brokers to offer Ecclesiastical Home Insurance:

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