Here’s The Information We Need To Quote For Home Insurance – And Why We Ask For It
Caeva O'Callaghan | January 15th, 2020
When we’re putting together a home insurance quote for you, we only ever ask for the information we need. Even if our questions might seem a bit odd on first glance, we need every single one to put together your quote.
If you click to get a home insurance quote through QuoteMe.ie, you might be wondering:
- Why does my insurance company need to know how long I’ve lived at my property?
- Why does it matter for insurance if I live in a Neighbourhood Watch area?
- How does the number of smoke alarms at my property affect my insurance?
You wouldn’t tell a stranger intimate details about your property, but when it comes to home insurance these details are key to keeping you, your loved ones and your possessions safe.
Your details
This is the first thing you see when you request a quote. Put simply: we need to get in touch with you! We also ask for your date of birth because some insurers give a discount for proposers aged 50 or over. Generally speaking, most people settle down by this age. Any kids will tend to be older, so there’s less chance of accidental damage (your twentysomething son coming back at the weekend and raiding your fridge is not, we have to tell you, an insurable risk).
Your age is also a possible indicator of daytime occupancy – which in turn is why we need to know your employment status and occupation.
If you’ll definitely be out at 6.15pm on a Tuesday – or if you work night shifts – this could make your property more vulnerable.
Are you a first-time buyer? Mortgage lenders require you to buy buildings insurance to protect their investment. Knowing if this is your first house helps us get you the best product.
House Insurance details
Next, we ask what kind of home insurance you need. We need to know the start date to make sure there are no gaps in your cover and your insurance won’t run out. Your property type determines the kind of insurance you get. Terraced houses tend to be a bit safer than isolated rural properties because you have closer neighbours, for example.
Deciding your cover isn’t complicated.
Most people need “owner-occupied” – this is your standard house, occupied most of the time. Got a holiday let or log cabin? We need to know if you rent it out. This is because irregular guests may not have your best interests in mind, bring unwanted friends, forget to shut the gate or leave the taps running before they pack up and leave.
Your property
We need your address to send your home insurance paperwork to you – but most importantly knowing where you live can also be an indicator of risk level in terms of theft and flood.
The age of your home is important because it may affect break-ins. According to MoneySuperMarket, the claim rate for thefts at older properties is higher per 1,000 than for newer houses. Art Deco houses have the most claims of theft, with 31.3 instances per 1,000 houses.
Why? Well, older houses are more vulnerable. Homes with glass panels in the doors like those on Art Deco houses are easy targets, while protected or listed structures may have single-glazed windows out of necessity.
And if you have a fancy old house, thieves might believe there could be valuables inside – even if that’s not the case.
The number of bedrooms and bathrooms lets us know the general size of your house, and how much you might need to protect.
And by the way, a felt or flat roof isn’t going to mean good news for your home insurance: these kinds of roofs are easier for burglars to navigate and find ways into your property.
Previous house insurance
Asking for your previous house insurance gives us a rough guideline of what you’re looking for. It also gives us an insight as to what may have changed in your circumstances.
We also need to make sure there are no gaps in your cover throughout the switching process. Getting caught without home insurance is just tempting fate!
Buildings and contents
We need to know how much it would cost to replace all the items in your household if the worst should happen. This is the “contents” part of your home insurance.
Please be honest here: it helps us do our job to know exactly what’s in your home, and realistic costs, so we can get you back on your feet as soon as possible. We can’t reimburse you for the Picasso if you never had it in the first place – and while inflating the cost of your partner’s engagement ring might impress them, it won’t cut mustard with us.
Buildings cover is essential for disasters like burst pipes and fire. A lot of people only think about the impact on their loved ones and possessions when something bad happens, but fixing smoke damage and replacing floors, windows and ceilings will add up to a hefty cost if you aren’t insured properly.
Don’t worry if these amounts look intimidating – it’s more important that you give us accurate information than try and skimp on cover to lower price of your quote. We will always give you the best price, guaranteed.
Accidental Damage is also good to have if you have children or pets who may knock over your TV or damage the carpets, for example.
Additional details
Finally, to wrap it up, we just need you to let us know what safety measures you have in place to protect your house. Having a Neighbourhood Watch in your area can drive insurance discounts of 5%! These are common in residential areas, where thieves can’t operate easily in secret.
Heating systems are one of the leading causes of fires and water damage: letting us know if your system is old or outdated can affect how much you pay for home insurance. Solid fuel, for example, is pretty dangerous and is likely to up the cost.
Smoke alarms, cigarettes and security locks also raise or lower your risk of break-ins or fire damage. But be careful: some insurers insist you turn on your alarm whenever your house is vacant – even if you are just popping down to the shop for five minutes. This is fine if you remember to do so, but your spouse or your kids might not be so careful.
If you haven’t thought about it already, consider investing in better locks, more smoke alarms – and even a Quit Smoking programme – before you buy insurance.
In summary, we need to know all these things about you and your property to keep you safe and get you the best insurance quote for your needs.
Thing is, if your home insurance isn’t right, a headache can quickly turn into a nightmare.
Talk to us in QuoteMe.ie with any of your house insurance queries.
If you have any questions regarding home insurance please call us on 0818 224433 or 042 9359051 and talk to one of our home Insurance experts. They are on hand to answer all your questions. You can also get an instant home insurance quote online. We compare the market to get you the best cover. We look forward to hearing from you.