Home insurance for an unoccupied house starts with a telephone call that most owners put off, usually because they expect it to be difficult. It is generally not. The insurer has a short list of questions, the answers are all facts you already know, and the outcome is one of three: an extension, a refusal to extend, or a referral to a specialist. Knowing the questions in advance makes the call take ten minutes.
What they will ask
When did the last person move out, and why. How long do you expect it to stay empty. Who will visit it, how often, and will that be recorded. Is the heating on, and at what temperature, or has the system been drained. Are the contents still in it. Has any work started or is any planned. Is the property mortgaged, and is the lender aware. Are there any claims in the last few years.
Why the reason for the emptiness matters so much
Insurers treat a house empty for two months while its owner is abroad quite differently from one empty since a death, one stripped for refurbishment and one whose tenant left in a hurry. The first is a routine extension. The second needs the policy in the right names. The third is usually outside the appetite of a household insurer entirely. Saying which situation it is gets you the right answer first time.
The three possible outcomes and what to do with each
An extension: get it in writing on the schedule with the conditions listed, and diary them. A refusal: ask what date the current cover narrows so you know your deadline, then go to a specialist. A referral: take it, because the insurer is telling you their own scheme will not fit. None of the three is a reason to say nothing, which is the only genuinely bad option.
What changes when somebody moves back in
Tell the insurer again. An unoccupied policy over an occupied house is a misdescription in the other direction, and the conditions about inspections and heating no longer make sense. The transition back is the point at which owners, having done everything right, forget the last step.
Questions people ask about home insurance for unoccupied house
Will my insurer cancel the policy if the house is empty?
Very unlikely. What happens is that cover narrows after the unoccupancy period unless they agree otherwise. Cancellation is a risk only if you fail to disclose something material.
What if the house is empty because somebody died?
Tell the insurer about the death and about the property being empty. The policy usually needs to be in the executors' names, and a specialist unoccupied policy is common at this point.
Do I have to move the contents out?
No, but say whether they are there. Contents left in an empty house are usually covered on narrower terms or not at all, and valuables are often excluded.
Does the mortgage lender need telling?
The lender requires the building to be insured on stated terms, and a policy that has narrowed may not meet them. Telling them is usually simpler than not.