Unoccupied home insurance in the UK is usually bought under time pressure by somebody dealing with something else, a bereavement, a sale falling through, a tenant who has gone. What follows is the short checklist that gets a sound policy in place quickly, in the order the questions actually arise, so that the decision takes an afternoon rather than a fortnight.
Get the dates straight first
The date the property became empty, the date the existing policy's unoccupancy period expires, and the date you expect somebody to be back in it. Those three dates decide everything else: whether you need an extension or a new policy, how long a term to buy, and how urgent this is. Write them down before making any calls.
Compare the peril list, not the price
Ask each quote the same four questions. Is escape of water covered, and at what excess. Is theft covered. Is malicious damage covered. Is subsidence covered. Two quotes at the same premium routinely differ on all four, and escape of water is both the most commonly excluded and the most likely claim on an empty house.
Read the conditions as a list of tasks
How often must the property be inspected, and by whom, and does it have to be recorded. Must the heating be kept on, at what temperature, over which months, or must the system be drained. What must be done with post, with keys, with the garden. Each of these is a task with an owner and a date, and the policy is only as good as whoever is going to do them.
Check who is actually behind it and what happens if it ends early
Much of this market is written by schemes on an authorised insurer's paper. Look the insurer's name up on the public register. Then ask what happens if the property sells or relets part way through the term, because most insurers refund pro rata and a minority do not, and on a six month policy that difference is real money.
Questions people ask about unoccupied home insurance uk
How quickly can I get unoccupied cover?
Usually the same day, online or through a broker. The delay is normally assembling the answers rather than the underwriting.
Do I need a survey?
Not for most residential properties. A very large, listed or long derelict building may need one, and the insurer will say so.
Can I buy cover for just a month?
Some insurers write monthly, most start at three months with pro rata refunds. Ask about the refund before buying if the property may sell quickly.
Is the cheapest quote usually the narrowest?
Frequently. Compare escape of water, theft, malicious damage and subsidence across the quotes before comparing the premium.