Listed Property Insurance

In the UK, listed buildings are added to the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. They are protected by law due to their historical or architectural importance, and restrictions apply to how they can be altered, extended or repaired.

Listed buildings are graded as:

· Grade I – Buildings of exceptional interest

· Grade II* – Particularly important buildings of more than special interest

· Grade II – Buildings of special interest

Because listed buildings are often constructed using traditional methods or materials, repairs may require specialist skills and local authority approval, which can affect cost and timescales.

One main concern for insurers of listed buildings is the extra time it can take to source materials, workers and gain approval from the council to get repairs done. In the event of a claim this extra time often means extra expense at a cost to them.

For instance, if the property needed demolishing, it could take much longer when parts of the property want to be salvaged for use in the restoration or rebuild. The other issue is simply that non-standard construction does not compute on some insurers heavily computerised systems! Specialist brokers and insurers have more ability to calculate risk and work on a more case by case basis with individuals.

Remember - You will need an exact price so the original price set when you purchased the property may be out of date at time of renewal.

RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) can advise on the rebuild cost of your home from £200. Find a local surveyor.

You can choose a voluntary excess between £100 and £550. Selecting a higher excess may reduce your premium. 

In some cases, additional excesses may apply depending on the type of property or the nature of the claim. For more information speak to one of our sales advisers on 0345 266 8552.

In many cases, cover can be arranged quickly. This will depend on your individual circumstances and the type of property you wish to insure. Our advisers can confirm availability and start dates during the quotation process. The quickest way to find out is to speak to one of our advisers on 0345 266 8552.

Please call us or notify us in writing with the reason for cancellation and state the date from which you need cover to cease. Remember, if your policy is in more than one name, all policyholders will need to sign the letter. If you have any other queries, please don't hesitate to contact the customer services team on 0344 736 0088.

Yes. We can arrange cover for properties that are both listed and timber framed, subject to underwriting terms.

The cost of insurance varies depending on factors such as location, rebuild cost, construction, and the level of cover required. You can obtain a quote online or speak to an adviser to discuss your specific circumstances.

Yes. You must take reasonable steps to maintain your property in good repair and prevent loss or damage. Claims resulting from wear and tear, gradual deterioration or lack of maintenance are not covered.

If you have a flat roof, a professional builder or roofer will need to visit your property every eight years to inspect it and any necessary repairs should be carried out.

Yes. Cover is provided for theft or attempted theft involving forcible and violent entry to or exit from the property, in line with policy terms and conditions.

We have provided a summary of the key features of the policy, above. For details of the terms and conditions applicable, please refer to the insurance product information document and policy wording, which are available during the quotation process.

You can choose to pay your premium annually by card or spread the cost by paying monthly via Direct Debit.

The rebuild cost is the amount it would cost to completely rebuild your property from the ground up, including demolition, debris removal, professional fees and materials. For listed buildings, rebuild costs are often higher due to specialist requirements.

Every property owner should have property owners’ liability. Should a guest or any third party injury themselves on your property, POL can pay out should a compensation claim be brought against you. You may be liable because the property owner is responsible for maintaining the premises.

Limits are typically available at £1 million, £2 million or £5 million. The appropriate level depends on factors such as property use and location. Higher limits may be appropriate in some circumstances.

A great way to understand the difference between your ‘contents’ and your ‘building’ would be to (hypothetically) tip your house the wrong way up. Anything that would fall is considered contents. This would mean furniture and decorations are contents but the walls, ceiling and kitchen cabinets come under buildings insurance. Don’t forget the small things too – it can be surprising how quickly things add up if you really had to replace everything in your home.

Make sure you understand the level of cover you are agreeing to and importantly which valuable items may not be covered your contents insurance. Items of high value and or personal items such as phones may not be included. You may then want to consider high-net worth insurance or separately insuring specific items.

If your property has suffered from some subsidence you will need to declare this during a quotation. It is vital that you do because otherwise further complications could be uninsured. You will need to provide proof that this has been checked by a professional and although it will most likely raise your premium, a specialist insurer should not have a problem sourcing you a policy that provides adequate cover and will be able to consider each situation on a case by case basis.

Accidental damage cover– This is not offered as standard. You must make it clear early on that you want to be covered for accidental damage. Accidental damage is considered damage to property not classed under another insurable peril. E.g. Foot through the loft or nail through a pipe.

Legal cover – This is help with legal fees if legal action is taken out against you. Legal cover is not usually found as a standard policy feature but can be requested as an optional add on to your policy. As with all optional extras they are not deemed essential or legal requirements, an adviser can discuss with you the costs and levels you might be interested in.

Whether you have your insurance with Everywhen or any other specialist insurer, always be confident you understand the features and exclusions of your policy. Especially when you are insuring something as dear (and expensive) as your home.

Listed property insurance includes exclusions, which commonly relate to wear and tear, pre‑existing damage, lack of maintenance, unauthorised alterations, or underinsurance. Cover may also be restricted in certain circumstances, such as where the property is unoccupied, affected by flooding or subsidence without specific cover in place, or used for non‑standard purposes.

Below is a further explanation of two of the more common exclusions on a policy.

• Unoccupied - Unoccupied properties are much more susceptible to break-ins, petty crime, squatting etc. This being so for instance, our insurance will not cover a property that remains unoccupied or unfurnished for more than 60 days. Your listed building may need major refurbishments that require you to leave or you may have a second home in another location. Whatever the reason, we can easily convert your policy to an unoccupied listed property policy should this be the case.
  
  

• The cost of normal maintenance work – Normal wear and tear, maintenance work, refurbishments and decorations are not insured on our policy (please see the policy document for details). Listed buildings however have a higher likelihood of issues such as damp, drainage and decay due to the age and may need more maintenance than a modern property so it is important to keep on top of these things. There are many things you can do such as; Looking out for any signs of damp patches and checking bricks for erosion, having your roof inspected to check for broken tiles which may need repairing and regularly clearing guttering of leaves and debris.

If you own or are considering a listed property, it’s important to be aware that insurance and maintenance can be more complex than for standard homes. Repairs may need specialist materials and approvals, rebuild costs can be higher, and some risks may be covered differently or subject to specific conditions. Making sure you understand your obligations, keep the property well maintained, and accurately insure it for its full reinstatement cost can help reduce the risk of gaps in cover.

Raise the voluntary excess – The higher the excess, the lower the premium. This is because the larger percentage of each claim you agree to pay yourself the less risk the insurer has to take and the less they can charge to cover their share.

Add additional security measures - In certain high risk areas, or with higher levels of valuable contents to insure you may be required to meet certain security measures. Your adviser will be able to discuss this with you. With or without these requirements you can often get a discount by installing higher levels of security including specific locks and intruder alarms. Be sure to speak to your adviser if you would like to know more about these options.

Change of use - Don’t forget that your insurer also needs to know if you change the use of your property. Will you be renting out your property to tenants as a short term letting/holiday home? Or do you yourself use this property as a holiday home? We can update your policy to cover you for these circumstances as they change.