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Buildings Insurance

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What is buildings insurance?

Buildings insurance covers the structural aspects of your home, for example the walls, ceilings, bathroom, and windows. If you’re a home owner, buildings insurance is there to protect you against large repair bills if your home is significantly damaged, by events such as flood or fire.

This type of insurance tends be a requirement when paying a mortgage, as the lender wants to ensure their investment in your home is protected should the worst happen.

The cost of buildings insurance can vary depending on the materials your home is built out of and a lot of other factors too. So if you’re asking yourself the question ‘how much is buildings insurance?’ the quickest way to find out is to get an online buildings insurance quote.

What does buildings insurance cover with esure?

Your biggest asset is your home, and buildings insurance is designed to protect you should you ever face a large repair bill. Especially if something unexpected were to occur, like subsidence. With esure you can rest assured our cover is rated as one of the best quality policies on the market by independent financial researcher Defaqto.

Building Sum Insured

Buildings sum insured

Unlimited cover

Even if you need to rebuild your whole house, we'll cover it.

Fixtures and fittings

Unlimited cover

We will replace sanitary fixtures or ceramic hobs if they get accidentally damaged.

Cover for locks and key

Cover for locks and keys

Up to £1,000

If your keys are lost or stolen, you'll be covered for the cost of replacing them and installing locks on any external doors up to the value of £1,000.

Alternate accomodation

Alternative accommodation

Up to £75,000

Personal Injury Benifit

Damage caused by frozen and/or burst pipes

Unlimited cover

Do I need buildings insurance as a tenant?

If you’re renting, your landlord is responsible for buildings insurance for their property; however, you may want to consider contents insurance for your belongings which also includes cover for liability.

Contents insurance provides cover for the parts of your home that are not structural or fitted, like carpets or your bicycle. If you have any high value items you want to make sure are covered, you can name them as specified items in your policy, and you’ll have coverage if your belongings are lost, damaged or stolen.

Tenants’ insurance (also contents insurance) covers your possessions, rather than the structural elements of your home, but it also adds cover for your liability as a tenant. For example, if your landlord were to pursue legal action for compensation for damage, you can make a claim for your legal fees and expenses. Please note that tenants’ insurance cannot cover renters in shared accommodation.

When should you get buildings insurance when buying a house?

When you’re buying a home, you’ll want cover to commence on the day you exchange contracts and the home is legally yours – once the home is yours, anything that happens to it is your responsibility. If you’re getting a mortgage, buildings insurance will be a condition of the mortgage. Your mortgage lender may offer their own buildings insurance, but you are not obligated to go with it and may select your own insurer.

Additionally, if you’re planning to leave your property unoccupied for more than 30 days or do any building works, let us know. Cover for your home may be restricted if you intend to leave your home unoccupied for over 30 days.

What events am I covered for?

If any of your home is damaged and you want to make a claim the damage has to be covered by what we call an ‘insured event’. Some of the events we cover are:

 

Fire

 

Theft or attempted theft

 

Storm/flood

 

Lightning

 

Explosion

 

Subsidence and heave

 

Burst pipes/escape of water

 

Impact

Please refer to the policy booklet for more information on all the events we cover.

Does buildings insurance cover roof repairs or roof tiles?

If your roof is damaged by any of the events specified above, you may be able to make a claim on your policy. For example, if your roof were in good repair but sustained damage from gale force winds, we would be able to cover the necessary repairs.

Unfortunately, if you encounter problems due to your roof falling into disrepair or normal wear and tear, any repairs or replacements will not be covered.

Does buildings insurance cover burst pipes?

if your home is damaged by water escaping from water tanks, pipes, fixed equipment, domestic appliances or fixed heating systems or as a result of water freezing in water tanks, equipment or pipes, you may be able to make a claim for the loss of or damage to your home.

However, if the pipes have failed due to normal wear and tear, the overflowing water was really due to a tap being left on or the sealant/grout failed or was never present, you could not be covered.

Does buildings insurance cover water leaks?

If you experience a leak from your pipes, water tank, equipment or fixed heating system but cannot work out where the water is coming from you may be able to make a claim. Its always best to check with the Claims department first.

This type of cover is called Trace and Access, and it provides cover for the cost of locating the source of the leak and making good the damage to your home.

Boost your cover

Family Legal Protection
Family Legal Protection

Access to expert lawyers with up to £50,000 of legal costs cover for you and family. Events covered include employment tribunals, damages for personal injury, jury cover, and more.
If you ever use Family Legal Protection your No Claim Discount won’t be affected.

Read more

Home Emergency Cover

Make one call to us and we'll arrange for a tradesman to visit your home and carry out emergency repairs.
Call-out charge, labour cost, parts and materials to a limit of £500 including VAT (subject to a £25 excess) are covered by esure.
If you do need to make a call out, No Claim Discount won’t be affected.

Read more

Personal Injury Benifit
Personal Possessions Cover

Get your things covered when you take them outside your home. This is useful for helping to protect your jewellery, phone, and other valuable belongings you keep with you when you’re on the move.

Read more

Personal Injury Benifit
Pest Cover

No one wants to have to deal with an infestation and if you buy our pest cover you won’t have to. We cover exterminations up to £150 for wasps, hornet nests, mice, rats, and squirrels. Extermination cover is extended up to £200 for bedbugs.
If you ever use your pest cover, your No Claim Discount won’t be affected.

Read more

Do I need to buy both buildings and contents insurance?

We can’t give you a direct answer to this question as it all depends on your living arrangements and what you think you need. If you buy both buildings and contents insurance you have cover that protects your home and your belongings.

The table below shows what our buildings and contents cover includes. Please refer to our policy document for more information.

Type of CoverAmount you're covered forBuildingsContentsBuildings and Contents
Buildings sum insuredUnlimited buildings cover - even if you need to rebuild your whole house, we'll cover it.-

Fixtures and fittings

We will replace sanitary fixtures or ceramic hobs if they get accidentally damaged.

Unlimited cover-
Locks and keys Up to £1,000 cover if your keys are lost or stolen, you'll be covered for the cost of replacing them and installing locks on any external doors.
Alternative accommodation Up to £10,000 on Contents only policies. Up to £75,000 on Buildings only or combined Home Insurance policies.Up to £10,000
Damage caused by frozen and/or burst pipes Unlimited cover

New for old cover 

(We'll replace all covered items as new.)

Contents sum insured-
Garden cover Up to £2,000 - covering items like tools, plants or machinery. (Restrictions apply - please see our policy booklet).-
Special events cover Up to an extra 15% of the contents sum insured. We'll automatically raise your contents cover for up to four weeks before and after a special event, such as a religious festival (up to 15% extra cover) and weddings/births (up to 10% extra cover).-
Freezer and fridge contents Up to £1,000-
Home office equipment Up to £10,000-
Jewellery Single items with a value below £1,500, plus any specified items at or above this value.-
Personal money Up to £750-

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