Cheapest BISF House Home & Contents Insurance?
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Please can someone advise me of the cheapest Home & Contents Insurer for a BISF home?
Thanks
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*The quote was for £195.54 buildings and contents. A big difference from £600 which was previously quoted to me from another company.
Brilliant News Sassnech and a great result to share with other members.
Often the only construction type available for BISF owners is the wall type Prefabricated / Non combustible but this selection is not strictly a true reflection of the walls of a BISF house.
The first point being that the house is not prefabricated other than the use of steel sheeting for the upper storey. The second point is that the lower walls are rendered concrete which again is not prefabricated.
The steel roof tile problem is a common one as we have found during our research. Some companies treat them the same as normal tile and some do not.
In the past Santander were one of the companies who did class them as the same but since the Lloyds takeover things have gone rapidly downhill and it is difficult to get a clear answer.
Well done though, we are pleased that you got a competitive quote as a £400 saving is considerable to say the least. In fact £600 sounds like daylight robbery, particularly in todays economical climate.
Something has certainly changed as far as this thread goes. After reading through it, I decided to phone Santander for a buildings and contents quote and the best price they could give me was £378.97. That’s even higher than the £355.98 I was quoted by NFU Mutual. I’ve been living in a BISF house in Somerset for a week now, and I’m yet to find an affordable insurer. What’s more, the call centre operative on the other end of the phone didn’t seem to be at all bothered that she couldn’t help me.
Update: After going through ten minutes of questioning by the Post Office, their ten underwriters wouldn’t provide a single quote. Prudential and More>Than also said no.
Hi Pete
It’s certainly not been your day today. I moved one of my properties from Santander because they became too expensive, the price kept increasing every year. I’m currently with Halifax but even they have changed for new customers since being taken over by the Lloyds group, it seems they are no longer insuring BISF, (at least 6 months ago they wouldn’t) but this may have changed.
Have you tried calling Tesco bank like Sassnech did in the post below? he appeared to get a pretty good deal.
I think it would be good to find out who more people are currently insured with.
Hi Site Admin
I couldn’t reply to your post as the option wasn’t available, so I’ll reply to mine instead.
Tesco was one of the next ones on my list, and eventually I managed to find enough energy to have another go. The online form was exactly the same as at least one of the others that I’d tried yesterday, which didn’t fill me with a lot of confidence. It came up with a ‘reasonable’ quote of £249.48 after I’d specified the building construction type as ‘prefabricated non-combustible’.
Rather than buy online on the strength of that, I phoned them and spoke to a lovely Scots lady called Claire. We went through the details, and when I mentioned building type, she said that she would have to consult someone because two conflicting messages were coming up on her screen. ‘Here we go’, I thought, but it turned out that the other option related to combustible building construction types, and my type was classed as normal – the same as a brick building. The policy quote also went down a bit, to £235.90, so I almost bit her arm off in my haste to accept.
The process of finding building and contents insurance really shouldn’t be this hard, but my advice is to stick with it and keep ringing round (although right now my advice is to call Tesco first).
Here’s a complete breakdown of my research list and findings (* these all resulted from telephone calls):
Ensure for Retirement = didn’t call
Home Protect = completed online form but didn’t call
its4me = didn’t call
More>Than = construction type not covered
Nationwide = didn’t call
NFU = £355.98* (very nice personal approach in a local office, not a call centre – shame they were expensive)
Prudential = construction type not covered*
Quote Your Home = completed online form but didn’t call
Post Office = none of their ten brokers would cover the house and call centre rep seemed uninterested*
Santander = £378.97*
Tesco = £249.48 with online form, £235.90 when called*
Let’s hope that helps. Perhaps we really should have some kind of database that can be updated with the latest experiences and prices offered…?
Hi Pete
So glad you got it sorted in the end but what a load of jumps and hoops you had to endure just to obtain a half decent quote!
I’m going to try talking to a few companies to see if we can at least get a firm list as you suggest. A database would be great but sadly for some reason people don’t like to share details of who they are insured with.I have no idea why but it would certainly be of benefit to us all.
Apologies regarding not being able to reply, it was due to the site settings for nested comments, meaning it would only allow a certain number of replies but I have changed this now.
I’m also working on a new replacement site as we speak as this sites framework does have a few limitations.
Thanks for your list also, I will see if I can add the details to a listing table so that the results can be shared.
BISF House owners should not have to go through this every time they require insurance. The houses are no greater a risk than any traditional brick house.
regards
Marc
Hi Marc
It seems that Tesco agree that a BISF house is ‘normal’, but few others do. Perhaps all we need on the site is an embedded Excel spreadsheet with simple details like insurer name, most recent insurance price, town, and county? Personal details wouldn’t be needed at all.
Peter
Hi Peter
we are currently speaking to Homeprotect a company who do insure BISF and other non-traditional houses. We tried a few test quotes the results were very favourable, more inline with standard insurance prices.
I do agree that we need a database of sorts, I was looking through insurance for a BISF property that I own through Halifax which provides comprehensive cover but from my last conversation with them around 6 months ago their criteria had changed and they were no longer insuring new BISF customers but this may have changed again.
We should have an update soon regarding which companies do and don’t provide. We would prefer a table where members could input data online but that is proving more difficult to implement.
*An update. I have finally got cover. Tesco Bank excepted our house for insurance. I initially got turned down from an online quote so I called them to ask why. Once the lady had looked at my details she said it was because I chose other in the section asking how the house was made. Prefabricated houses was not listed but once I selected other it came up. Apparantely BISF houses are classed as standard in their eyes. So I went back in and changed it and was excepted. I have double checked the policy small print and she checked with the underwriters. So fingers crossed there are no more problems in the future unless Lloyds TSB get their grubby hands on Tesco too. I did initally do an online quote with Santander who also refused me. When I called they say it was because the roof was made of metal and they don’t except this. Our survey says the roof is covered with tile effect sheeting? Which is a metal susbstance. But hey ho, I don’t care because it’s been a very stressfull couple of days and now it’s sorted. Thank you for listening to my ramblings.
*Hello Dr John
Thank you for your replies. Santander sounds promising, I will have a look at their website today. I agree with your last comment. It would be a great idea if someone could look around for insurance compaines who are able to insure these type of properties and are generally interested in offering a fair deal. The company advertised on here was in fact a broker called Adrian Flux. The fact that he was a broker may have upped the price. I did notice that the Co -operative also has an advert on here but they also refused my insurance. I can’t see the point of allowing adverts for insurance companies if they are not specific to our cause.
BTW, I got my daughters house insured with Santander earlier this month for £150.00 for both buildings and contents. They may be worth a try.
*Hello Sassnech
£600 seems an awful lot for an insurance quote. Who was the company who asked that much if you don’t mind me asking?
I assume that Halifax has changed its stance on bisf properties after being taken over by the Lloyds group according to one article I read on here recently. However the article did say that they treat every application on an individual basis and that they will continue to insure current customers.
It really is outrageous that some companies are trying to charge so much when in fact the bisf house carries the same or very similar risks as any other property type brick or not.
I think bisfhouse.com should team up with an insurance company and offer an insurance deal just for bisf customers.
Just a minor thought.
*Hello Iona. I joined this site today and have just read your comment regarding insurance for your property. I have also been in my property for 12 years and never had any problems with insurance until now. I have been with my current Insurance for the last 2 years and long story short they have just said they cannot renew my policy due to how the house has been built. I am very frustrated to be left in the lurch. I only have three days to renew my policy and have started to have problems finding someone who will insure us. Our current insurer failed to let us know and I had to call them to find out why I hadn’t received my latest renewal, hence the last minute rush around. I was first insured by Halifax so confidently called them and was told they no longer insure our type of houses. My husband has received a quote from a company advertised on here but it was for over £600 which is three times more than I normally pay. It’s going to be a frustrating week I think. Can anyone recommend an insurer who doesn’t feel the need to rip you off?
*Thanks for all the comments and advice on here. I have been with the same insurance company for the last 12yrs and thought it time to start doing some comparisons as like others it has gone up every year. I have now been quoted £200 less than my current insurers and had the confidence to describe the design of my house in more detail than I ever have done. So thank you for all the useful information.
On another matter however, my neighbour has been trying to sell her house for the last 12months now and another friend trying to buy her’s from the council and the challenges have been about the struggle to get a mortgage due to the BISF construction of the house. Is it not possible for estate agents to have a list of mortgage providers that will consider BISF homes which will make it much easier for interested buyers? It would be good if something similar was in place like on here for suggested home & contents insurance.
*Hi I am unable to find an insurance company who will actually agree to insur me once I say BISF !!! Please advise thanks
forgot to say house valued at £115,000 and contents of 40K insured
We bought a BISF property in 2010,I was previously with Halifax for 2 years, no claims, this years renewal was £520.00. Did a search on moneysupermarket.com and now insured with The Post Office for £326.00 and thats extra for paying by 12 monthly installments.