Holiday home insurance
Compare holiday home insurance quotes for properties in the UK and abroad with Intasure[1]
What’s holiday home insurance?
Holiday home insurance will cover you for any nasty surprises – like your rustic country cottage springing a leak, or your modern townhouse attracting burglars.
Whether your vacation retreat is a trip down the M4 or a ferry ride across the channel, holiday home insurance will help you get any problems sorted fast, with the support of an insurer.
As standard, your insurance will cover repairs or rebuilding if your holiday home falls victim to things such as a fire, serious storm, or flooding. You can combine your buildings insurance with contents insurance, to cover your belongings too.
What’s covered?
It varies from policy to policy but might include:
- Buildings and contents cover
- Emergency travel
- 24-hour emergency helpline
- Personal possessions cover
- Accidental damage cover
What’s excluded?
Your holiday home may not be covered if:
- It’s let for an extended period of time
- Guests steal from you
- It has solar panels
Do I need contents insurance for my holiday home?
Having any kind of home insurance is rarely compulsory, but contents insurance for your second home can help with peace of mind if anything happens to your belongings. Even if you don't keep anything particularly valuable in your holiday home, if you add it all up it might be hard to replace without the financial support of insurance.
It's a good idea to not leave any valuable or personal items in your holiday home, particularly if it's left unoccupied or you're letting it out when you're not there. A lot of insurers might refuse to cover high value items left in an unocupied holiday home anyway, or put a limit on the value of anything they are prepared to cover.
How is insuring a holiday home different from insuring my permanent home?
One of the biggest differences between insuring your permanent home and your holiday property is that your holiday home might be unoccupied for long periods of time, increasing the risk of theft or damage.
A standard home insurance policy is unlikely to be suitable for a holiday home as most insurers exclude properties left empty for more than 30 days a year.
Dedicated holiday home policies can cover buildings, contents and more specialist requirements.
Keep a sharp eye on the ‘exclusions’ part in the small print of holiday home policies, just to be safe.
What if I rent out my holiday home?
If you’re renting your holiday home out, you should look at policies that include a few specialist benefits.
Check that your cover includes cover for loss of rent, accidental damage and alternative accommodation.
You should also take out public liability protection to fund legal costs and expenses if a guest gets hurt in your holiday home, as well as employer’s liability cover for legal costs and expenses if employees, such as cleaners or cooks, get hurt while on the premises.
Details we need to find you holiday home quotes
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Your holiday home
Property number, address, property type and the year it was built
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About your cover
Do you need buildings insurance or buildings and contents, and when do you need the cover to start?
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Will you rent out your holiday home?
There are cover options to consider, such as public liability insurance and loss of rental income cover
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Whether your holiday home will be empty sometimes
If your property will be unoccupied for longer periods of time, for example longer than 30 or 60 days in a row, we need to know
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About you
Let us know your contact details and your current correspondence address
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Additional info
Any other little details about you or the property
How do I make my holiday home insurance cheaper?
Check out our eight ways to lower your holiday home insurance premiums
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Try to pay annually
It’s often cheaper to pay for the year in one lump sum, if you can afford it, than paying monthly
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Buy buildings and contents together
If you need both, it can be cheaper and more convenient to deal with just one insurer
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Increase your excess
Choose a higher voluntary excess to lower your premium – but make sure you can afford it if you do need to claim
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Know your worth
Use our handy contents calculator to find out exactly how much your belongings are worth
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Protect against fires
Fitting a smoke alarm on every floor could benefit you when it comes to finding a great deal on your insurance
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Improve the security
Make sure you have adequate locks installed on your doors and windows
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Maintenance is key
Keep your holiday home properly maintained to reduce your chance of a claim being rejected
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Shop around
Shop around to get the best price possible for your policy
Types of holiday home insurance
No matter where your holiday home is located, you will need to take out sufficient insurance. Holiday home insurance does not only cover homes in the UK and domestic seaside towns but many providers offer insurance for properties located overseas.
Make sure you choose the correct insurance for your holiday home.
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Holiday home in the UK
Many people buy second homes in the UK, thanks to our thriving tourist industry, and it’s often seen as a smart investment that’ll pay off one day.
This is why it’s important to check your insurance covers accidental damage, break-ins and general building risks like storms or fires.
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Chalets or log cabins
Holiday chalets are gaining popularity in UK seaside towns and can be a great investment for you and your family.
Make sure you have insurance protection, even when your chalet is unoccupied, as well as cover for hot tubs and outbuildings.
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Holiday homes overseas
Overseas holiday homes are often left unoccupied for long periods of time, so make sure you have buildings and contents insurance that protects your property against damages.
Whether your holiday home is in France, Spain, Cyprus or even further afield, make sure you get some peace of mind with insurance that’ll provide emergency travel, as well as an insurer that can help oversee any repairs if you can’t make it out there.
Frequently asked questions
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If I buy a home abroad, does it need to be insured?
Could you afford to lose it or repair significant damage? If not, you should insure your holiday home abroad from any accidental damage with buildings insurance and consider contents insurance too. Try not to leave any valuables in your holiday home when you leave it unoccupied for long periods of time.
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How much does holiday home insurance cost?
It depends on each policy, each provider and what your specific requirements are.
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How much should I insure my holiday home for?
Buildings insurance should cover the cost of rebuilding your holiday home, including any outbuildings. If you decide to get contents insurance too, you should have enough insurance to replace all the items in each room.
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Can I cancel, amend or transfer my policy?
While you should check each policy carefully before committing to one, an insurer usually has a 14-day cooling off period in which it’s possible to cancel your policy.
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Does holiday home insurance include public liability cover?
If a guest injures themselves on your property, holiday home insurance will usually cover any legal fees involved with public liability cover. Check your policy includes this if you intend to let out your holiday home.
See also
References
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Page last reviewed: 10 September 2020
Next review due: 10 November 2020