DAMAGE TO YOUR PROPERTY

SUMMER will soon be a distant memory and if frost and storms hit Britain, you may be worried about damage your property.

Never fear, your home insurance policy should offer some form of weather damage protection, but there are a few things to watch out for.

YOUR insurer may refuse to pay out if your building was ‘poorly maintained.’ Of course, how well maintained a property is can be subjective, so if you don’t think the insurer is playing fair, make a complaint.

Insurers can also refuse to pay out when damage has happened over a long time – known as ‘wear and tear’ and refers to things that naturally need replacing over time.

For example, if a storm has knocked off already loose tiles, your insurer may not pay out (check to see if you have an accidental damage policy).

If, however, the storm has knocked a previously stable chimney over, then you shouldn’t have a problem.

Of course, there are problems you clearly could have known about with your home and things you really couldn’t have been expected to have been aware of.

Some structural damage may not be visible or obvious so we’d expect insurers to be reasonable in these circumstances.

If you’re a DIY fanatic, make sure you’ve updated your insurer about changes. Significant structural changes or repairs can have an impact on your premium.

For obvious reasons, insurers may be reluctant to pay out in the event that the storm causes damage to something they don’t know about, like an extension you’ve built yourself, for example. Not every claim is this clear cut

GETTING REPAIRS DONE

IT’S distressing if your property has been significantly damaged as a result of a storm. But don’t rush straight out to get the repairs done without consulting your insurance company.

They’ll have people in the local area who they can contract for you. If you want to use your own repairs person or specialist, you may be able to do so if your contract allows – but you’ll need a quote and you may have to pay for anything over what the insurer could have got from another service provider.

Keep hold of receipts, you’ll need these to make a claim.

FENCES AND GATES

AS a (very) general rule of thumb, anything that can be easily moved is unlikely to be covered by your insurance. This includes fences, gates, hedges and garden tables. Before a storm hits, lock away anything that might get blown around – especially if it’s likely to damage your house.

DAMAGE TO POSSESSIONS

IF damage is structural (think of anything that can’t be easily taken away from the property) the ‘buildings’ part of your insurance covers it.

Anything else is covered by the contents policy. These can be combined or separate, and this matters if you rent your property. The structure is usually covered by your landlord – you’ll have to have your own contents policy for damage to your stuff though.

If you’ve made an insurance claim and think you’ve been turned down unfairly, don’t give in. Make a complaint – and go to the free Financial Ombudsman Service if you want to take it further.

■ RESOLVER can help you sort out complaints about pretty much anything.

Check out resolver.co.uk and share your experiences at yourstories@resolvergroup. com