How to claim

Excess is the first amount of any claim for which you are responsible.

The standard excess for First2Protect products are:

There are a couple of scenarios where a different excess may apply. Claims for escape of water/subsidence/special terms may be more and these will always be displayed on your Policy Schedule

If a claim is made under more than one section resulting from the same incident, only one excess will be deducted. In the event that the excess amounts differ, then the higher of the two will be deducted.

If you do make a claim, the price of your home insurance could increase when you next renew your policy with us.

An individual item of a matching set of articles or suite of furniture or sanitary ware or other bathroom fittings is regarded as a single item. Your insurer will pay you for individual damaged items but not for undamaged companion pieces.

If the individual damaged items cannot be repaired or a replacement found we will also pay up to 50% towards the undamaged part of the set or suite of furniture, sanitary ware or bathroom fittings.

Where carpeting is damaged beyond repair only the damaged carpet will be replaced; not undamaged carpet in adjoining rooms.

There are some common scenarios which might impact a claim being paid. By sharing this, we hope that you better understand what your policy is and isn’t designed to cover.

Wear and Tear

You should ensure that any property covered this policy is maintained in good condition. Property insurance is designed to cover unexpected loss or damage which means that the majority of policies will not cover ‘wear and tear’.

What is wear and tear?

Wear and tear is damage that naturally and inevitably occurs as a result of normal wear or ageing. There are different ways that wear and tear can occur. For example:

• A kitchen appliance that has stopped working
• A roof tile loosening over time, causing rain to leak in
• A pipe leaking due to rust and corrosion
• Build-up of rising damp and mould
• Gadgets no longer turning on

How to reduce wear and tear within your property:

• Cleaning appliances regularly can ensure they last longer. – Where possible, follow the manufacturer’s warranties and servicing guidance.
• Inspect the roof regularly for broken or slipped tiles and where required, ask a professional to carry out the remedial work.
• Check accessible pipes often for rust and corrosion.
• If you notice damp and mould starting to form, hire an expert to locate and fix the source to prevent it from becoming worse. – Mould can also carry a health risk so make it a priority.
• If you notice a problem with a gadget, such as a flickering TV screen, check if it is still under warranty. – Doing this could potentially save you a lot of money in the long run.

Having the right level of cover

It’s really important that you make sure that the amount you insure represents the full value of your property on an ongoing basis.

Things you should think about are:

• Over time, as you buy more things, you may need to increase the overall value of your contents cover.
• Specific items, such as jewellery, may also increase in value from the time you took out the policy.

To calculate what cover you need:  

• For buildings, this means the full cost of rebuilding your property.
• For contents, this means the full cost of replacing all the property at today’s prices. You might find it helpful to walk room to room and list down what it would cost for you to replace your items as new.
• Remember that items that are fixed to the property would be considered part of your buildings insurance. If you are unsure, this is clearly defined in your policy wording.