This October, our Managing Director, Steve Smith, was invited to share his expert home insurance recommendations to the readers of luxury homes and lifestyle magazine, Absolutely London. We are delighted to share his advice with you.
Home insurance is something that we all know we need to have. But how confident are you that, when it comes to making a claim, you will be fully covered?
All too often, it’s only when you try to make a claim that you discover your household insurance may not be quite what it seems. Already feeling sad about the loss of a precious bracelet or damage to an antique cabinet, the situation is made even worse when you find out that your insurance policy will not provide a like-for-like replacement or compensate you for restoration and any subsequent depreciation. What seemed like good value at the time has turned out to be worthless.
This is where speaking to a specialist insurance broker before you take out a policy can make all the difference. An independent insurance broker like Smith Greenfield knows the importance of not just listing items requiring insurance but also understanding how these items are enjoyed by their owners. For example, many of our clients have items of jewellery they always travel with. Often, a standard household insurance policy will only provide cover for these items at a single address. An insurance broker like Smith Greenfield can provide policies without restrictive clauses so that our clients have peace of mind when they go away for weekends or spend time at their other homes.
In addition, a specialist insurance broker can help you with inventories and regular valuations, making sure that the sums insured are up to date. Over recent months, many of us have been working from home, setting up offices and acquiring new technology. We would strongly advise checking that these additional items are covered by your insurance policy and to discuss any concerns with your insurance broker.
And, if you are building a new home office or have building work taking place at home, such as an extension or conversion, make sure this does not affect your insurance cover. Some insurance policies are not valid during building projects.
We also recommend ensuring that the rebuild cost of your home is regularly appraised, to avoid the heartache of discovering that your insurance cover is insufficient after a fire or other serious damage.
If you are the owner of a higher value home and have higher value household contents, it is even more important that you seek the advice of an experienced broker. It is likely that you will be best served by a specialist insurance policy that can be tailored, to make sure it covers your bespoke needs.
At Smith Greenfield we work exclusively with ‘A’ rated insurers who are able to do this, and our expert advisers act with discretion at all times.
We believe that, in the event of a claim, there should be no unwelcome surprises. By working with an insurance broker, you will have an expert to manage this process on your behalf.
Our aim is to bring you peace of mind.
Smith Greenfield is an independent insurance broker specialising in insurance for clients with higher value homes and higher value contents. To discuss specialist insurance for your home and lifestyle, please contact our Premier Client Adviser, Imran Moideen, via email imran.moideen@smithgreenfield.co.uk or telephone 020 8603 3730.