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5 surprising events your home insurer might not cover
Why a fallen glass of wine might be covered - and a fallen tree might not
If your home burnt down, you'd assume your home insurance would pay out. But beyond that, what's covered can be far from clear.
Your home insurance policy is there to help protect you and your home from a range of different disasters including, flooding, extreme weather, subsidence and fire.
But it can also cover much smaller mishaps around the house, under what's referred to as accidental damage cover.
It's worth knowing what's covered, so you can make full use of your cover if something goes wrong.
What does accidental damage cover include?
Accidental damage cover is there to help when unpredicted or unexpected events occur in your home such as damage caused by your children, or knocking over a glass of red wine.
It can cover both buildings and contents damage and is a smart option to go for when shopping around for a policy. Common situations that it covers are:
- Damage done to your possessions in your home
- Broken glass in windows, doors and skylights
- Broken locks and keys
- Damage done whilst moving
- Damage caused by children
- Damage in your bathroom mainly basins, sinks, toilets and showers
- Falling through the attic
It is important to note that not all policies include accidental damage cover as standard, you may be required to purchase it in addition to your base policy.
And, whilst it may increase your monthly or annual premium, it is a sensible addition to have, as it covers the unexpected.
Our home insurance reviews show which insurers include accidental insurance as standard, and where it's available as an add on.
5 surprising things insurance doesn't cover
1. 'Storm' damage to fences, gates and hedges
In 2022, the UK was battered by five storms. But whilst you may think that all damage to your home caused by a storm would be covered, this is not the case.
Your insurer will need to confirm that the wind speed during the storm was recorded, and high enough to be labelled a storm. Check your policy details to find out what your insurer defines a storm to be, as it varies with each provider, and then check with the Met Office that the storm that caused the damage meets their criteria.
In principle, all policies cover homes against storms and floods, but the level of coverage varies between providers.
Although damage done to your building structure is frequently covered, cover for fences, gates and hedges is much harder to find. Our home insurance reviews reveal which insurers cover contents in the open.
2. Lost car keys
The RAC report that around 16 million drivers a year lose their keys, with 2 million of those never finding them. With automatic and immobiliser car keys becoming more and more popular the price is creeping up, with the RAC claiming £180 million is spent each year on replacing them.
Most standard home and car insurance policies don't cover car key loss or theft, but some are now offering car key insurance as an additional option.
Even with car key insurance, you won't be insured for additional keys you lost at the time, an upgraded version of the lost key, stolen keys without a crime reference number or replacement to the whole lock and key if only one part needs replacing.
- Find out more: Home insurance: add-ons, fees and charges explained
3. DIY disasters
In general, if you take on some home improvements such as putting up some shelves or fixing a broken doorway, and an accident happens, your insurance will cover you.
However, if you decide to take on a bigger project that usually require a skilled worker such as a plumber or an electrician, your insurance will no longer cover the damage that is caused. They may also question poor workmanship or defective building materials you use.
It is safer and better to hire a reputable tradesperson to carry out the work for you - you can find one near you at Which? Trusted Traders.
4. Pets causing incidents
As much as we love our four-legged friends, they do have an tendency to cause havoc around our homes. And although this is a risk we are willing to take, your insurer is not. Accidents caused by pets doesn't tend to be covered by insurance.
Some policies may cover incidents where the tail of your pet knocks over a vase or the mistake some dust for a mouse and knock off a glass picture frame in their pursuit. But, general pet damage such as chewing, scratching and tearing won't be covered.
If you have an especially playful pet, you may be able to buy extra cover or a higher level of damage cover and your pet insurance may cover you, if your pet causes damage outside the perimeters of your home.
- Find out more: How to find cheap pet insurance
5. Wear and tear
Wear and tear is a natural part of home owning. As your house gets lived in, small things will start to fade and need improvements such as carpets, doorways and kitchen appliances.
This is not something your insurance will cover and you will need to pay for the replacements yourself.
The best way to keep costs down when it comes to wear and tear, is to make sure your home is regularly maintained and to keep your appliances regularly serviced.
We've got guides on jobs you can do yourself, such as cleaning a dishwasher, common faults and how to repair them and cleaning guides for washing machines and tumble dryers.
In general we caution against appliance insurance: you may already be covered by warranties, and it can be easy to forget about auto-renewing appliance policies.
Which? home insurance reviews
Before buying home insurance, it's important to carefully check the policy documents to ensure you're purchasing the cover you expect.
We're here to help you find an insurer that offers the right policy for you. For our annual home insurance reviews, we've compared 78 areas of policies from 29 providers to help you find the best deal.
We rated our providers on a number of factors, one of them being customer service when it comes to making a claim.
How to find cheap home insurance
If your policy is coming up for renewal, our guide on finding cheap home insurance offers all the advice you'll need to get a great deal.
Our partner Confused.com compares prices from more than 50 insurers to help you choose the right one. Get a quote now.
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