Contents Insurance for Listed Buildings

Have you discovered our Listed Home Contents Calculator?

From colanders to crockery and pianos to perfumes, you need to consider how the worth of your possessions could affect your listed home insurance.

To get a rough idea of how much your home contents could be worth, why not use our interactive contents calculator? If need be, your policy can then be amended to protect the precious and everyday items within your home.

Download your listed contents calculator here.

Challenges of Insuring Contents in Listed Properties

Valuation of Contents

•  Contents in listed properties often include antiques, artwork, and other valuable items that may be difficult to replace. Standard home contents insurance may not fully cover the cost of these high-value items.
•  An accurate valuation is essential. Policyholders should regularly update valuations to ensure that insurance coverage reflects the current value of their belongings.

Heritage and High Value Items

• Many listed properties contain period features or historically significant contents that require specialist cover. Insurers may offer tailored policies for these items, which can include bespoke coverage options.
• Heritage insurance policies are often designed specifically for listed properties and their contents, taking into account the special requirements of such homes.

Risk Factors

• Listed properties can be more vulnerable to certain risks, such as fire, theft, or water damage. This is often due to older construction methods, materials, or even the location of the property.
• Insurance providers may require additional security measures, such as high-quality locks, alarms, or fire protection systems, to mitigate these risks.

Key Considerations for Contents Insurance in Listed Properties

Comprehensive Cover

• Ensure that the policy offers comprehensive coverage for a wide range of risks, including fire, theft, flood, and accidental damage. Given the higher risk profile of listed properties, comprehensive cover is essential.
• Some policies may also offer coverage for “all risks,” which includes accidental damage and loss of contents both within and outside the home.

Specialist Insurers

• Due to the unique nature of listed properties, it’s often advisable to work with insurers who specialize in heritage properties. These insurers have a better understanding of the specific needs and risks associated with listed homes.
• They can provide tailored advice on the appropriate level of coverage for both the building and its contents.

Agreed Value Policies

• For high-value or irreplaceable items, an “agreed value” policy may be more suitable. This type of policy agrees on the value of an item at the start of the policy, ensuring you receive the full amount in the event of a claim, rather than a depreciated value.

Contents Cover Limits

• It’s important to check the cover limits for individual items and the total contents insured. If your listed property contains particularly high-value items, you may need to increase these limits or take out additional cover.
• Some policies may have sub-limits for specific categories of contents, such as jewellery, antiques, or fine art, which should be sufficient to cover your items.

Excesses

• Consider the policy excess—the amount you have to pay towards a claim. Higher excesses can lower premiums but also increase out-of-pocket expenses in the event of a claim.
• Specialist insurers may offer more flexible excess options, allowing you to tailor the policy to your needs.

Contents insurance for listed properties requires careful planning and consideration due to the unique challenges these homes present. The combination of historical significance, valuable contents, and specific legal protections can make standard contents insurance policies insufficient for many listed properties. Instead, specialist insurers who understand the complexities of heritage properties and their contents can offer the most appropriate coverage.

If you have calculated your contents and you feel your policy with us needs amending, please call our listed home insurance team.

Call: 01823 250780