Insurance, and specifically home insurance can seem complicated at times. If you find yourself feeling this way too, we have the answers for you. Here, we respond to the most common questions our customers have.
Should my house be insured for the market value?
You should insure your home for the reinstatement value and not the market value.
What should the building value of the house reflect?
The building value should reflect the cost of the house itself (including any built in kitchens/wardrobes or other structural extras) the garage, garden shed, fuel store and boundary walls.
What cover do I need for items outside of the house?
If you need an item covered OUTSIDE of the house (e.g.Jewellery, Sports Equipment etc), you need All Risks home insurance cover in addition to normal Contents cover. This can be specified (for higher value items) or unspecified (covers miscellaneous personal property up to a stated single article limit). We can advise you on which is most appropriate depending on the items you’d like to cover.
Should I provide a list of all valuable items in my house?
If you have any particularly valuable items within your contents, which do not leave the house, you should also mention these on the proposal form. As a general guideline the value of such items should not exceed one third of your total contents sum insured, unless specially agreed.
You should insure your home for the reinstatement value and not the market value.
What discounts can I avail of?
Discounts are available on the cost of your insurance for Burglar Alarms, Smoke Alarms, Neighbourhood Watch area. Also if you are over a certain age (45 or 50 years depending on the Insurer). In some circumstances you can avail of an additional discount if both your Home Insurance and Car Insurance are with the same underwriter.
What should I do if my property becomes unoccupied?
If your property becomes unoccupied please advise us immediately, as this will affect your cover. Also if the type of occupancy has changed in any way, you need to notify us of the changes, e.g. any business use, different type of tenants, etc.
If you are already insured with First Ireland and need to review any of your details or sums insured, please email us at customerserviceadmin@firstireland.ie. If your home is not insured with us and you would like a quote, please email us at cover@firstireland.ie or call us on 01 8820818, and we’d be delighted to provide you with a competitive quote and any advice you may need.
