Accidental damage
Picture the scene: After enjoying a particularly lovely meal that your thoughtful spouse prepared for you, you retire to the living room and the comfort of that beautiful antique cream, suede sofa you had delivered just that day. As you lean in to kiss your partner in thanks for such a lovely evening, you jog their arm and they send a great slosh of deep red chianti across the pristine cushion of the sofa. Nightmare! Then imagine that you want to claim such damage on your house insurance, only to be dismayed that you completely forgot to check that your very reasonable policy included accidental damage cover.
Leaving the fantasy behind, it’s a very common mistake, particularly with those of us who have got a surprisingly good deal on our insurance – this is the sting in the tail. This is a particularly pertinent addendum to both house and contents insurance if you live in a busy household of, say, students or a large family. Chances are a rogue tennis ball will come crashing through the kitchen window at some point, and no doubt on the same day that dear little Algernon scrawls a vast portrait of mummy all over the living room wall.
Usually, adding accidental damage cover to your insurance won’t cost that much – something in the region of £20 annually to either home or contents – but not always. It’s worth checking, particularly if you’re looking for new cover: in some cases the difference between with and without can be as much as £100.
Of course, this extra isn’t for everyone. If you’re a couple living on their own, for example, it’s unlikely to warrant the extra cost, and the impetus might be on lowering your premium.
It’s also worth checking what exactly the accidental damage addition covers: some companies break up their policies to covers solely electronic devices – then separately porcelain, antiques and others. Higher end or specialist house insurance policies (such as RIAS for the over fifties) tend to offer accidental damage cover as standard, but it’s still worth checking, and, alongside your hunt for the ideal and cheapest cover, make sure that you truly are covered, especially for the more mundane and easily overlooked problems.