Insuring A Property After an Owner Dies

The stress and upset following the death of a loved one can be very difficult to manage. There will be legal procedures and a will to follow, and insurance will often be far from people’s minds. But when a loved one’s property enters probate, it is important to make sure the property remains looked after and adequately protected. Probate is the process in which the executor of the will is granted authority and legal right to deal with a deceased person’s estate. This article will look at insuring a property after the owner dies.

Each probate case can vary significantly and often it can become a lengthy process to get all the correct documentation sorted out. This can mean a property is vacant for a long period time, and it is up to the executors to secure and protect the building and its contents.

Why Do You Need Specialist Empty House Insurance During Probate?

If you leave a home unoccupied for more than 30 days, most standard home insurance policies become void or significantly reduce coverage to only include damage from Fire, Lightning, Earthquake, and Explosion, known as FLEE cover

Leaving a property unoccupied makes it more prone to damage and losses for the following reasons:

Issues like storm damage, leaking, or burst pipes often go unnoticed when they first occur. This can cause resulting damage to both buildings and contents that could cost thousands to replace or put right.

They are targets for theft, vandalism and squatters

To reduce the risk you should:

• Visit the property frequently (some policies will require you to visit at least every 7 days)
• Remove any post from the doormat
• Move the curtains/blinds a little
• Put lights on timers (interior and exterior)
• Maintain the garden and the homes appearance so the property looks lived in
• Keep the heating on at a minimum of 15 ° Celsius or turn off and drain the water system
• Ask a friendly neighbour you trust, to keep an eye on the property
• Make sure all locks and security devices are fully working and in operation
• Consider installing an affordable CCTV monitoring system that can be linked to your Smartphone

We recommend purchasing probate home insurance for the property, as the probate process typically takes 3 to 9 months to conclude, and this insurance takes these circumstances into account.

Contact the current home insurance provider

Contact the property’s existing home insurance company as soon as you can. The company will need to be informed of the homeowner’s death and may require a copy of the death certificate. Some insurance companies may extend the homeowners current policy until the expiration date. However, others may only continue to cover the property for 30 days, or may cancel the policy with immediate effect.

Intelligent Insurance makes sourcing specialist probate home insurance easy. Our goal is to simplify the process of purchasing cover for a property in probate, giving you one less thing to worry about during this difficult period.

We are typically able to arrange probate home insurance at very reasonable premiums, and in most cases are able to provide a quote instantly online.
Get a Quote today, or for advice relating to this subject call us on 03333 11 11 10 and we’ll be happy to help you.