Could I claim?
"My washing machine has started to rattle, can I claim?"
- Nothing stays ‘box fresh’ forever. Your house, and the things you buy to make it a home, will all get bumps, scuffs and wear out from use over time. This is called ‘wear and tear’.
- Your home insurance doesn't cover wear and tear. For example, if your washing machine starts to make a funny rattle when it’s on the spin cycle, you won’t be able to claim for a new one.
"My roof is leaking, can I claim?"
You can prevent wear and tear from becoming a bigger problem by checking your home regularly.
- Wear and tear also applies to the actual fabric of your house. For example, your roof can start leaking for a variety of reasons. The leak might just appear from nowhere - or something might happen and you notice the water coming in.
- You might assume that your insurance covers a leaky roof - but often your roof leak is due to wear and tear. This means you'd have to pay for any repairs. If however, your roof is damaged by a storm, we'll cover you. In general, if a storm has damaged your roof, you'd expect to see signs of damage to the exterior, like lots of missing tiles. If there aren't any obvious signs of damage externally, or just one or two missing or slipped tiles, it's more likely that a part of the roof structure has worn out, letting in water.
"My fence panels have been damaged, can I claim?"
- We get lots of calls from customers wanting to know if they can claim for damage to their fence panels. Fence panels are covered but there are some exceptions.
- For example, if a storm or strong winds blew your fence panels down, there's no insurance cover. Damage from falling trees or branches, as well as damage by pets isn't covered either. But if a fire destroyed your fence, we'd settle your claim as quickly as possible.
- Check your insurance documents for more information about fence cover.
"Are mobile phones covered by my home insurance?"
- Most people also want to know if their mobile phone is covered by their home insurance. From cracked screens to dropping it down the loo, customers expect their contents cover will pay to repair or replace their phone. To make sure your mobile phone is insured inside and outside the home, consider adding our extra cover.
- Happily, LV= customers with personal possessions cover can claim for theft (excluding any unauthorised usage), loss or damage to their mobile phone inside and outside the home.
To add this extra cover to your policy so your mobile phone is insured, get in touch.
"I've lost my engagement ring in my home, what should I do?"
What about losing something valuable while you're at home?
- If you have personal possessions cover, valuable personal items, like rings, are covered inside and outside the home. This means if you've been pottering indoors all day and your engagement ring has slipped off and is missing, you can claim. Without this cover, you are not able to claim.
To add this extra cover to your policy, get in touch.
"I've spilled something on my sofa, can I claim for the whole suite?"
Imagine spilling a cup of coffee on your cream coloured sofa – what a disaster!
- Don’t worry, you can claim on your home insurance to replace it. The only trouble is, they don't make your sofa anymore – and you've also got a matching armchair…
- With our home insurance matching items aren't fully covered but we do contribute 50% towards the cost of replacing any undamaged items, which are part of the same set or suite, if a repair or replacement of the damaged item is not available.
When considering your claim
Is your excess more than the item you need to replace?
There are some instances where it may not always be in your best interest to make a claim. This can be to do with the amount of excess you'd have to pay compared to the items value. Here's an example to illustrate one of those times when you should consider if you want to claim.
- Three years ago, Suzy and Mike bought a top-of-the-range fridge. It cost them £800 at the time. Last week, there was a dreadful storm. Lightning struck the house and caused the fridge to short-circuit! Naturally, they thought they should claim on their home insurance for a new one.
- But that exact same fridge doesn’t cost £800 anymore. In fact, a brand new, like-for-like fridge to replace their damaged one only costs £250. The excess on Suzy and Mike’s home insurance is £200.
- Here's what they should consider:
The current value of the item
The policy excess
The impact the claim may have on their renewal price
We always give you the choice of whether you want to claim on your insurance.
It's always worth checking your insurance documents to see what your excesses are - and if it's worth making a claim. If you're ever unsure, please get in touch.
If you do need to make a claim, then take a look at our claims process.