For many homeowners, arranging insurance is relatively straightforward. Enter some details online, compare several policies and choose the one that looks right.
But not every home, or homeowner, fits comfortably into a standard online form.
A property might be listed, built using an unusual construction method, have a history of subsidence or be left unoccupied for extended periods. There may be previous claims, a high rebuild cost or other circumstances that affect the insurers willing to provide cover.
This is where a specialist home insurance broker can become particularly useful.
An insurance broker acts as an intermediary between you and the insurer providing the policy.
However, there is considerably more to the role than simply passing information from one party to another.
A broker will typically gather information about the property and your circumstances before identifying insurers or insurance products that may be suitable.
For specialist home insurance, this can mean understanding details that would be difficult to explain through a series of tick boxes.
For example, rather than simply establishing that a property has previously suffered subsidence, a broker may need to understand when the movement occurred, what caused it, what remedial work was completed and whether there has been any subsequent movement.
Similarly, describing a home as being of “non-standard construction” might not tell an insurer enough. The materials used, age of the property, condition, rebuild cost and exact method of construction could all be relevant.
By collecting the right information at the outset, a specialist broker can help present the risk accurately to insurers whose underwriting criteria may accommodate it.
Depending on the type of service offered, a broker may also explain the cover available, answer questions about policy terms and help you understand the options before arranging the policy.
The insurer itself remains responsible for providing the insurance and, unless otherwise stated, dealing with claims.
In one sense, yes. A broker sits between the customer and the insurer.
But that description overlooks much of the reason brokers exist.
The value of a specialist broker is not simply having another person involved in the transaction. It is their knowledge of the insurance market and, importantly, their understanding of which insurers may be prepared to consider particular types of risk.
Different insurers have different underwriting appetites.
One may be comfortable insuring a listed building but not a property undergoing major renovation. Another might consider a home with previous subsidence provided particular reports or evidence are available.
Those differences are not always obvious to someone searching for insurance themselves.
A broker can therefore help avoid repeatedly approaching insurers whose criteria are unlikely to accommodate the risk.
That does not mean every broker has access to every insurer or every insurance product. Some brokers work with a panel or selected group of insurers, so it should not be assumed that a broker automatically searches the whole market.
There is no single best way to buy home insurance.
For a relatively straightforward property and set of circumstances, a comparison site or direct insurer may provide everything a homeowner needs. Specialist brokers become more relevant as the circumstances become less straightforward.
| Specialist broker | Comparison site | Going direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it works | Discuss your circumstances with a broker who can approach suitable insurers available to them | Enter your details once and compare products from participating insurers | Obtain a quote directly from an individual insurer |
| Useful for | More complex, unusual or specialist risks | Quickly comparing standard insurance products | Customers who already know which insurer they want to approach |
| Human input | Usually a significant part of the process | Usually limited during the initial comparison | Depends on the insurer and sales channel |
| Unusual circumstances | Can often be discussed and explained in greater detail | Standardised questions may limit what can be captured | Depends on the individual insurer's underwriting criteria |
| Market access | Depends on the insurers available to the broker | Limited to insurers participating on that comparison service | The products of that insurer only |
| Price comparison | Can compare options available through the broker, where applicable | Makes comparing displayed premiums relatively easy | Requires approaching other insurers separately |
Price comparison websites are extremely useful for seeing multiple quotes quickly, but the cheapest result should not automatically be assumed to provide the most appropriate cover.
Excesses, exclusions, optional extras, policy limits and the circumstances covered can differ considerably between policies.
There are also insurers and specialist insurance products that may not appear on comparison sites at all.
Going directly to an insurer can be equally effective where that insurer is comfortable with the risk. The limitation is simply that you are asking one insurer at a time.
A broker offers a different route: instead of starting with a particular insurance company, you start with the circumstances that need to be insured.
Specialist brokers can be helpful whenever there is something about a property, its history, its occupants or the way it is used that makes obtaining standard home insurance more difficult.
Examples can include:
Homes built using timber frames, prefabricated systems, structural insulated panels (SIPs), concrete, steel or other less common construction methods may fall outside some insurers’ standard criteria.
A specialist broker can establish exactly how the property is constructed and identify insurers available to them that are prepared to consider it.
Listed buildings can present different insurance considerations because repair following serious damage may involve specialist materials, traditional construction techniques and conservation requirements.
Establishing an appropriate rebuild cost can therefore be particularly important.
A history of subsidence does not necessarily make a property uninsurable, but insurers are likely to want more information.
The cause, date of the claim, repairs undertaken, whether underpinning was required and evidence of subsequent stability can all influence the cover available.
Many standard home insurance policies place restrictions on cover when a property is left unoccupied beyond a specified period.
Properties awaiting sale, probate, renovation or a new tenant may therefore require unoccupied home insurance.
Large homes can have buildings rebuild costs or contents values that exceed the limits accepted by some mainstream home insurance products.
A significant claims history, previous insurance difficulties, particular occupancy arrangements or other circumstances may also require a more individual assessment.
The common theme is not necessarily that the property is particularly risky.
It is that the risk needs explaining.
Insurance brokers can be paid in different ways.
A broker may receive commission from the insurer when arranging a policy. Some brokers may also charge fees for certain services or transactions. There can also be remuneration associated with additional products or arrangements such as premium finance.
The exact arrangement depends on the broker and the service being provided.
Any fees you are expected to pay should be made clear, so it is worth checking the documentation provided before purchasing a policy.
Paying through a broker also does not automatically mean the insurance will be more expensive or cheaper than buying elsewhere.
Premiums are influenced by many factors, including the insurer, the risk being covered, the level of cover and the terms offered.
The more important comparison is therefore not simply the headline price, but what you are receiving for that price.
The process may involve more questions than you would encounter when obtaining a straightforward online quote.
That is usually intentional.
A specialist broker needs enough information to understand the risk and provide insurers with the details they need.
You might therefore be asked about:
Additional documents may occasionally be needed. For example, an insurer considering a property with a history of structural movement might request reports relating to previous subsidence.
Once sufficient information has been collected, the broker can establish what options are available through the insurers they work with.
You should then be given enough information about the proposed policy, its cost and significant terms to make an informed decision.
And if something does not make sense, ask.
One of the advantages of dealing with a broker is having the opportunity to discuss the policy rather than relying solely on an automated journey.
Standard home insurance works particularly well when a property fits the assumptions on which a standard policy has been built.
Specialist home insurance starts to become relevant when it does not.
Automated underwriting is very good at dealing with clearly defined circumstances. It is less suited to situations where the answer is effectively:
“Yes, but there is more to explain.”
Consider two properties that have both experienced subsidence.
One might have an active claim with ongoing movement. The other may have suffered movement decades ago, undergone successful remedial work and remained stable ever since.
A simple question asking whether the property has ever experienced subsidence produces the same answer for both: yes.
From an underwriting perspective, however, they are very different circumstances.
The same principle applies across specialist home insurance.
Two listed buildings may be very different risks. Two unoccupied properties may be empty for completely different reasons. Two non-standard homes may use entirely different construction systems.
A specialist broker can help provide that context.
This does not guarantee that an insurer will offer cover, nor does it guarantee a lower premium. What it can do is give suitable insurers a clearer picture of the property and the risk they are being asked to insure.
No.
If your home and circumstances are straightforward and you are comfortable comparing policy terms yourself, buying directly or through a comparison site may be perfectly suitable.
A specialist broker becomes more valuable when standard routes struggle to accommodate what needs to be insured.
That might mean you have already encountered declined quotes, but it does not have to reach that stage.
If you already know that something about the property is unusual, speaking to someone familiar with that type of risk can save time and help establish what information insurers are likely to require.
An insurance broker is an intermediary, but a good specialist broker provides considerably more than a route between customer and insurer.
Their value lies in understanding the circumstances being insured, knowing which insurers available to them may consider those circumstances and making sure the relevant information reaches the underwriter.
For straightforward home insurance, that additional help may not be necessary.
For a listed building, an unusual construction, a property with previous subsidence, an unoccupied home or another non-standard risk, the ability to explain the circumstances properly can make the broker route particularly useful.
Ultimately, specialist home insurance is rarely about finding a way around an insurer’s questions.
It is about making sure the right questions are asked in the first place.
No. If your home and circumstances are straightforward, a comparison site or direct insurer may be suitable. A specialist broker can be particularly useful when your property, its history or your circumstances make standard home insurance more difficult to arrange.
Not necessarily. Some brokers work with a panel or selected group of insurers. Ask the broker which insurers or products it can access if market coverage is important to you.
There is no guarantee. A broker may help identify suitable options for a complex risk, but premiums depend on the insurer, your circumstances, the level of cover and policy terms.
The insurer providing the policy is normally responsible for claims unless your policy or broker documentation states otherwise. Check the policy schedule and claims information to find out whom to contact.
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