Holiday house insurance

Toby22

Hi,
Got a call from insurance broker to say that regardless of Covid restrictions, visual internal and external inspection is required every 30 days from 1st October til 31st March, if it is not the property owner it can be a trusted agent.
I have a small cottage in a remote setting, know the remote neighbours to say hello to but not enough to ask them to do inspection. I went there this weekend to do said inspection and not a checkpoint insight, I was anxious though

Toby22

Toby22 wrote: »

Hi,
Got a call from insurance broker to say that regardless of Covid restrictions, visual internal and external inspection is required every 30 days from 1st October til 31st March, if it is not the property owner it can be a trusted agent.
I have a small cottage in a remote setting, know the remote neighbours to say hello to but not enough to ask them to do inspection. I went there this weekend to do said inspection and not a checkpoint insight, I was anxious though

Maybe a local gardener who maintains properties for people. Visiting properties a set number of times a month to carry out certain tasks is what they do anyway so might be interested.

I maintain gardens and wouldn't mind doing something like this for a customer. You could talk to other people for recommendations. Someone with a proper business.

Could you get some cameras put in - such as Tapo C200? I have these in most rooms in my holiday home. You can view any camera at any time via an iPhone app, and move them around / detect motion etc.

That said, I do have people within a few hundred meters who check out the house for me on a regular basis.

Toby22

Hi, no internet, phone signal is dire at best of times. It’s in a very remote place. I wasn’t stopped this weekend so will just go again in 30 days.

monkeynuz

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Maybe a local gardener who maintains properties for people. Visiting properties a set number of times a month to carry out certain tasks is what they do anyway so might be interested.

I maintain gardens and wouldn't mind doing something like this for a customer. You could talk to other people for recommendations. Someone with a proper business.

Although gardeners aren’t supposed to be working at the moment.

Graham

I'd ask your broker to confirm the underwriters/insurance companies position in writing or by email. Follow that up with a complaint to the insurer/underwriter. Follow that up with a complaint to the FSPO.

It's just not reasonable for insurance companies to take that position in the current environment.

spaceHopper

Could you phone the local garda station and ask them to check the out side. Or call the insurance company back and ask them to send it to you in writing. They won't want to so will back down.

monkeynuz

monkeynuz wrote: »

Although gardeners aren’t supposed to be working at the moment.

Indeed. Just a thought for a long term solution. Hopefully we will be allowed next month.

Toby22

Hi, my broker was as surprised as I was, she emailed me their response, regardless of lockdown restrictions the terms of the policy have to be followed.

spaceHopper

Could you, make sure the heating system is topped up or at the correct pressure then shut off the water from outside and drain the cold water tank in the attic by running the taps then set the heating to come on once a day for 1 hour.

Cerco

Get a letter from your broker stating you need to inspect monthly. It may or may not be accepted at checkpoints. However you or somebody needs to check the property especially with this cold spell forecasted.
Have you had any trades people work for you at the property? If so maybe they might help out.
A plumber or BER inspector, property maintenance person etc might be worth trying.

Setting the heating and draining tanks as suggested is a good course of action, indeed it is probably already required in your policy.
There are no guarantees heating will continue to function as required. Cameras are great too and you can get them with own SIMS. However if you cannot access them for any reason then they are useless. Indeed they might cause you unnecessary concern.

Del2005

Toby22 wrote: »

Hi, no internet, phone signal is dire at best of times. It’s in a very remote place. I wasn’t stopped this weekend so will just go again in 30 days.

If no one knows that you just went to view it how will the insurance know you have been checking it every 30 days if you need to claim? Seems like an unenforceable clause on the policy, how would you proof that you are checking it even if there weren't travel restrictions?

I know it's hard to organise someine to check your house during restrictions even if you want it for peace of mind only.

In my experience there is always a good community in remote rural areas. Search the internet for active local community groups and I bet they would help in finding someone trustworthy. Maybe the local priest would get you in touch with an upstanding member of the community ðŸ˜
The locals know about you even though they may never have met you. It would be like "Oh yeah some fella from Dublin owns that house" That's a rural thing. People want to help eachother in these times.

wench

Del2005 wrote: »

If no one knows that you just went to view it how will the insurance know you have been checking it every 30 days if you need to claim? Seems like an unenforceable clause on the policy, how would you proof that you are checking it even if there weren't travel restrictions?

If you had something doing slow damage such as a small leak, and the damage would have been minimal if caught in a monthly visit but has now brought down the ceilings, they may have questions...


You could always prove it hostage style, take a pic of that day's paper when you visit.

Cerco

wench wrote: »

If you had something doing slow damage such as a small leak, and the damage would have been minimal if caught in a monthly visit but has now brought down the ceilings, they may have questions...

Yes, indeed or the roof tiles blew off a few weeks previously.

You could always prove it hostage style, take a pic of that day's paper when you visit.

Will not prove anything other than you have photos of past newspapers which could have been taken anytime since they were printed.
The onus would lie with the policy holder to prove they were present in the area using things like credit card records, receipts etc.

Toby22

Hi, water turned off at mains, tank in attic drained. Nearest neighbours are in their late 70’s and don’t want to ask them to check property. I just find it bizarre as did broker that insurance policy compliance is regardless of covid lockdown. I have it in written format but couldn’t be bothered trying to take them on. One of my neighbours ( in Dublin) is a Garda and he said he wouldn’t turn me back at a checkpoint .