SAGA — Doing things properly

Standard home insurance policies usually provide some cover for accidental damage. For example, contents policies typically include accidental damage to home entertainment equipment such as a TV; and fixed glass in doors. However, if you would like to ensure you are covered for everyday mishaps, such as knocking over a vase or spilling red wine on a sofa then you will most likely need to extend you cover. Always check to ensure your home insurance policy covers you for full accidental damage. Full accidental damage cover is available on both buildings and contents insurance policies. Saga’s full accidental damage cover is called Extended Accidental Damage.

An endorsement is a change to the pre-printed policy document that reflects your individual terms and conditions.

An excess is the amount that you must pay towards any claim you make.

These are the causes of loss or damage that are not covered under your home insurance and are set out in your policy document.

The FSA regulates all financial services companies, including insurance companies. They are the UK’s financial watchdog.

These are the clauses in your policy that apply whichever sections of cover you buy. These should always be read when buying insurance.

The start date of your insurance policy

A tax on general insurance premiums. This is included in the price of your home insurance.

Most standard home insurance policies only cover the cost of replacing or repairing a damaged item. For example, if you damaged an armchair forming part of your three-piece suite, only the armchair would be covered. However, some policies extend cover to include matching pairs and sets. For example, our Cover Plus policy will replace a matching set even if you damage only one item in that set, such as kitchen cabinets or a bathroom suite with our Buildings Cover Plus policy, or a three-piece suite, jewellery or curtains under our Contents Cover Plus policy. We will do this when individual items cannot be repaired or replaced to match.

Any fact which would influence the acceptance, premium or terms of the policy and which you must disclose as the policyholder.

All Saga Home Insurance policies will replace lost or damaged items with the closest equivalent new item. Some other policies may only pay the current value of the item which may be low. Always check the cover provided by your home insurance policy.

Some policies offer a No Claim Discount, sometimes referred to as a No Claim Bonus. A NCD is a discount on your premium as a result of not making a claim.

Under Saga’s Standard Accidental Damage cover and Extended Accidental Damage cover we specify in the wording each peril or cause of damage that is covered. Our Cover Plus wording is based on an all risks excluding wording which specifies in detail what is not covered.

Contents insurance only covers your personal belongings when they are inside your home*. If you would like cover for items that you take outside the home, you will need to add personal belongings insurance to your policy. This is normally an optional cover. This gives you peace of mind for the items you normally carry in every day life whilst out and about, for example, spectacles, mobile phones, laptops or jewellery. Saga calls this cover ‘Personal Belongings In and Away from Home’ and it can be added to any Saga Contents policy.

* Please note, for items over a certain value insurers will require you to tell them about these items, even though you may not take them outside of the home. With Saga’s contents policy, policyholders must tell us if they have any items worth over £2,500, and these will be shown separately on the policy.

The person in whose name the policy is in. There is normally an option for more than one person to be shown as a policyholder.

The maximum amount payable in the event of a claim under your home insurance policy.

Home insurance policies do not replace or repair things that have simply deteriorated over time. Things prone to ‘wear and tear’ include flat roofs, fascia boards, guttering on a building, and these should all be checked regularly. In the home, this includes the finish of carpets, curtains and other soft furnishings or appliances such as washing machines reaching their ‘sell by date’.