With winds of almost 100mph battering the southern coast of England today and flood warnings in place in several areas, many of us are prompted to think about our insurance cover.
According to Government estimates, there are 5.2 million properties in danger of flooding in England, of which 1.4 million are at risk from rivers or the sea, 2.8 million from surface water and 1 million properties are at risk from both.
Credit Keith Moseley Flikr http://bit.ly/1x14NlY
If a property you own has suffered flood damage in the past or if you live in a high risk flood area, it can be difficult to find insurance cover, as most insurers will charge a higher excess, or exclude flood damage from your policy altogether.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs website states: “If it has not been possible to obtain affordable cover through a normal insurance provider, there are specialists who may be able to help.
“Insurance brokers and other professional insurance intermediaries are in a position to negotiate with insurers and to arrange cover for more challenging cases.
“Some brokers and other intermediaries are experts in arranging insurance for properties which are considered to be at higher risk of flooding.”
Well Dunn is one such broker.
We take a pragmatic approach, meaning we can always source flood cover for our customers, no matter where their properties happen to be.
Whether you are looking to insure your own home, a residential let, a commercial let or even office space, we can help you.
While many mainstream insurers will immediately dismiss properties in flood risk areas, we take the time to find out key information – such as the level of the current risk and whether any preventative action, such as installing flood defences, has been taken.
Well Dunn commercial insurance account manager, Jason Lawford, said: “Finding out what defences have been put in place is one of the most important steps in securing affordable flood insurance.
“If we can show defences have been put in place – which the Government has done in many cases – underwriters will often not charge too large an excess.
“We also regularly help people who live in what are categorised as high risk areas, but any flooding incidents are historical, often as a result of preventative measures being put in place.”
Visit our Residential Let Insurance page or call 0800 093 0036 for more information.
