Do you have property that is going through the probate process? If so, can we start by saying we are sorry for your loss. If you are now looking at insurance on the probate property, a standard home insurance policy may not give you the protection you need. Probate house insurance will give you full cover for as long as you need it, which means you’ll have one less thing to worry about.

Probate house insurance is a specialist form of home insurance for properties that are going through the probate process.

Probate insurance will cover a property and its contents for any damages that may occur while it is unoccupied.

Most probate house insurance policies will include cover for:

• Repairs following fire, lightning, explosions, and other damage.
• Emergency repairs for burst pipes, or for broken windows and locks.
• Legal liabilities, such as if a member of the public has an accident while on or in the vicinity of the property.
• Contents, up to a certain limit.

A probate home insurance policy may also provide cover for subsidence, theft, vandalism, and damages by other external factors, such as vehicles. However, you may need to choose an extended probate home insurance policy to get this full cover.

A probate house insurance policy may require you to periodically inspect the property, to ensure there have been no break-ins or accidents. Depending on the insurer, you may have to inspect the property once a week, or once every 30 days.

Only a dedicated probate home insurance policy will give you the peace of mind that the property and its contents will be fully covered for the entire probate process.

It is very likely that the property will be unoccupied throughout the probate process. And when a property is unoccupied, it may be more vulnerable to fire, flood, break-ins, and other disasters. Also, if the property is unoccupied, it could be ages before anyone notices that anything’s gone wrong. This means that small problems could easily grow into huge disasters.

A standard home insurance policy may offer up to 30 days of cover after a person has passed away. But as we’ve seen, the probate process can take months. So even if the deceased has a home insurance policy, which is no guarantee, it is unlikely to cover the property for the entire probate period.

Plus, most home insurance policies are voided if the home is left unoccupied for a certain period of time. Some home insurance policies will be voided if the home’s unoccupied for more than 60 days. But others will be voided if the home’s unoccupied for as little as 30 days.

If the house was in the deceased’s name, then you may still need to take out a probate insurance policy. As we mentioned above, there are limits to the amount of cover a standard home insurance policy will provide, even if the house remains occupied. However, ensuring that the house is occupied throughout the probate process may reduce the cost of your probate home insurance policy.

Beneficiaries of a will are not allowed to access anything they have inherited until the probate process is complete. So, if you have inherited a house, you will not be able to do anything with your inherited property until the entire will has been settled.

If you are already living in the property you have inherited, you may not be able to take out a home insurance policy in your name until probate is complete. As a result, you should consider a probate home insurance policy to cover your inherited property for as long as it takes to settle the deceased’s estate.

The good news is that some insurers will allow you to transfer their probate home insurance policy to a standard home insurance policy once probate is complete.

We understand how stressful it can be to ensure that everything is in order following a bereavement. We’re here to make everything as easy as possible.

If you have any questions about keeping your property safe, or if you want a free quote on probate house insurance, get in touch by calling 0208 290 9093 or emailing shuaib.rahman@anthonyjones.com.