Norwich and Peterborough Building Society

Specialist insurance for a special home

Thatched properties are full of charm and are quintessentially British, but they can be difficult or expensive to insure with a mainstream insurer because of increased fire risks.

Half of England's 55,000 thatched properties are also listed buildings. So, if damage does occur, your buildings cover will need to be sufficient to restore the property to its original style.

That's why it makes sense to speak to N&P about specialist thatch insurance. With many years of experience we can find a bespoke cover that's perfect for your character home.

Ensuring peace of mind for our customers is at the heart of what we do. We understand that you do not want any nasty surprises should you ever need to claim and we also don't want to charge you for cover that you don't need. We have access to market leading thatch insurers and our expert team will always make sure your home is properly covered whilst still providing good value for money.

Just call our specialist team today to help you insure your Thatched home properly, on 01223 273 118.

How do I get a Specialist Home Insurance quote? How long will it take to get a Specialist Home Insurance quote? What types of property do NPIB cover? Can I arrange insurance through you if I don't live in the UK? What other types of insurance can NPIB arrange? Who are Norwich and Peterborough Insurance Brokers Limited?

At N&P we want to find you the perfect insurance to suit your special home. There are some things we'll need to ask in order to tailor-make your specialist cover, which may be a little more detailed to standard insurance questions, so it would be useful to have some of the information below to hand when you speak to us.

Construction
We'll need to know what the walls and roof are made of and what year the property was built.

Heating and electrics
Please tell us if you have any wood burners and how the property is heated. We'll also need to know if the property has had an electrical inspection and if so, what year.

Second homes
If you are getting a quote for a second or holiday home, please tell us how long the property is left unoccupied.

Flood Risk Areas
What is the proximity and height of your property to any body of water. In most cases we are able to pin point your property on a map and explain its position to an insurer when negotiating your premium for you. Any information you have about the local history, previous flooding and if any defence work has been carried out is also very useful to us.

Tall Trees
One of the main causes of subsidence claims, to period or non-standard construction homes, are tree roots. It is important that we make insurers aware of any trees within close proximity (up to 25 metres) of your property

Security Details
Depending on your location and contents value, some insurers may require you to have 'minimum security' in place. Minimum security is nothing more than ensuring the doors and windows have suitable locks to deter burglars.

Thatched Homes
If your property is thatched then we'll need to know if all the chimneys are lined, insulated, and when the roof was last replaced. We'll also need to know the method of heating, including any woodburners amd multi fuel stoves. 

We have selected only the finest insurance products to ensure that your thatched home has the levels of cover required to restore it to its former glory if the need arise. But there are various things people should look out for if they have a thatched home and some measures you can take to reduce the risks yourself:

• Although a chimney may appear to be in good order there can be defective pointing or cracks through which the gases can escape into the thatch. It therefore a good idea to line chimneys that are in use, particularly where there are wood burning stoves which generate high temperature gases.
• Check the roof every two or three years. The life of a thatched roof ranges from 25 years to 70 years; this varies depending on where the house is situated and on what kind of material the roof is made of. If the house is near the sea, the residue of the water and salt will reduce the roof's lifespan. Regulations state that thatched homes require a 30-minute flameproof barrier which separates under-roof and thatch. A thick layer of fire-retention spray is also added to the straw.
• Fit a highly sensitive smoke detection system. Many fire claims, and indeed lives lost, can be reduced if only smoke detectors had been fitted. Catching a fire at the very early stages when perhaps something is just overheating or smouldering can save not only lives, thousands of pounds, but also the fabric of your home.
• Ensure you have suitable fire fighting equipment to hand such as fire blankets and extinguishers.
• Review your properties security and think about the installation of an intruder alarm, outside lighting and surveillance. Also think about the level of physical protection such as good quality deadlocks on all external doors and windows. Your local Police or a security professional would be able to advise you on the most appropriate methods.
• One thing you need to remember is that you may need to obtain listed building or scheduled monument consent for any changes to the fabric of the building for fixed equipment.
• Older and listed buildings can be quite fragile so you will need to be careful especially when going in to the loft area. Old electrical cables are also best left untouched, they could be dangerous and disturbing them could create more of a fire hazard. Similar care should always be taken with gas appliances and a professional should only ever handle these.

Safety Checklist

Guards for open fires	Smoke detectors fitted
Heating regularly serviced	Chimneys swept
Pipes properly lagged	Know where main stopcock is
Burglar alarm	Call-in organised when away
Neighbourhood Watch member	Valuable items in safe deposit
Outbuildings properly locked	Tools locked away
Bicycles locked up	Ladders chained up

Here is a quick reference guide that you can use to check how well protected your home is. Much of the information given here is just plain common sense; but it helps to check in case something has been missed. To read the full General Advice Guide, click here.