Standard home insurance typically excludes certain elements of cover for properties which are not your main residence. If the property becomes unoccupied for long periods, you could find yourself without cover. Gallagher's second home insurance provides specialist cover for second homes.
What is second home insurance?
If you own more than one home, any property that is not your main residence is treated differently. This applies to the way you insure it, as well as for council tax and capital gains tax purposes.
Second home insurance is a policy specifically created for this type of residence. It differs from ordinary house insurance, which is designed to cover where you live for the majority of your time.
For example, if you rent out your second home or leave it unoccupied for a longer period than the policy allows, this may break the terms of many standard home insurance policies. That means your cover may be void.
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What is covered by second home insurance?
Although it is a distinct type of policy, 2nd home insurance provides similar cover to standard home insurance. It is likely to include the following:
Second home buildings insurance. Provides cover for the building against a variety of losses resulting from fire, lightning, earthquake and explosion in addition to malicious damage and vandalism to the property.
Second home contents insurance. This is cover for the contents and furniture in your property against losses and damage such as theft and attempted theft.
Other types of optional cover can also be added to your second property policy, such as extended Accidental Damage to both the Buildings and the Contents.
Please see the policy wording for full details of the terms and conditions.
Other types of second home insurance
There are certain types of additional property that don’t count as a second home for insurance purposes. Instead, they may need a different type of insurance policy:
Frequently asked questions
Please note that these Frequently Asked Questions are not a substitute for the policy wording. For full terms and conditions please see the policy documentation.