Tips for Getting French Holiday Home Insurance

July 25th, 2007 Posted in Holiday Home Insurance

If you own a French holiday home, insurance is definitely something that you will be needing. It is important to realize from the get go, that insurance policies in France do not usually have the same kind of cover that you may get in other countries, including the United Kingdom. This means that it may be better in many cases to rather go for French holiday home insurance from a British company who would be able to offer a better insurance package which is targeted specifically at owners of holiday homes in France.

What Your Insurance Policy Should Cover

When you choose your French holiday home insurance, you should also realize that the building insurance takes into account the actual French home’s structure and will include items such as repair costs, removal of debris and so on. In addition, it must also cover for fixtures and fittings within the holiday home as too for the kitchen and bath.

When choosing French holiday insurance, most people also make the common mistake of covering the market value of the French holiday home. Instead, you should rather consider the cost of rebuilding the property. This will include the complete cost of reconstruction of any outbuildings, barns, domestic oil fuel tanks as well as swimming pools and tennis courts.

You should make contact with your local French builder or surveyor to help determine the value of your property in terms of its rebuilding. It should be noted that this especially important in the case of old farmhouses, as if you under-insure, you could be left short when it comes to claiming for insurance costs.

With a good insurance company you will be sure to get the better deals even if you are intending to only use the French holiday home occasionally. You should ensure that the company giving you French holiday home insurance is underwritten by leading companies in the world, coverage extends in case of occupancy and non-occupancy, cover is applicable even if you let out for short or long term, and it should also provide for emergency travel and accommodation following an important claim.

Most of the well known insurance companies will be able to provide you with French holiday insurance over the phone, and these policies usually also include employers liability. You should also make sure that your French holiday home insurance provides you with cover for all the household items and any other personal property within the holiday home. You should take into account the expected costs of replacing these items. If you keep these few tips in mind, you should be able to go about looking for French holiday home insurance with the confidence that you are well covered for all eventualities while on holiday in your French home.