Home insurance 2025 post storm Eowyn

[mathepac]

Wood does not rot after brief contact with water!! Think about it, wooden utensils and chopping boards really wouldn't be a thing if that was in any way possible.

Chopping boards etc are made from hard-woods, oak and similar. Roof timbers are made from softwoods, pine and the like and are not meant to be exposed to weathering because even with preservative treatment, they will eventually rot if they get wet.

Hard-wood trees grow slowly, they produce dense, heavy, expensive timber very slowly over human generations. Pine trees produce porous, light, cheap, timber relatively quickly. This is the stuff grown by Coillte and investors in tree farms in order to get returns quickly. These trees also blow down very easily in storms, especially when rooted in peat-lands, which has been practice up to recent times.

 

[ClubMan]

Roof timbers are made from softwoods, pine and the like and are not meant to be exposed to weathering because even with preservative treatment, they will eventually rot if they get wet.

Yes. Eventually. Not after one night of being exposed to rain as described earlier. If that even happened.

 

[Fortune]

My location is in the West of Ireland. Right in one of the worst affected areas in the whole country.

Is the house old enough not to be made from mica blocks?

 

[Leo]

Roof timbers are made from softwoods, pine and the like and are not meant to be exposed to weathering because even with preservative treatment, they will eventually rot if they get wet.

As above, eventually, and not as a result of a short term exposure, Roofs trusses are regularly exposed to the rain during the build process. Even if fully exposed to the weather rough sawn untreated timber will last years before rotting. The OP here wondered if the wood had rotted as a result of the storm.

Hard-wood trees grow slowly, they produce dense, heavy, expensive timber very slowly over human generations.

Balsa is a hard wood

 

[byrneproby]

I got my home insurance renewal today. I’ve been insured by AXA for years. No changes to sums insured or my house but my premium has gone up 50%. I called the Call Centre but they couldn’t explain the increase. Has anyone else experienced such an increase and do you know why?

 

[ClubMan]

You should shop around elsewhere for quotes. Most insurers penalise loyalty/inertia.

 

[Des Pondent]

I got my home insurance renewal today. I’ve been insured by AXA for years.

That might be the problem. Loyalty means nothing to insurers.
Insurance might be up but you will do a lot better than a 50% increase by shopping around.
Home insurance is not as detailed as car insurance, an hour on line would easily get you 6 quotes.

 

[seamless]

I'm with Zurich and my renewal quote shows a 40% increase.

 

[TRS30]

I'm with Zurich and my renewal quote shows a 40% increase.

Same recently with Aviva.

 

[byrneproby]

Is your house old? Mine is. I’m wondering if insurers don’t want to insure old houses as a neighbour only had a 3% increase. His house is new and his insurer is rsa

 

[ClubMan]

Different insurers have different underwriting criteria and target different market segments. It's impossible to draw any meaningful conclusions for two or three examples.

 

[darkhorse100]

I’ve been insured by AXA for years.

Me too. But how do you even debate with a company, that can tell you what the problem is, when the didn't even see a problem, ie, no one went to look in my attic, because they were with me at all times. In fact, when we suggested they go look in the attic, they refused to.
That company really should be on B.G.T.

 

[ClubMan]

Me too.

Why? As mentioned above many/most insurers penalise loyalty/inertia by charging renewing customers more than new customers. It usually pays to shop around for insurance every renewal period.

That company really should be on B.G.T.

?

 

[Craftylee]

We have a similar issue - we had a claim as part of Storm Eowyn, our roof was badly damaged. The claim is settled now - however I've tried to get quotes online with about 5-6 of the major insurance companies and none will quote us online. Our renewal has gone up nearly 80% compared to last years price (from ~€400 to €700)

Seems we pretty much have no option but to take the renewal as we can't even get quotes elsewhere

 

[Leo]

Seems we pretty much have no option but to take the renewal as we can't even get quotes elsewhere

Some who will refuse to quote online after a claim will do so when you phone them, they just want additional details on the nature of the claim.

 

[Des Pondent]

We have a similar issue - we had a claim as part of Storm Eowyn, our roof was badly damaged. The claim is settled now - however I've tried to get quotes online with about 5-6 of the major insurance companies and none will quote us online. Our renewal has gone up nearly 80% compared to last years price (from ~€400 to €700)

Seems we pretty much have no option but to take the renewal as we can't even get quotes elsewhere

Insurance is up anyway, most likely you would have been paying at least €500 this year without a claim. €700 after just having a claim for a badly damaged roof doesn't sound bad, I would have expected it to be more.

 

[Green]

Just in the process of renewing. Renewal with Zurich rebuild €500k contents €75k, €560 up from €500 last year. Most other are at least €700..

 

[Des Pondent]

I am also with Zurich for similar rebuild and contents. I did a lot better than their renewal quote by getting a new online Zurich quote.
With Zurich anyway, I am happy to take the alarm discount and I also got a discount for increased excess. It's worth looking at.

 

[Leo]

I am happy to take the alarm discount

Just make it covers every single window and external door and you maintain proof if annual maintenance, and is set every single time the property is unattended.

 

[Des Pondent]

and is set every single time the property is unattended.

It has happened before and will happen again, where the alarm was not in use when it should have been.

Some insurers are vague saying only that they may not pay out a claim if the alarm was not in use. I doubt if they could refuse a large claim in its entirety but usually I would forgo the discount and say no alarm to be on the safe side.

With Zurich they say they will not pay the first €500 of a claim if the alarm was not on or not working. I am happy to carry the €500 risk to get the alarm discount from Zurich but not from other insurers who are vague in how they deal with this issue.

I only want home insurance for a major claim.