If you own a static caravan, of course, you will want to protect it in the best way possible – and that means static caravan insurance.
To identify the most appropriate insurance cover for your own unique needs, it makes sense to compare static caravan insurance quotes – not only to check the policy offers the cover needed by your particular holiday home, but also to get the most competitively priced static caravan insurance.
Comparing static caravan insurance enables you to make an informed choice about what may constitute the most appropriate static caravan cover for your particular, individual circumstances.
The following are some of the most frequently asked questions we receive on the subject of static caravans and insurance – they might help you in knowing what to look for when comparing cover.
Don’t forget, of course, that you can always contact us to find the most appropriate caravan insurance quote for you – we are here to help.
Do I need static caravan insurance?
The answer is simple – there is no legal obligation to have insurance for your static caravan, but:
- static caravan insurance naturally offers the safeguards you are likely to want to protect your investment against all manner of loss or damage; and
- an important condition frequently imposed by the management of caravan parks is that any home pitched there has static caravan insurance;
- If you have a loan on your static home, then your loan provider may require that you have adequate insurance in place at all times.
Can I live in my static caravan permanently and what are the insurance implications?
Caravan sites or parks fall into two broad categories – those for seasonal or holiday use and those in which residents may make their permanent home the year-round.
Both types of caravan park must be licensed by the local authority, explains the government website – and you risk being told to leave a site on which you plan to live the whole year round if the park doesn’t have the necessary residential licence.
Parks for static holiday homes may be licensed to open for only a restricted number of months in the year and any residents must vacate their caravans during that closed season. A condition of the lease of a static caravan pitch is likely to include a requirement for the caravan owner to maintain a permanent address and place of main residence elsewhere.
Static caravan insurance reflects the limited period of residence offered by a holiday caravan – and, if you decide, for whatever reason, that you need to move permanently or semi-permanently into your caravan, you may be putting your cover at risk.
Are static caravan insurance and park home insurance the same?
This helps to explain a critical distinction. Although they might look the same and be sited on similar caravan parks, there is a world of difference between a static caravan used as a holiday or second home and a park home in which you live the entire year-round.
Because of that difference, static caravan insurance is not comparable to or interchangeable with park home insurance. If you have a static caravan as your holiday home, you need static caravan insurance.
Given that some caravans are located in rural areas that are well known as holiday destinations, it is also perhaps worth pointing out that if you let out your static caravan to generate income, then you may need further insurance. Standard static caravan insurance may not cover the use of your caravan for commercial purposes including holiday lets.
What lease conditions call for insurance?
When you sign the lease allowing you to site your caravan on ground at a particular park or resort, there is almost certain to be a condition relating to your need for a minimum of public liability insurance.
This is designed to provide your indemnity against claims that may be made by those on neighbouring pitches, visitors to the site or members of the general public who suffer an injury or have their own property damaged through action – or inaction – for which they hold you responsible.
Since this type of claim – especially if severe injury or even death is involved – may assume significant proportions, public liability insurance typically offers at least £1 million of cover, and not infrequently, £5 million.
Do I have to buy that insurance from the park management?
Although there may be a condition in your lease requiring some form of insurance for your static caravan and your ownership of it, it is very rare for any site management to insist that the cover may only be bought from the park management – although it is equally certain to be offered to you.
Instead, you are likely to be free to choose to buy your static caravan insurance from wherever you choose – including ourselves here at Cover4Caravans, of course – and simply furnish a copy of the insurance document to the site management company as proof of your cover. (Note that the site management may charge you a small admin fee for sight of your cover, but overall, you may still save money).
What are the principal elements of static caravan insurance?
In addition to any public liability cover, of course, is protection for your caravan itself against loss or damage.
There may be considerable variation in the benefits offered by different insurers. For increased peace of mind, for instance, you might want to choose a policy that provides for the replacement of your caravan with a new one of equivalent make and model in the event of a total loss – this is typically restricted to caravans below a certain age and you might want to choose a policy that offers this benefit for the longest period possible.
What steps do I need to take to mitigate the risks of loss or damage?
A typical condition of your static caravan insurance relates to the security measures you are required to take.
Many of those precautions are likely to be a matter of common sense. They might range from the need to lock windows and doors whenever you leave the caravan unattended, for example, and you may gain reductions in the cost of premiums by upgrading those locks and by installing fire alarms and intruder detectors.
Other conditions may extend to ways in which you must ensure the security of your caravan and minimise the risk of loss or damage when it is left unoccupied for any length of time – say, during the park’s closed or winter season.
What are some guidelines on buying my static caravan insurance?
To identify the most appropriate insurance cover for your own unique needs, it makes sense to compare static caravan insurance quotes – not only to check the policy offers the cover needed by your particular holiday home, but also to get the most competitively priced static caravan insurance.
Comparing static caravan insurance enables you to make an informed choice about what may constitute the most appropriate static caravan cover for your particular, individual circumstances.
Isn’t saving money about buying the cheapest static caravan insurance?
One of the world’s most potentially misleading words is “cheapest”.
In one sense, it is relatively easy to define. If you have a caravan policy that costs X amount and another that costs X plus 10%, then clearly the first policy is the cheapest.
Yet things can become a little more complicated. The simplicity of the measure doesn’t communicate the nature of the cover provided. Instead, you may wish to consider the value for money offered of the caravan insurance policy. You may wish to look for a selection of static home insurance policies that give you all the elements and levels of protection you need, and then compare the prices.
It is only by cross-comparing one policy against another, perhaps with the help of a specialist provider such as ourselves, that you might eventually reach some degree of confidence that you have identified the most cost-effective and appropriate solution.
How can I reduce the cost of my insurance?
But make no mistake about it, static caravan insurance that is good value for money is competitively priced. When you shop around for your insurance, you are comparing different policies and options to single out the one that is cost-effective and represents good value for money.
Our expertise and experience here at Cover4Caravans will help you to find a policy that is appropriate for you. We can use your details and our knowledge to put together some quotes for you from a variety of static caravan insurance providers.
All you have to do is choose the one you prefer. Don’t worry if you prefer not to use the internet for this type of business as we also run a telephone service.
Other factors which may influence and help lower the cost of your static caravan insurance premiums include:
- agreeing to a higher excess on the policy;
- installing additional security devices around your caravan to reduce the risk of theft and vandalism; and
- removing highly valuable contents from the caravan that might increase the cost of your contents cover (some policies might not actually cover such items including things such as cash, jewellery, and electronic devices).
Responsible insurance providers – such as ourselves at Cover4Caravans – will always be willing to offer you advice as to how you might benefit from any particular discounts offered according to the precautions you have taken.
Is it worth comparing static caravan insurance quotes?
Static home caravan insurance quotes will clearly vary according to the type of caravan you have and how you intend to use it. Quotes then need to conform to those requirements and be relevant to your individual circumstances.
In short, it is always worthwhile being perfectly clear as to the nature of your caravan and the way you plan to use it, before seeking caravan insurance quotations.
You must be sure that the cover you buy fully protects the investment that you have made in your static caravan, and to do that, any insurance quote needs to be compared with others so that you can weigh up just what is on offer before making your decision one way or the other.
Do you have any tips on carrying out a static caravan insurance comparison?
If you are making a comparison of static caravan insurance quotes, you might find the following tips helpful:
- keep the price in context – as we have already suggested, try to focus on your options in terms of the cover they provide and the conditions they apply, as ultimately this may prove to be far more important to you than a relatively modest price difference between two similar policies;
- read the terms and conditions carefully – sometimes, potential policyholders overlook these, and this may have dire consequences, given the fact that the “T and Cs” may eventually govern whether or not you will be able to make a claim in any given circumstance;
- note your obligations – an insurance policy typically highlights conditions you must meet as part of your side of the contract bargain and if you fail to do so, simply because you have not read the policy, you may discover this through the painful experience of having a claim refused;
- look for discount potential – when making your static caravan insurance comparison, it might be worthwhile paying particular attention to the relative scope for discounts offered by the policies under comparison, as some may be far more flexible in this respect than others;
- think about expertise – some insurance providers such as ourselves specialise in caravans, and that is worth noting as they may be rather more familiar with the issues and challenges associated with maintaining adequate caravan insurance cover;
- shop around – the caravan insurance marketplace, like many others, is extremely competitive and it may pay to resist any pressures applied by people, such as site owners, to take their insurance simply because it is the first one that comes to hand – by using our online quote service, you can get several quotes all from one place;
- allocate sufficient time to do justice to the comparison – trying to squeeze a static caravan insurance comparison into a spare five minutes you have one evening may be unlikely to allow you to compare a number of options in the detail required and this may be a pity as it may mean that you miss some very suitable deals.
Alternatively, please get in touch and speak to one of our friendly staff – or use our online caravan insurance service – to easily see what your static home insurance options are. We’d be only too happy to help!
Can you tell me more about static caravan insurance quotes from Cover4Caravans?
Using our online service to find out about static caravan insurance quotes may give you some peace of mind in knowing that you have appropriate cover for your caravan.
We consider all our static caravan insurance quotes to be competitively priced. Differences between policies might make some options more cost-attractive than others – but what one caravanner considers cheap, of course, may be different from another’s.
Our insurance policies offer what we believe are generous and attractive terms and conditions about the new for old replacement of any static caravan less than five years old that becomes a total loss after an insured incident. Other insurers may offer new for old replacements in such circumstances – but only if the caravan has had only the one owner from new and is less than just three years old.
Our, policies, on the other hand, provide new for old replacement on static homes up to five years old and regardless of the number of previous owners.
We also offer several ways in which you might qualify for a discount on the premiums of your static caravan insurance if:
- you belong to a recognised caravan club or association, for example;
- you choose a caravan park or site which is not subject to flooding; or
- the park or site you choose has round the clock supervision and security.
Further questions?
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be delighted to help!