Park Home Insurance

What is park home insurance?

Park home insurance is very similar to traditional home insurance policies. You will need a cover for the fabric of the building, as well as a cover for the contents in your park home. Park home insurance policies are specialized to reflect the unique needs of park homeowners.

Park homes are not built like traditional brick-and-mortar homes. They do not have solid foundations but are usually built on wooden and steel chassis. This non-standard construction means the cost of repairing or replacing a park home differs from that of a normal house.

Park homeowners will also need to ensure insurance reflects the ownership model. Most park homeowners own the building itself but rent the land it sits on from an operator. Rules may also be in place over pitch fees and the replacement of a park home if it falls into disrepair and needs to be moved off-site.

Why do I need a park home cover?

Like any residence, occasionally things can go wrong. Burst pipes or faulty plumbing can cause damage. Your park home whether it is private, commercial, residential, static, touring or a classic park home, is at risk of damage if a fire breaks out. Replacing the contents of your park home in the event of a burglary can also be extremely expensive.

Having the right cover in place can bring peace of mind to park homeowners.

What types are available?

Always check with your insurer to make sure you are fully covered. Most policies will feature the following types of cover:

Buildings cover – This covers the cost of replacing your park home in the event of damage.

New for old cover – This policy will provide a new park home regardless of the age of your original home. This would usually also include costs for clearing the site, delivery, repairs or replacement of steps.

New for old with contents – This cover will replace any stolen or damaged items from your park home with new ones, regardless of the age or condition of the originals.

Temporary accommodation cover – If your park home is damaged, you may find yourself with nowhere to live. This cover will cover costs for temporary accommodation while a new home is arranged. There is usually a limit agreed upon by the insurer to cap these costs, so check you have the coverage you need in place.

Lock and key cover– If you lose the keys to your home or the locks are damaged many policies will include a cover to make this good.

Emergency assistance – If something goes wrong and you need to call out for help in an emergency, some policies will provide cover to protect you against the high cost of out-of-hours call-outs.

Additional fittings – Check with your insurer whether items like awnings or decking is covered in your park home insurance policy. Some may be covered as standard, but higher-value items may need additional cover.

How to save money on park home insurance?

• Only pay for the cover that you need. Check that your policy does not include items or cover that is not relevant to your circumstances.
• Make your property as secure as possible. Fit effective locks to doors and windows.
• Reduce the risk of damage by keeping your park home in a good state of repair with regular maintenance.
• Consider insuring high-value items like watches or laptops under a separate policy.
• Increase the excess on your policy. This is the amount you will pay out yourself in the event of a claim.

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