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Getting house insurance in cork 'subsidence' areas?

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  • 30-05-2013 3:41pm
    #1
    pwurple
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,449 ✭✭✭✭


    Hey corkonions,
    who insures in the cork subsidence areas at the moment?

    I've engineers reports saying we have no evidence of subsidence whatsoever but am talking to the wall trying to get quotes from insurance companies. Allianz used to do it, but no more they tell me.

    Any tips?


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    #2
    corkplumber
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 259 ✭✭corkplumber


    Your best bet is to use a broker. Without a broker you will find it hard to get insurance for subsidence. Especially if your living in the city.

    Also be careful.I Had a customer recently that had a bad leak. Her excess was €250 on the policy. But when she went to claim for the damage. They told her. Water damage carried an excess of €1500 on her policy.


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    #3
    BurnsCarpenter
    Registered Users Posts: 551 ✭✭✭BurnsCarpenter


    We bought last year and sorting the insurance was a real ordeal. Had to jump through hoops to get a single quote. Eventually got a quote from a broker but in the meantime the bank had arranged to provide insurance for us (at around half the cost of the broker's quote). Mortgage was through BOI.


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    #4
    Karmella
    Registered Users Posts: 663 ✭✭✭Karmella


    We are insured with FBD (Beaumont/Blackrock area), just got my renewal yesterday for just under 300 euro. I did a 'shop around' with a broker (quoteme.ie) and the lowest quote they could give me was with RSA for 500 or so - the only other one was AXA and that was 1000!! So will be sticking with FBD thank you very much.


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    #5
    corkplumber
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 259 ✭✭corkplumber


    Karmella wrote: »
    I did a 'shop around' with a broker (quoteme.ie) and the lowest quote they could give me was with RSA for 500 or so.

    iv heard bad things about fbd. google search and you will find out.

    123.ie are owned by RSA. A direct marketing vehicle. Did you try them. You wont beat 123.ie for an RSA quote.


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    #6
    Karmella
    Registered Users Posts: 663 ✭✭✭Karmella


    Just tried 123.ie website and they wouldn't even quote based on my address ....

    ... what bad things have you heard about FBD? Are they bad for paying out or something? I googled but didn't really see anything...


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    #7
    corkplumber
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 259 ✭✭corkplumber


    Karmella wrote: »
    Just tried 123.ie website and they wouldn't even quote based on my address ....

    ... what bad things have you heard about FBD? Are they bad for paying out or something? I googled but didn't really see anything...

    bad payers , decline claims, push their builders on you ect.

    Anyway Fbd are a broker.

    Your policy is with an insurance company through Fbd.


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    #8
    Nashcork
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭Nashcork


    Hi I'm just buying a house in ballyphehane in cork city and I'm finding it very hard to get house insurance even do I have a structural engineers report saying its fine and I've tried 123 and loads more but they won't help. The bank say there looking intro it. But there will have to be a excess on the insurance that I pay the first 10,000 or something like that plus about 500 a year if they can do it.So any help would be gratefully appreciated.


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    #9
    ABajaninCork
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,411 ✭✭✭ABajaninCork


    As above. Get a broker. Try O'Mahony, Boyle & Golden on Parnell Place.


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    #10
    rob316
    Registered Users Posts: 17,988 ✭✭✭✭rob316


    pwurple wrote: »
    Hey corkonions,
    who insures in the cork subsidence areas at the moment?

    I've engineers reports saying we have no evidence of subsidence whatsoever but am talking to the wall trying to get quotes from insurance companies. Allianz used to do it, but no more they tell me.

    Any tips?

    Don't think anyone will, I remember my parents were covered but they were only covered as they were with the company for 25 years.

    Don't see why they would either, the cost of almost certainly underpinning a house would far exceed any premium you would ever pay.


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    #11
    dwiseman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 138 ✭✭dwiseman


    corkplumber wrote: »
    bad payers , decline claims, push their builders on you ect.

    Anyway Fbd are a broker.

    Your policy is with an insurance company through Fbd.

    I'm insured with FBD and we put in a claim for subsidence and they were great to deal with. Paid out what our engineer quoted and no hassle at all. Also use them for a commercial premises I have and they have paid out a number of times for glass breakages with no problem. Even after claiming a sizable amount from them for subsidence our policy only went up a tiny amount the following year, couldn't recommend them highly enough.


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    #12
    pwurple
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,449 ✭✭✭✭pwurple


    rob316 wrote: »
    Don't think anyone will, I remember my parents were covered but they were only covered as they were with the company for 25 years.

    Don't see why they would either, the cost of almost certainly underpinning a house would far exceed any premium you would ever pay.

    We got insurance that time... Through a broker as advised. Excluded subsidence cover, which was fine as we are on a granite outcrop anyway. Three engineers told us there would be no need for it.


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    #13
    beer enigma
    Registered Users Posts: 6,134 ✭✭✭beer enigma


    +1 on Brokers

    We were with AXA for years - albit with subsidence excluded & struggled to get alternative quotes. Went through O'Leary's in Blackrock & they got us a terrific quote - delighted


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    #14
    Kazbah
    Registered Users Posts: 764 ✭✭✭Kazbah


    Hi All,

    Just wondering if I'm bidding on a house. How would I know if there is likely to be a problem with subsidence/settling before have to fork out for an engineer's report?

    ta,
    Kaz


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    #15
    ABajaninCork
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,411 ✭✭✭ABajaninCork


    Unless you're an engineer, how would you know? You'll have to pay for an engineer's report to find out!! A decent report should be about E3-400...


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    #16
    pwurple
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,449 ✭✭✭✭pwurple


    Kazbah wrote: »
    Hi All,

    Just wondering if I'm bidding on a house. How would I know if there is likely to be a problem with subsidence/settling before have to fork out for an engineer's report?

    ta,
    Kaz

    You can ask the seller. depending on the age of the house they may have had cracks, and fixed the subsidence with piling. They may or may not tell you! Some places we viewed did tell us when we asked.

    You're better off getting the engineers report done anyway.


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    #17
    Kazbah
    Registered Users Posts: 764 ✭✭✭Kazbah


    Thanks I will ask.
    I was just wondering re telltale signs as I've pulled out of two houses in Cork after getting an engineer's report citing subsidence, settling or serious drains issue.


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    #18
    pwurple
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,449 ✭✭✭✭pwurple


    Kazbah wrote: »
    Thanks I will ask.
    I was just wondering re telltale signs as I've pulled out of two houses in Cork after getting an engineer's report citing subsidence, settling or serious drains issue.

    Yes, you can either negotiate hard on that, or put it in your conditions of purchase that it has to be fixed to your satisfaction... or pull out.

    It feels like an awful waste of money on engineers reports, I know, we had a bunch done on various places as well before we bought.


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    #19
    Kazbah
    Registered Users Posts: 764 ✭✭✭Kazbah


    Better to waste €400 x 2 than buy a house with subsidence and not be able to get cover. The sellers weren't prepared to knock full cost of repair off agreed price or fix it so I pulled out. Offers were subject to engineer's report.

    Still would like to save €400 this time if it can be avoided!!


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