FAQ: House Insurance


Why is home insurance necessary?
Home insurance gives you the peace of mind knowing that, in the event of an insured loss, your Property and Personal Possessions can be replaced with the minimum of loss to you. Furthermore, if you have a mortgage your Mortgage provider with usually insist that the property is adequately insured and that their interest is noted on the policy in the event of a loss. That way they can protect their investment.
How do I calculate my contents sum Insured?
You should insure your contents for the amount it would cost to replace them with new items. To estimate the value of the contents in your house, go from room to room (including all sheds, garages and out-houses) and work out the cost of replacing the items in each room. This should include carpets and curtains. Add the totals to get your Contents Sum Insured. Contents include all items belonging to you or any other member of the household including personal items and items of specific value which can be physically removed from the building. Individual high risk items will be covered in your home for up to 5% of the contents sum insured. The total value of these high risk items cannot be more than 50% of the contents sum insured. if this is not the case you will need to contact our call centre on 1850 287 233. High risk items are specifically jewellery, items of precious metal, pictures, watches, furs, works of art, television, video and audio equipment, home-computer, photographic equipment, stamps or coins.
How do I calculate my buildings sum Insured?
Note - The Building Sum insured does not represent the market value of your house. It represents the reinstatement value and is calculated by working out the total cost of rebuilding your property including construction costs, architects fees, surveyors fees, site clearance fees and any other associated building costs. If you are unsure of how to calculate the rebuilding cost, it is advisable to contact a Chartered Surveyor who will be qualified to advise you in this area. In addition you can review advice on the website of the Society of Chartered Surveyors (SCS) at www.scs.ie.
What is EN50131 Standard (old IS199)?
This is a regulation, which was introduced to establish a minimum standard for the installation of burglar alarms. If your burglar alarm has been fitted by an authorised contractor to EN50131 Standard (old IS199) you should have been given a certificate to verify this at installation. Getcover customers can avail of a discount if their installed alarm conforms to this standard. If your alarm system conforms to the above standard please select yes in the list box provided. Please Note: In the event of a claim you may be asked to provide the required certification. Loss or Damage by stealing is excluded unless the alarm is set and in operation when your house is unoccupied.
What is specified all risks cover?
All Risks cover is an optional cover available on a household policy to cover valuable items lost or damaged while inside or outside your home Specified all Risks allows you to note specific items of value that you want insured on an All Risks basis. Please note, a purchase receipt and/or valuation will be required in the event of a claim. A €250 excess applies to this section of the policy.
What is unspecified all risks cover?
All Risks cover is an optional cover available on a household policy to cover valuable items lost or damaged while inside or outside your home. Unspecified all Risks allows you chose cover for up to €3,000 or €5,000 with single article limits of €1,000 or €2,00 respectively. This gives you the benefit of All Risks cover without the need for identifying each individual item you want covered on the policy. This cover excludes bicycles, camcorders, mobile phones or hearing aids which must be included as specified all risks items irrespective of value. Please note, a purchase receipt and/or valuation will be required in the event of a claim. A €250 excess applies to this section of the policy.
What do I do in the event of a claim?
If your property is lost or damaged you should do the following. Check your schedule and this Policy Document to make sure that the loss is covered. If your property is stolen or maliciously damaged, or if you lose a valuable item you must tell the police as soon as you notice the loss or damage. Please take a note of the name of the police officer, their number and Pulse crime reference (if the claim happens in the Republic of Ireland). If there is an emergency such as a burst pipe, please contact a plumber or other professional to carry out emergency repairs. We will not pay more than €500 for emergency repairs. Then report the matter immediately to OSG Business Solutions before having any further work carried out. If possible, please take photographs of the damage and keep them in case we need them in the future. As soon as you possibly can, contact our appointed claims handling team, OSG Business Solutions, on + 353 1 261 1597, or send them an email with your name and certificate number and contact numbers including brief details of the loss to cnu@osg.ie
What happens if I am underinsured and I need to make a claim?
If at the time of the loss or damage, your sums insured are less than the full reinstatement or replacement cost, then you will be your own insurer for the difference. Your insurer will only pay their share of the loss or damage which your sum insured bears to such cost.

For example: You insure an item for 50% of its actual replacement value. You experience a loss to the value of €50,000 in relation to the item. In this case your insurer will only pay 50% of the cost of the loss - €25,000.