Home Insurance in Aberdeen

Buildings insurance covers the property itself, not the price you are paying for it. In Aberdeen, that can mean a granite tenement in Rosemount, a 4-bedroom detached house at Den of Pitfodels in Cults, or a new semi-detached home in Countesswells AB15 8YJ. The insured amount should usually be based on rebuild cost, which is the cost of rebuilding from scratch after a major loss. For standard housing, rebuild cost is often 50% to 80% of market value, but granite construction, listed status and unusual roof forms can push that calculation higher.

Contents insurance is different. It covers your possessions, such as sofas, beds, white goods, clothes and laptops in a flat near Union Street or a house in Bridge of Don. It is optional from a mortgage point of view, but leaving it out can be expensive if there is a fire, escape of water or burglary. Combined buildings and contents policies are often cheaper than buying separate policies, and they reduce arguments over which insurer deals with damage after an escape of water from a kitchen in AB11.

Mortgage lenders normally require buildings cover from exchange of contracts, not completion. That point catches people out on purchases across Aberdeen City Council’s area, especially when completion is 2 to 4 weeks after exchange. In Scotland, the legal process differs from England and Wales, but the key practical point is the same for a buyer with a mortgage, your lender will want the property insured before the loan completes. Our advisers can help line up the policy date with your solicitor’s timing.

• Buildings cover protects the structure, roof, walls, fixed kitchen and bathroom fittings
• Contents cover protects belongings, furniture, appliances and personal items
• Accidental damage can cover spills, breakages and mishaps inside the home
• Contents-away-from-home can cover items such as bikes, jewellery and laptops outside AB10 or AB15

Aberdeen is the Granite City for a practical reason, and insurers care about that construction. Older homes in Old Aberdeen, Ferryhill, Union Street and Rosemount & Golden Square often use solid granite walls, lime mortar, slate roofs and sash and case timber windows. Those materials can last for generations, but repairs may be more specialist than a standard brick cavity wall. Poor pointing, spalled granite around window sills and slipped slates can also increase water ingress risk.

Flood risk is not uniform across Aberdeen. The River Dee and River Don create fluvial flood exposure for low-lying property near their banks, while the North Sea adds coastal risk during high tides and storm surges. Surface-water flooding can affect urban streets where drainage is overwhelmed after heavy rain, including parts of the city centre. Flood Re may help with buildings premiums for most domestic properties built before 2009, but each insurer still checks the exact address.

Subsidence is usually covered by standard home insurance, but Aberdeen has a more mixed picture than the city’s granite bedrock suggests. Granite itself is stable, yet superficial deposits of till, boulder clay, sands and gravels sit above it in places. Where clay content is higher, shrink-swell movement can occur during extreme wet and dry periods. Tree roots near shallow foundations in older AB10 or AB15 houses can add another factor.

Listed buildings and conservation areas need more care. Aberdeen has notable conservation areas at Old Aberdeen, Ferryhill, Bon Accord & St Nicholas, Rosemount & Golden Square and Union Street. A Category A, B or C listed building may need like-for-like repairs after a claim, which can involve granite masons, slate roofers or timber sash specialists. That cost can affect the rebuild sum, the insurer panel and the questions asked before cover is offered.

New-build homes have their own insurance points. Countesswells includes homes by Stewart Milne Homes, Barratt Homes, David Wilson Homes and Cala Homes, with postcodes such as AB15 8YJ and AB15 8YF. Grandhome in Bridge of Don, including AB22 8AE, includes homes by Cala Homes and Stewart Milne Homes. A new-build warranty is not the same as home insurance, so buildings cover is still needed from the date your lender or solicitor requires.