What Is High-Value Home Insurance?

High-value home insurance is buildings and contents cover written for homes and possessions that fall outside what a mainstream insurer is willing to take on. It is sometimes called high net worth insurance, prestige home insurance or private client insurance. The names differ; the idea does not.

This guide is general information only. High Value Home Quote is an introducer, not a broker or insurer. We do not provide insurance advice or quote premiums. An FCA-regulated specialist broker can advise on your circumstances.

When Does A Home Become "High Value"?

There is no legal or regulatory definition, and each insurer draws its own line. In practice, a property tends to move into this market when one or more of the following applies:

• The rebuild cost exceeds what a standard insurer will write, often around the £1m mark
• Contents exceed a standard policy's ceiling, frequently somewhere between £100,000 and £150,000
• A single item — a ring, a watch, a painting — is worth more than the standard single-article limit
• The property is listed, thatched, timber framed or otherwise non-standard
• There are outbuildings, annexes, stables, a pool or significant grounds
• The home is a second property, let out, or empty for long periods

Notice that value is only part of it. A modest cottage that happens to be Grade II listed and thatched will often need a specialist insurer, while a large but conventional new-build may not.

Why A Separate Market Exists

Mainstream home insurance is a volume business. It is priced by algorithm from a postcode, a build year and a handful of answers, and it works well for the properties it was designed around. The moment a risk becomes unusual, that model has nothing to price against, so the insurer either declines it or applies terms broad enough to protect itself.

Specialist insurers take the opposite approach. They assess the individual property, often with a survey or a professional rebuild assessment, agree realistic sums insured, and then write cover that reflects what is actually there.

What Changes In The Policy

The differences that homeowners notice most:

• Accidental damage is commonly included as standard rather than sold as an extra
• Single-article limits are far higher, and valuables can often be covered on an agreed value
• Valuables away from home are frequently covered worldwide rather than excluded
• Alternative accommodation limits are more generous, which matters when a restoration takes many months
• Average clauses are often waived where sums insured were professionally assessed
• Claims are handled by a named person with access to specialist restorers and traditional trades

Where You Buy It

Almost always through a broker. Most insurers in this part of the market only accept business from brokers holding an agency with them, which is why these policies rarely appear on comparison sites.

Next Step

If you think your home sits in this category, the practical move is a conversation with a specialist broker who can assess it properly.

Read our complete guide to high value home insurance for the full picture, or get a quote and we will introduce you to an FCA-regulated specialist broker, free and without obligation.