Insurance Brokers for Unoccupied and Probate Property

Most standard home insurance policies are written on the assumption that someone lives in the property. Once a home has been empty for a continuous period, usually somewhere between 30 and 60 days depending on the insurer, cover is often reduced automatically or withdrawn altogether, sometimes without the policyholder realising until they try to make a claim.

For an estate going through probate, this gap can open up quickly: the person who died may have lived alone, the property becomes empty the day they pass away, and probate itself can easily take several months before the property is sold or transferred. During that time the house sits at greater risk of issues such as escape of water, storm damage, theft or vandalism, precisely when there is often no one checking on it regularly.

• Standard home insurance frequently lapses or reduces cover once a property has been empty for 30 to 60 days.
• Specialist unoccupied property insurance is designed for exactly this situation and is available through brokers who focus on this area.
• Insurers commonly require unoccupied properties to be checked regularly, kept secure, and, in winter, protected against frozen pipes.
• A cleared and secured property is generally easier to insure and less likely to raise queries during a claim.
• We do not sell insurance; we work alongside brokers so clients are not left exposed while a clearance is arranged.

For executors managing an empty property

If you are acting as executor for a property that is now empty, one of the earliest practical steps worth taking, often before clearance even begins, is checking the insurance position. Contact the existing insurer to inform them the property is unoccupied and ask what conditions apply, such as regular visits or specific security requirements.

If cover is inadequate, unavailable, or prohibitively restrictive, a broker specialising in unoccupied property can usually offer a policy designed for this exact situation, often with monthly rather than annual terms, which suits an estate that may only need cover for a few months. We can put you in touch with brokers we have worked with on other probate cases if you do not already have one.

Clearance itself often supports the insurance position too. An empty house full of a lifetime's belongings can look, and in some respects be, a higher risk than one that has been cleared, secured and is visibly cared for.

Once a property is cleared, it is also easier for anyone checking on it, whether that is a neighbour, an agent or a professional visiting service, to notice quickly if something is wrong.

For solicitors administering estates

Where you are handling probate administration on behalf of an executor, insurance is one of the risks that can be easy to overlook amid the wider workload of an estate, particularly where the property is some distance from where you or the executor are based. We are used to flagging this early in a clearance instruction, and can work to the timescales a broker's survey or inspection requires, for example holding off certain works until an insurer's risk assessment has taken place, or making sure the property is left in a condition that satisfies ongoing policy conditions such as visible security measures.

For insurance brokers working on unoccupied property cover

If you place unoccupied or probate property insurance and regularly find that a client's property needs clearing, securing or maintaining to satisfy policy conditions, we are happy to discuss a working relationship. This typically involves us being available to attend a property at short notice to address a specific condition, such as removing perishable contents, arranging regular checks, or clearing enough of a property that a surveyor can properly assess its condition.

We also refer clients to brokers where we become aware, during a clearance instruction, that a property has inadequate or lapsed cover.

How the work runs

In a typical case, we are contacted once probate has been granted, or sometimes earlier, to arrange clearance of a property. As part of our initial conversation with the executor or solicitor, we ask about the insurance position, since this affects timing and sometimes the order of works.

If the property needs a broker's involvement first, for example if an insurer requires certain steps to be taken before cover is confirmed, we work around that timetable.

Where clearance and insurance work run in parallel, we coordinate practical details such as key holding, alarm codes and access arrangements, so that anyone attending on behalf of the insurer, whether for a survey or a periodic check, can get in without difficulty. Once clearance is complete, we can confirm in writing what has been removed, what remains, and the general condition the property was left in, which can support both the insurer's records and the executor's own file.

Timescales vary. Some properties need only a quick call to the existing insurer to update occupancy status; others need a new policy arranged from scratch through a specialist broker, particularly if the property has been empty for some time already or has specific risk factors such as a history of subsidence or previous water damage.

We build our own schedule around whatever the insurance side requires, rather than assuming clearance should always happen first.

Common questions

Do you arrange insurance for probate properties?

No. We are a clearance company, not brokers.

We refer clients to specialist unoccupied property brokers when cover is needed, but we do not sell or arrange policies ourselves.

How long can a property be empty before standard home insurance is affected?

This depends on the insurer, but many policies reduce or withdraw cover once a property has been continuously unoccupied for somewhere between 30 and 60 days. It is worth checking the specific policy terms directly with the insurer.

Does clearing the property help with insurance?

It can. A cleared, secure, visibly maintained property is generally viewed as lower risk than one left full of belongings and unchecked, and it makes any subsequent survey or valuation more straightforward.

Who tells the insurer that the property is unoccupied?

This is usually the responsibility of the executor or whoever is managing the estate, though a broker can advise on exactly what needs to be disclosed and when.

Can you recommend a broker?

We can share details of brokers specialising in unoccupied and probate property insurance that we have worked with on previous cases. You are free to use your own broker instead.

What if the property needs urgent attention before insurance is sorted?

Where there is an immediate risk, such as a leak or a break-in, we can attend to address the practical issue, but urgent insurance queries should also go directly to the existing insurer or broker as soon as possible.

Common triggers insurers ask about

Beyond the length of time a property has stood empty, unoccupied property insurers typically ask about a number of specific risk factors before agreeing terms. These often include whether the water supply has been isolated at the stopcock, whether the heating is being maintained at a minimum temperature to prevent frozen pipes over winter, whether the property is visited regularly and by whom, and whether there is any history of subsidence, flooding or previous claims at the address.

Executors are not always aware that these details are required until a broker asks for them directly, which can delay a policy being put in place. Where we are already attending a property for clearance or periodic checks, we can usually help answer these practical questions directly, since we will have seen the property's condition first-hand.

It is also worth flagging that mortgage lenders, where a property is still mortgaged, sometimes have their own separate requirements around unoccupied property notification, distinct from the insurer's conditions. Executors dealing with a mortgaged probate property may need to satisfy both the lender and the insurer that appropriate cover and safeguards are in place, which a specialist broker can usually help navigate more efficiently than approaching each party separately.