Thatch Cover

25/02/2026

If you have a working fireplace or stove in a thatched home, chimney maintenance isn’t just good practice — it’s essential for safety and insurance compliance.

Most thatch insurers require chimneys to be swept twice per year, and the midpoint of the burning season is widely considered the best time for one of those sweeps.

Why halfway through the burning season?

✅ Creosote builds up fastest during regular winter use — removing it midway reduces chimney fire risk.
✅ Keeps airflow efficient, helping fires burn cleaner and safer.
✅ Aligns with insurer requirements — many policies specifically require twice-yearly sweeping with records retained.
✅ Peace of mind when your fire is in frequent use.

Check your policy wording

Always review your policy endorsements carefully — chimney sweeping conditions are often written as strict requirements. Not complying with the exact wording (frequency, certification, type of appliance covered, etc.) could affect claims.

Backed by industry guidance

This approach is consistent with advice from the Fire Service, HETAS, and findings from recent forensic fire investigations — all of which highlight that soot and tar build-up during peak usage periods significantly increases fire risk in thatched properties.

👉 Tip: Use a qualified chimney sweep and keep certificates safely — insurers may request them if a claim arises.

A simple job, done at the right time and in line with your policy wording, can make a huge difference to safety, compliance, and protecting your home.

03/11/2025

We don't just look after you at year one.

Last month, hundreds of our existing customers renewed their policies with us — with only two choosing to go elsewhere.

It’s a testament to the service, expertise, and attention to detail that make our market-leading renewal process stand out.

Find out why so many thatched homeowners choose to stay with us year after year.
📞 01392 409464
🌐 www.thatchcover.co.uk

30/10/2025

https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/25575762.cause-fire-rickinghall-thatched-home-revealed/

The cause of a fire in a thatched cottage in Rickinghall at the weekend has now been revealed by Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service.

02/10/2025

Well, we're very proud of this...

30/09/2025

25/03/2025

Heartbreaking news of yet another thatch fire this month. In this case, the contents were uninsured due to the occupier of 67 years being "unable to renew her contents insurance". If you're struggling to find insurance for a thatched property, try a specialist broker.

The 74-year-old's thatched cottage in Aberfeldy was destroyed in the blaze.

24/01/2025

Myth-Busting Common Misconceptions: Transferring Insurance Cover from Vendor to Buyer

"I’ve just purchased a thatched property that you currently insure. Can you put the policy in my name, please?"

This is a question we hear quite often, and we truly appreciate when our existing customers recommend us. It's always an advantage when we currently insure a property—our files often include helpful documentation (shared with permission from the vendor, minus any personal details, of course).

However, transferring an insurance policy isn’t as simple as just changing the name on it. Policies are tailored to individual policyholders, and several factors are taken in to account, such as:
✔️ Customer age
✔️ Occupation
✔️ Length of time cover has been held
✔️ No claims discount

Additionally, new buyers often have different insurance needs, such as:
🔹 Contents cover levels (higher, lower, or none)
🔹 Adding or changing personal possessions cover
🔹 Property usage changes (e.g., business use, letting, or unoccupied status)
🔹 Deciding on optional extras like accidental damage, legal protection, or home emergency cover

Important Reminder:
One scenario we occasionally encounter involves discrepancies in property risk details. For example, new buyers might obtain a RICS reinstatement valuation that differs significantly from the vendor’s insured figure. While it’s the policyholder’s responsibility to ensure disclosures are accurate, buyers sometimes assume the vendor's information is always correct. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.

COMING SOON:
We’ll soon release a "Guide to Insuring Your First Thatched Home" to help simplify the process of obtaining and comparing quotes for your new home.

In the meantime, speak with one of our experts—we’d be delighted to guide you through the process and ensure you get the right cover for your needs.

18/12/2024

For any claims related matters, please refer to your policy documentation for direct contact details.

12/11/2024

Myth-Busting Common Misconceptions: - Buildings Insured Values

"My building's level of cover is too high because it’s more than the market value of the property."

It’s understandable why some people reason this way. There are also similar misconceptions, such as: “The land is worth ‘£X’ as a building plot, so I can just deduct that from the market value to establish the correct figure to cover the building for,” or “the cost to rebuild a property is a percentage of the market value.”

However, the truth is that market value has no correlation whatsoever to reinstatement value. To demonstrate this, although we occasionally see reinstatement valuations from RICS surveyors below the market value, it’s much more common for the figure to be higher—often substantially so.

It’s important to emphasise that, as brokers, we cannot advise on the correct sum insured. Not only are we not qualified to do so, but we would also become liable if that value turned out to be incorrect. However, we do always give “best advice”: namely, that it’s essential to obtain an accurate reinstatement valuation from a chartered surveyor, in writing, every 3 to 5 years.

This is one of the most important and challenging aspects of arranging insurance for properties of non-standard construction, especially when they are listed. Additional costs are often incurred to meet regulatory compliance set by local authorities and Historic England.

We will soon be publishing a comprehensive guide on the importance of having an accurate reinstatement value and how to obtain one at a low cost. Follow our page to get your copy when it’s available!

Call now to connect with business.

24/09/2024

Interesting article about the importance of using accurate reinstatement values:

With an increase in inflation as well as flooding and storm damage, it is now more important than ever to insure buildings for an accurate value if cover is to be valid

17/09/2024

Avoiding the Pitfall of Underinsurance

One of the most challenging aspects of insuring a property of non-standard construction is determining the appropriate buildings sum insured. This amount is often referred to as the “rebuild” amount, but this term can be misleading. In reality, it represents the full reinstatement cost in the event of a total loss claim. This figure needs to include not just materials and labour, but also the cost of demolition, site clearance, legal fees, and VAT.

***Common Misconceptions about Sums Insured:***

- "I can just partially insure since the chance of the entire building being destroyed is so low."
Under the insurance contract, the policy must be arranged based on the possibility of a total loss claim. Deliberately underinsuring the property can result in the policy being rendered void. In some cases, insurers may apply the proportionate remedy or average clause, potentially paying only part of the claim.

- "I could rebuild it for much less than the figure suggested."
In the event of an insured loss, the insurer will arrange the repair or rebuilding. There is no automatic right to a cash settlement.

- "The insurer or broker should advise how much to insure it for."
It is the policyholder’s responsibility to provide an accurate reinstatement value. The best advice is to obtain this value from a chartered surveyor every 3 to 5 years. Brokers, insurance agents, and underwriters do not have the expertise to provide guidance on the appropriate sum insured.

- "I don’t need to include VAT."
The insurance contract terms typically require VAT (Value Added Tax) to be included in the sum insured provided to insurers. Although a total rebuild might be VAT-exempt, anything less than a total rebuild would be subject to VAT. Consequently, a significant loss could exceed the total sum insured once VAT is considered.

- "The previous owners had it insured for £x, so that must be correct."
This assumption may be incorrect; the previous owners' insurance amount might have been an estimate rather than an accurate assessment.

- "Previous insurers or brokers have never had an issue with the amount of cover before, so it must be right."
If there has not been a significant recent building claim, the issue of adequate cover might never have been addressed.

- "If there was a significant loss, I’ll just rebuild something modern in its place."
Many properties are listed or located in conservation areas. You may not have the freedom to build something different if your property is destroyed. The building sum insured should be sufficient to reinstate the property to its pre-loss condition, not a speculative amount for a different design or specification.

- "Surveyors are just going to add a percentage to cover their backs."
A professional valuation from a suitably qualified surveyor is based on the specific characteristics of the property. Overstating the reinstatement value could be detrimental to the policyholder and is not permissible under regulation.

- "I had a survey carried out a few years ago, and it has been index-linked at renewal ever since."
Industry guidance recommends obtaining a buildings reinstatement survey every 3 to 5 years. Given recent substantial increases in building costs, the lower end of this range is advisable.

- "The property is worth £x, so the rebuild must be £y."
There is no direct correlation between market value and reinstatement value. Often, the reinstatement value is higher than the market value due to factors such as construction costs and compliance with current building regulations.

- "It’s impossible to establish what it would cost to reinstate what is currently there."
Chartered surveyors and loss adjusters have the expertise and tools to provide accurate reinstatement cost estimates. Their reports can be relied upon for this information.

- "I’ve used the free, online RICS calculator."
Online calculators may not be suitable for listed properties or those built before 1850. For these cases, a detailed professional survey is recommended.

The Solution
To avoid the pitfall of underinsurance, obtain a full reinstatement value from a chartered surveyor. While this does involve a cost, some thatch insurers subsidise or even cover the entire cost of a survey. If you are interested, please ask us for more information. We can help factor this into our quote research and provide further assistance.

Send a message to learn more

29/07/2024

The Thatch Cover Difference...
Find out for yourself why most thatched home owners save money with us. Our unrivalled panel of thatch insurers, meticulous research, expert knowledge and insurer negotiations - positions Thatch Cover as the stand out go to resource for all things insurance related. Not only that, our impressive full market review at each renewal ensures we're best placed to find the best terms for our highly valued existing clients. It's no wonder over 97% renew through us.