A static caravan insurance quote on its own may not be the best way to go about getting insurance cover for your static. It may make more sense to get a couple of quotes so that you can compare what’s on offer and get an appropriate policy for your situation.

Choice is key

In the past, you may have bought your static caravan insurance from your site owner. Perhaps they asked you to do so or it may just have been the most convenient option for you. Some owners may even have tried to give you the impression that you really had no option but to buy your caravan insurance from them.

For whatever the reason, with this ‘no choice’ approach, you may not have ended up with the most appropriate static caravan insurance cover for your own particular set of circumstances.

You may also have paid more than you had to because, as with many other facets of life, you may typically be able to get a better deal if you have choice.

Of course, all caravanners and caravans are different, so what’s best for you may not be best for someone else. Unless you can compare what’s on offer though, you may not know what you’re missing.

For example, there are static caravan insurance policies which may offer discounts if you:

• opt to use a site which has a good history of being flood free;
• fit secure locks on doors and windows;
• use a site which has around the clock supervision in place;
• belong to a caravan club or association.

Terms and conditions are important

Not all static caravan insurance offers the same arrangements for the replacement of your caravan if it is damaged by an insured event beyond the point where repair is feasible.

Some may offer new for old replacement for caravans under three years old but on condition that you have been the only owner from new. With another static caravan insurance quote, on the other hand, you may typically find that there are no restrictions on the number of previous owners.

Remember too that the terms and conditions of static cover may be different for each static caravan insurance quote, so having a quick look at these may typically make sense.

You may find, for example, that some policies:

• may require that you drain down water systems when your static is not in use;
• ask that you stow your awning when you leave your caravan to help reduce the chances that the awning is damaged by a sudden storm.

A static caravan insurance quote can help you ensure that your deal makes sense for you rather than the site owner.

If you’ve just bought your first static caravan, you’ll probably be keen to get your new asset properly insured. A good starting point would be to get a static caravan insurance quote.

It is also important to point out that while you may been told by the site owner that you are obliged to take the insurance arranged by him or her, in most cases, this is not true – you are free to buy your static home insurance from wherever you wish.

If you do decide to buy your caravan insurance independently of the site owner, they may charge you a fee, as well as ask for sight of your schedule of insurance. The latter is so that they can confirm that you have adequate cover. As to the former, even if you do pay this fee, you may still be able to save yourself a healthy amount of money purchasing your cover yourself. This is worth bearing in mind.

So, what do you need to consider when buying cover?

Not a park home

A first thing to note is that if you use your static caravan as your permanent home, you may well run the risk of invalidating your insurance.

That’s because from an insurance point of view, a static caravan is one that is used exclusively for holidays.

Using either a park home insurance policy or a traditional bricks and mortar home buildings and contents insurance policy to protect a static home will typically not be suitable, nor valid.

Risks to cover

The risks faced by a static caravan are typically different to those of a tourer.

For example, caravans sited close to a river or other water source may be at risk of damage from flooding.

However, because a static is not so easy to move as a tourer, the risks to it are seen as correspondingly greater.

On the other hand, the very mobility of a tourer means that it in turn is may be more at risk from road traffic accidents.

All of this means that you need to be very specific not only about getting the appropriate insurance for a static rather than a tourer, but also about where exactly you are going to site your static caravan.

You’ll find if you get a static caravan quote that you’ll typically have to specify which site you are going to use. You’ll quickly be able to see that if you specify a site with a bad history of flooding, then your premiums are likely to be that bit higher than if your site is well away from any potential danger.

Pleasant evenings spent watching the moon go down over the water may come at a price!

Security issues

By definition, your static caravan is likely to be empty for considerable periods of time over the winter or just in between your holiday breaks.

Any property, and your static is no exception, is going to be more vulnerable to vandalism or theft when it is empty than when it is occupied.

That’s why a static caravan insurance quote may offer a discount on your premium if you opt to site your static at a secure site particularly over the winter months.

Help you decide

Getting a static caravan insurance quote can help you identify where you may be able to make a few savings when it comes to insurance for your new acquisition.

If you’re taking the first steps towards searching for a static caravan insurance quote, then you’re probably already more or less convinced of the benefits of good cover.

The question then is what might be worth thinking about in terms of the quote itself.

The price tag

Yes, price is important to all of us.

However, it’s worth keeping the price balanced against an assessment of what a policy is providing for you.

Going with the lowest cost policy may be fine if it meets your requirements but if it doesn’t, you may find you regret that decision in the event of a claim.

Contents

One of the things that may differentiate a static caravan from others such as tourer for example, is that it may contain a higher level of contents and fixtures. That’s because many owners understandably try to make it something of a home-away-from-home.

However, this may also have an effect on the values and nature of your insurance.

Some static caravan policies may offer a new-for-old replacement while others may only operate on a market-value basis. It’s potentially an important point that may make a lot of difference to the funds paid out in the event of a claim.

Public liability

It’s sometimes easy to overlook the fact that your caravan could, in certain circumstances, prove to be a significant financial liability for you.

That may happen if a third party is injured as a result of your caravan or their property suffers damage from the same source.

It might sound unlikely, but it can and does happen. If it happens to you then you may find yourself on the receiving end of a hefty legal claim.

Seeing what liability cover comes with your static caravan insurance quote might therefore be a sensible idea.

Your control

Some caravan insurance online may offer you the opportunity to influence the shape and, to some extent, the cost of your policy through things like discounts etc.

These may be applicable if you opt to take certain steps to improve your security such as fitting alarms and so on.

It is also important to note that you may be obliged to fulfil certain obligations as a condition of your cover – for example, to drain down your heating system before you shut up your caravan for the Winter.

The site owner’s insurance

Of course, you may have heard that there’s no pointing obtaining a static caravan insurance quote because the site owners will probably insist that you use their insurance.

That may have been relatively commonplace in the past but things are changing.

Many site owners now only insist that you have insurance – and they may have right to ask to see it. This may not be unreasonable of them as they may need to make sure it’s adequate.

Some may also ask for an administration fee if you do decide to use your own insurance but you may find that even if you do have to pay it, purchasing your own policy independently of the site owner may still save you money overall.

The quote

Your static caravan insurance quote could, potentially, be a very critical thing in your life. Making sure you get one that’s suitable is, therefore, highly advisable.

Today there are providers of online caravan insurance that can typically provide a fast static caravan insurance quote.

Here are a few tips relating to that process:

• think through your position in advance – you’ll need to be clear about whether or not for example the site you plan to use is approved and secure, as things such as that may reduce your premium;
• be clear about your security – insurance providers like to see evidence of enhanced locks, bolts and alarms and they may result in some discounts;
• keep in mind that if your site has a documented history of flooding, then that may push the price of your static caravan insurance quote up;
• some providers may demand that you confirm that your caravan is firmly anchored in place and raised off its wheels;
• decide whether you want your contents insured on a new-for-old or market value basis and try to avoid under-estimating the replacement costs of your items;
• if you have an external awning, you may have to declare it separately and it may only be covered when you’re away from the caravan if it has been fully stowed away;
• some providers may favourably view membership of a professional owners’ club and reward that through discounts.

Once you have your quotation, remember that there may be some additional factors to consider:

• you may find that it is obligatory to drain down all your water systems when the caravan is not in use;
• some policies may demand that your caravan is connected to mains services;
• your policy may cover your caravan if you’ve rented it out for holiday purposes and your own use for the same reasons – but typically not if you are living in it regularly or have rented it out very long term;
• policies typically carry an excess, which is the first part towards a claim that you have to pay.

Starting to live permanently in your static caravan or renting it out long-term may not be advisable. You may invalidate your existing insurance and also encounter local byelaw issues!

If you are at all uncertain, we offer an excellent telephone service and would welcome your call. We’ll be only too pleased to help.

Your static caravan insurance quote is the first stage in a process designed to ultimately result in your financial protection. Getting it right is worth spending a little time over.

There are some static caravan parks where custom and practice dictate that you buy your caravan insurance from the site owner. So you may think that getting a static caravan insurance quote could be a waste of time.

Site insurance

You may be able to appreciate the point of view of the site owners – they may want to ensure that you have adequate insurance cover for your static on their site.

One way of doing that is sell you this cover themselves.

So, if anything goes wrong and you have to claim on the insurance, they know exactly what cover you have and how this may link to their own insurance cover.

The trouble with this approach though is that you may not always be getting the most cost effective deal for your particular circumstances.

If you pay the price asked by the site owner, you have no way of knowing whether or not this represents good value for your money.

Freedom of choice

The fact is that, as the owner of a static caravan, in most cases you are actually free to buy your static holiday home insurance from whomsoever you please – in spite of what the site owners may lead you to believe.

So getting a static caravan insurance quote may make very good sense and online caravan insurance sites mean that it is also typically very simple to do.

Your quote

In addition to the features you could expect to from a standard static caravan insurance quote like public liability insurance and caravan contents cover etc, you may also find that there are a number of other factors which have a direct bearing on the risks that your static caravan could face.

That in turn will obviously have a direct influence on the premium levels of the quotes you receive.

These will include things like:

• does your preferred park have a history of flooding;
• is there a 24 hour warden on site;
• out of season, is your static caravan kept in a recognised secure site;
• do you drain down heating and water systems when the caravan is not in use (which is often a condition of the cover).

It may also pay to bear in mind that each static caravan insurance quote may provide a different level of cover.

So, for example, while some policies may include cover for awnings as standard, others may require you to have specific awnings cover. Others still may stipulate that awnings will only be covered for damage in a storm if you are present at the time the damage occurs.

Once you have selected a likely looking quote there is no substitute for reading through the terms and conditions to reassure yourself that you are getting the cover you expect.

Savings

The good news is though that even if the site owners charge you a fee for the administration involved in them processing your own insurance details, you may find that your policy still represents good value for money.

The short amount of time you spend getting a static caravan insurance quote may end up as time well spent, leaving you with a little more cash in your pocket!