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Regardless of whether you are a park home owner or a site owner, you may need to know about residential park home insurance for static homes.

A park home is a significant investment, so it’s important to protect it as best you can. For a policy that gives you the peace of mind you need, here’s what to consider when it comes to comparing park homes insurance. Park homes can be a great way of downsizing your property for a cheaper alternative. These homes can come in a range of different sizes and can offer a low maintenance lifestyle. Despite this however, there are still considerable costs at stake if something was to happen to your park home. That’s why it’s always advisable to get park home insurance.

What is park home insurance?

Park home insurance is a type of insurance policy specially designed for anyone who owns a park home. Since park homes differ from conventional properties in design and layout, they come with their own unique insurance risks. As a result park home policies are designed to meet these risks and provide the protections than a conventional property insurance policy would offer. These policies will typically cover a wide range of insurable events including fire, flood and theft. This will cover you for the costs associated with repair or replacement of your property in the event of disaster.

Park home insurance typically combines buildings and contents cover and will pay to repair or replace your park home and belongings if they’re stolen or damaged. Use our free tool to find out how safe your local area is.

Like other types of insurance, you’ll also be able to add on extra features and tailor a policy to fit your exact needs.

Is park home insurance a legal requirement?

Although park home insurance is not a legal requirement, it is strongly recommended that you take out some form of cover in order to protect your park home. Unfortunately accidents and disasters, both natural and man made, can occur without warning. Being left in the aftermath of these events can leave you stressed and out of pocket. A thorough insurance policy is your protection against these costs.

Does standard home insurance cover my park home?

Whether or not an insurance provider will be willing to offer you standard home insurance for your park home will depend on that insurance company’s own terms and conditions, and its underwriting terms, but in many cases you might need to find a specialist park home insurance company instead of a normal home insurer.

The reason for that is that park homes are built with ‘non-standard’ housing materials like timber and metal instead of the usual bricks and mortar. This makes the risk of damage to park homes different to that of brick houses which is reflected in the policy.

Insurers also take into account the fact that park homes may need specialist tradespeople to work on them because of the way they’re constructed.

What does park home insurance cover?

When you’re comparing park home insurance you should find that it covers many of the ‘insurable events’ a regular home insurance policy would cover, such as:

• Fire, flood or storm damage
• Subsidence
• Theft and vandalism.

Policies might also include other features, but these will vary between insurers. If they aren’t included, you’ll usually be able to add them to your policy for a small fee.

Common add-ons include cover for:

• Malicious damage
• Accidental damage
• Loss of keys and replacement locks
• Loss of metred water
• Home emergencies (for example, boiler breakdowns).

What exclusions should I be aware of?

Exclusions are events not covered by your policy – almost all insurance policies have them, but the specifics can vary between providers. Typical park home exclusions might include:

• Wear and tear – you won’t be able to claim for items that stop working because they’re old.
• Negligence – insurers are unlikely to pay out for stolen belongings if doors and windows were left unlocked, or if your park home suffered water damage because you failed to repair the roof.
• Damage caused by animals – this includes accidental damage caused by pets as well as vermin.

How much should I insure my park home for?

Most park home insurance in the UK offers something called ‘blanket insurance’ which means they automatically provide cover up to a set amount, so you don’t need to work out how much your home or contents are worth.

Insurers can set their own blanket insurance values, but they often range from £300,000 – £600,000 for buildings cover and £40,000 – £75,000 for contents. In the majority of cases, the level of cover provided will be more than enough to meet your needs. You can of course, ask your insurer to increase cover, which will be reflected in your premium.

Do I need to insure the base my park home sits on?

Broadly speaking, no – you shouldn’t need to insure the land your park home sits on as this is the responsibility of the park owner.

Does park homes insurance cover outbuildings and their contents?

This will depend on the terms and conditions set out in your policy as some insurers will include cover for outbuildings while others won’t.

If cover is included, you can expect the same rules about exclusions to apply (for example, you won’t receive a payout for stolen items if the shed or outbuilding was unlocked).

Is insurance for park homes still valid if the property is empty?

Policies usually have a limit to the number of days your park home can be left unoccupied. If your park home is empty for more than this limit set (typically 30 days), you might not be covered.

Some policies will cover your home even if it’s empty for up to 60 consecutive days but there may be a condition that it needs to be checked after 30. Depending on how long your home is empty for, there may also be rules about draining the water system or making sure heating is left on at a certain temperature.

Does insurance for park homes cover use as a holiday let?

Standard park home insurance is unlikely to cover paying guests. If you do rent your home as a holiday let, you’ll need to speak to your insurer to explore the available options.

It’s also worth considering holiday let insurance which is specifically designed to cover seasonal lets.

How much does park home insurance cost?

Cost very much depends on your own circumstances and insurers will consider all sorts of factors to work out a fair premium that reflects your needs, for example:

• The park site you’re on – some insurers work with specific park sites and offer discounts to residents.
• Whether you choose optional extras – adding on extra features or increasing the level of contents cover can raise premiums.
• Your claims history – building up your no claims bonus can mean a bigger discount off your overall premium so it’s wise to think carefully about what you claim for.
• Whether your home is a flood risk – thanks to the Flood Re scheme, insurance for flood risk homes should remain affordable. But if you do live in a high flood risk area, you might have to pay a fee to ensure you’ve got a suitable level of protection.

Although cost will always be a consideration, it’s important not to be swayed by price alone. Cheap park home insurance might look like a bargain on paper but think about whether it gives you the cover and protection you really need.

In reality, policies that might seem expensive could actually include more features and offer higher levels of cover, potentially making them better value overall.

Compare insurance for a park home

Comparing park home insurance quotes from a range of different park home insurers is one of the quickest and easiest ways to find great value cover. At Quotezone.co.uk, you can do a park home insurance comparison quickly and easily in order to help you find policies that suit you.

Compare cheap park home insurance quotes and start saving today!