Frequently asked Questions

Samson Insurance Services, a brokerage founded in the 1970s, provides a wide range of domestic and commercial insurance and specialises in property insurance. Founded by Henry -father and run today by Sam, Samson is a true family-run business with a dedicated team of support staff.

Our sister company, Henry Dony Associates, is engaged in loss assessing so we understand how policy wording performs when it really matters. This insight enables us to choose the right policy for each and every client, Our experience as Loss Assessors benefits our broking clients when they have to make a claim. Whether or not the claim warrants our loss assessing services, clients have peace of mind knowing that they will get everything to which they are entitled. We are proactive in advising our clients on how to improve security on their property so as to avoid the need to make a claim

You’ll need to tell your insurer about any changes or alterations you’re planning on making to the structure of your home. Things like extending a room, adding a conservatory or doing a loft conversion.

To calculate how much you should insure your property for, you need to calculate the rebuilding costs of your home. This is the amount of money needed to rebuild your home from scratch.

When calculating this amount you will need to take into account the price of labour and materials as well as the cost of the site clearance. The calculation should also include any outbuildings/ sheds boundary walls located on your property.

If you own a leasehold flat, you may find that your freeholder has already taken care of building insurance for the property. Many freeholders buy buildings insurance themselves, then charge leaseholders a share of the cost through their service charge.

But there’s no guarantee that your freeholder has arranged buildings insurance, so you’ll need to check the lease or have your solicitor check on your behalf. If the freeholder hasn’t arranged cover, you’ll need to get your own buildings insurance.

Yes, If you acting as a landlord or management company and make a decision that causes a financial loss, then you may find yourselves sued personally by a resident or a third party. Directors’ and Officers’ liability insurance provides protection for the legal liability of individuals. This is against claims for financial losses by residents or third parties. These may arise from errors or omissions made by Directors and Officers of the Management Company or Residents Association.

Directors and Officers’ liability insurance is a policy solely for the resident’s representatives. It is there to protect them in the same way as a firm of solicitors would have Professional Indemnity insurance to protect them. Should an incident occur, that may give rise to a claim for financial loss, it is not unusual for legal action to be taken against all parties involved. This includes the Directors and Officers of the residential managing agents or Residents Association, both as a group and individually. To discuss your requirements please get in touch either by telephone: 01923 225201 or email: team@samsoninsurance.co.uk

Labour only subcontractors’ are generally sole traders, small companies, casual labourers family members or volunteers and are (if paid) generally paid on a day rate. They may not hold adequate PL Insurance.

A Bona Fide Subcontractor are generally a professional trade firms. They send their employees to the site, but the Employer has no direct contractual relationship with those employees. The contractual relationship is with the trade firm and not their employees.

If you are doing structural work that is not a self-build or new-build project, you are likely to need commercial or home renovation insurance, this includes,

Conversions, such as lofts, basements and lofts

Extensions

Internal home renovations

Cover under a renovation Insurance policy will vary from policy to policy, but the following are common features under this type of policy,

Cover for work in progress and any structural renovation, this may or may not include the risk of structural damage to the existing property as a result of the building works.

Cover for damage or loss of building materials, plant equipment and tools used during the renovation works.

Public Liability is an important consideration whilst building works are in progress and it is designed to offer protection against claims from visitors to the site or members of the public who may be injured or have their property damaged.

If you move elsewhere for the duration of the renovation, your empty property is especially vulnerable to the unwelcome attention of thieves, vandals and others – that is why renovation insurance typically covers these additional risks to an unoccupied property;

Due to the nature of renovation works overrunning, most renovation policies are flexible and can be easily extended.

Building insurance can cover the cost of repairing or rebuilding your property if it’s hit by a disaster like a storm, fire or flood, or if it’s damaged by something like vandalism or subsidence. Property Owners building insurance is designed to protect your rental property from these risks.

Property Owners insurance covers the permanent, physical structure of your property, including the walls, roof and floors. If a disaster like a flood, fire or storm hits your property, your building insurance can cover the repair or rebuild cost.

As a landlord or property owner

We recommend that you get in touch to at least discuss your requirements either by telephone 01923 225201 or email: team@samsoninsurance.co.uk, being a director of a management company can personally expose you to financial risk.

If you make a decision that causes financial loss to someone, this could be a leaseholder or a contractor, you could be held personally financially liable.

The same also applies if you fail to comply with regulations, you could be held personally liable for breach of these regulations.

It’s important to give accurate information when building your quote to make sure you’re getting the right cover for your business. Here are some of the questions you’ll be asked when you buy professional indemnity insurance online:

Are you a sole trader or a limited company?

Does your business deal with members of the public?

Do you work with clients or customers?

Do you handle data or intellectual property?

Professional indemnity insurance can be an important cover for a range of businesses, from Accountants, Architects, Surveyors and Consultants, who must have professional indemnity cover to operate legally. It’s particularly popular with businesses that provide advice or a professional service because it can cover you if your work leads to a financial loss for your client. Some client contracts will require that you have a certain level of professional indemnity cover.

Even if you’ve done nothing wrong, the cost of defending yourself against claims for negligence or mistakes that leave your client out of pocket can be very high. You might need professional indemnity insurance if you:

provide a service

give advice

handle sensitive data