Aviva home insurance review

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★★★★★
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Trusted, reliable and easy to deal with, according to customers

Accidental damage only included in the top cover

What’s more, existing Aviva customers could qualify for a 20% discount by covering their car and their home under one policy. Here’s what else we think you should know about AvivaPlus home insurance.

• What's in this review?

  What's in this review?

  1. Who is Aviva?
  2. What are Aviva’s cover options?
  3. What is covered under my policy?
  4. Optional extras
  5. What is my excess?
  6. How much is this going to cost me?
  7. What is the claims process for Aviva?
  8. Aviva pros and cons

Who is Aviva?

As the largest general insurance provider in the UK, Aviva offers an extensive range of financial products including home, car, van, motorbike, travel, pet and life insurance.

While Aviva has roots as far back as 1696, it was essentially created when Norwich Union and CGU plc merged in 2000. Although known as CGNU after the merger, the name Aviva was adopted a short time later in 2002.

The Aviva Group is made up of several businesses, including Aviva Insurance Services UK Ltd and Aviva UK Digital Ltd, amongst others.

• Who underwrites the home insurance from Aviva?

  Home insurance policies are underwritten by Aviva Insurance Ltd.

  Aviva Insurance Ltd is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

What are Aviva’s cover options?

Aviva offers a range of cover levels to suit individual needs. These include:

• Basic home insurance
• Regular home insurance
• Premium home insurance

Buildings only insurance and contents only insurance can also be bought if required.

What is covered under my policy?

Check out the features of Aviva’s three home insurance options below.

For a full list of benefits, check out Aviva’s home insurance policy document.

Optional extras

Aviva offers increased protection that can be added to a home insurance policy, including:

• Accidental damage cover
• Legal services cover
• Home emergency cover
• Accidents and theft away from home cover

What is my excess?

Your insurance excess is the amount of money you will need to pay towards a claim. Your insurer won’t pay out for a claim that costs less than this amount.

You’ll find details about your excess, such as general or subsidence excess, in your AvivaPlus home insurance policy document.

How much is this going to cost me?

There are a number of factors that can affect the cost of your AvivaPlus home insurance premium, including:

• The cover option you choose. The upgraded buildings, contents and combined cover policies offer more features and broader cover than Aviva’s Primary cover options, which will likely be reflected in the price.
• Your sum insured. The greater the amount you wish to insure your home or contents for, the more you can expect to pay for cover.
• Your home. The age of your home and the materials from which it is constructed can influence its ability to withstand damage.
• Where your home is located. Certain risks, for example, storm and theft, are more prevalent in certain areas, and insurers will take this into consideration when calculating your premiums.
• Security. Security measures such as an alarm system and deadbolts can act as a deterrent to thieves and therefore reduce the cost of your cover.

What is the claims process for Aviva?

You should call the Aviva claims line on 0800 158 4091. Alternatively, you can make a claim online via the Aviva website.

Aviva recommends that you have the following information to hand before making a claim on your home insurance:

• Your policy details and personal contact details.
• The date of the incident.
• Details such as the cause of the incident.
• The value of any lost or damaged items being claimed for.
• Names and addresses of any other people involved or responsible for the incident, including details of injuries.

You may also need to provide the following additional information:

• Original purchase receipts, invoices, manual booklets or photographs, bank statements, utility bills, plans or deeds of your property.
• Purchase dates and location of lost or damaged property.
• Confirmation from a suitably qualified expert that the damaged property you intend to claim back for is beyond repair.

It’s vital that you let your insurer know about an incident as soon as possible. Failure to do this could result in a rejected claim later on.

Aviva pros and cons

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