Private Clients

The Root Cause!

01/12/2011 in High Value Homes, Private Clients

Although by no means the only cause, research over the years has estimated that around 60% of all subsidence problems with domestic houses, in clay subsoil areas, can be attributed to trees that are too close to the property, extracting moisture. Most trees have a significant radial root system, sometimes extending out a distance of 1 to 1.5 times the height of the tree.

One of the most common fears is that their roots will damage house foundations. In fact this is seldom the case as most foundations are able to withstand the odd tree root. But it is possible for roots to cause indirect damage through subsidence. Subsidence is what may happen to buildings on soils such as clay that shrink and expend in response to their moisture content. In summer, (or drought) clay soils shrink and in winter (or prolonged rain) they expand. This shrinkage and expansion causes movement, which may lead to subsidence. In some circumstances trees can make the situation worse.

In a large proportion of cases, offending tree(s) were within 16ft of the building and mostly all cases were where the damage was on “shrinkable” soils.

A few simple actions can be taken to protect your property and prevent long term problems if you live in a clay soil area are:

1. Do not plant trees or large shrubs close to the house or outbuildings – this table provides a guide to how far it is generally acceptable that species of trees can be planted.

2. Trees that are older than the property but within safe distances can be managed. Seek specialist advice from a tree surgeon or arboriculturalist – often maintenance programmes can be put in place to restrict growth by pollarding or crown thinning to control the amount of foliage produced, which in turn reduces the amount of water it requires

3. If trees are planted within the safe distance from your property after the house was built, it is recommended that they are removed, but never remove or in any way alter a tree that has a preservation order without the appropriate consent

4. The tree may be within a neighbouring garden or in the street. If you are worried about the potential subsidence problems, discuss it amicably and try to persuade then to take an appropriate action.

The Root Cause - Keeping a Sensible Distance

For further information about how the proximately of trees can affect your household insurance, please contact Jeremy Edwards on 0118 9452944 or complete one of our enquiry forms.

Mum’s the word – Insurance for actors & celebrities

24/10/2011 in Fine Art and Antiques, High Value Homes, Jewellery and Watches, Private Clients

Macbeth insures actors & celebrities

How to calculate your building sum insured

29/03/2011 in High Value Homes, Private Clients

Establishing the accurate re-building sum insured of your home can be a difficult task. At Macbeth, our private client team provide assistance in this area and can recommend expert professional services from local Chartered Surveyors. However, if you would like an approximate idea of the costs, please read our useful guide below.

Firstly, you need to find the external floor area of your home – both upstairs and downstairs. The best way is to go outside and measure the length and width of your home and multiply these figures together. If you cannot measure outside, measure inside and add the thickness of the walls. You can measure either in feet or metres. An integral garage would be included in this calculation.

You now know the ground floor area. For upstairs, you may be able simply to double the ground floor area. If the other floor area is a different size then calculate the upstairs area separately and add the figures together. For three storey houses, only 70% of the floor area of the third storey need be included. A third storey of a house does not mean the attic in a two storey house, unless the roof space has been converted into a third storey.

If you have a separate garage or a garage built on the side of the house, an appropriate amount will need to be added to the rebuilding cost of the house. You will also need to allow an appropriate figure for fences, gates, walls, patios, paths, drives, swimming pools, etc.

It is important to take into consideration the quality of the fixtures and fitting and adjust more particularly for expensive designer kitchens and bath rooms.  Properties that are listed need special attention and our recommendation would be to seek advice from a building surveyor.

The link to the Association of British Insurance rebuild calculator is http://abi.bcis.co.uk/ - this calculator is provided by BCIS, The Building Cost Information Service of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

If you would like help from a professional, please contact our team by calling 01189452944 or complete an enquiry form and we will recommend a local Chartered Surveyor to you.

Great Insurance idea for Provisional Drivers

12/03/2011 in Motor Fleet Insurance, Private Clients

Insurance for Provisional Drivers has always been a problem. The main concern for parents being that if the young driver has an accident it is going to impact on their no claims bonus. Some insurers are also not keen to provide the cover or limit the cars they will insure to lower grouped vehicles.

Insurance Marmalade is an insurance scheme, whereby provisional drivers can take out a policy in their own name to cover a parent’s car or a vehicle on a fleet policy. The policy can be arranged on a month by month basis and the insurers will cover up to group 16 vehicles to a value of £20,000

Insurance for Provisional Drivers

Love is in the air

15/02/2011 in Jewellery and Watches, Private Clients

So, Valentine’s Day has been and gone, but what should you do to ensure that your precious piece of jewellery is properly protected?

Here are our 6 top tips:

1)      Don’t forget to notify your broker or insurers of any new acquisitions

2)      Ensure that you get a professional valuation at least every three years to ensure that your items is are not under-insured

3)      For safekeeping provide you broker with a copy of valuations and also take photographs of expensive items

4)      Have the clasps and settings of major items checked every year

5)      Have your jewellery cleaned professionally to avoid damage which could result in a reduction in value

6)      If possible keep items that are not being worn in a suitable safe

For more information about how to protect jewellery contact Paul Macbeth on 0118 9452944 or complete one of our enquiry forms.

What should a broker do for you?

27/01/2011 in Business, Insurance Industry News, Private Clients

So what does an insurance broker do? How do we earn our income, regardless of whether it’s a fee or commission or perhaps, both?

Your broker is your professional contact throughout the entire process. From the initial stages through to the renewal review the following year. Below are the key services you should be receiving from a broker:

• Understanding you and/or your business – what risks do you face?
• Establishing your fears or concerns?
• Agreeing a realistic budget to work within
• Establishing how the broker will be renumerated?
• Discussing which insurers the broker will be approaching? Is it a full or partial market review?
• Following the review, expect your broker to present their findings and explain why they are recommending a certain insurer or product
• Your broker will clearly set out the premium breakdown and the payment options available
• If you proceed with cover, expect your broker to handle the administration; most policies can be arranged electronically
• Once the policy is in force, your broker should handle any adjustments or queries mid-term; some may make a small administration charge for doing so
• Should you be unfortunate enough to suffer a loss, speak to your broker and expect a very personal and professional service. There should be no need for you to talk to the insurance company unless there are exceptional circumstances
• Approximately 4 weeks before your renewal, expect a call from your broker to discuss any changes to your risk
• Your broker should carry out a review of the market and put forward their recommendation for the next period of insurance
• The whole process then starts again!

As one of a small number of Chartered Insurance Brokers in the UK, Macbeth is an elite broking firm. If you’ve not used a broker before, or if you’re broker isn’t providing you with the above services, then why not complete an enquiry form to try a professional broking experience?

Drastically Underinsured

18/10/2010 in Private Clients, Testimonial

Macbeth are a pleasure to deal with and stand out from the competition by taking the initiative. They treat your problems as theirs and even spot them for you; as Paul did when he realised we were drastically underinsured on our buildings cover. I have yet to find another insurance broker, in my years dealing with the top names in the industry, who offers Macbeth’s personal service, professionalism & expertise and who is so proactive. I would recommend Macbeth to everyone who has high net worth and complex business insurance requirements