The ten most unusual forms of insurance

From covering your glasses to insuring your caravan, we've collected the ten most unusual forms of insurance.

We all know the basics. Car, home, life and travel: insurance policies that many of us really should never be without.

But they aren’t the only types of cover about. The protection industry has now evolved to a point where you can insure just about anything. And I’m not talking about a moustache (Australian cricketer Merv Hughes), voice (Springsteen) or – how best to say – derriere (J-Lo).

So here are ten types of insurance that we all may need, but you may not be that familiar with.

Specs

How would you function if you lost your glasses? If the answer is that you wouldn’t, then an insurance policy to protect them could be a good idea.

Opticians often have their own add-in insurance, but this can be pricier than opting for a separate policy. Insurance2go.co.uk provides cover through insureyourglasses.com. £400 of insurance will cost you £19.99 per year, while £401-£750 of cover costs £29.99 annually.

Specscare is the only other glasses insurer I’ve managed to track down. Up to £200 of cover with this provider will cost £2.99 per month for prescription glasses and sunglasses or £3.50 for non-prescription. The largest level of cover is £1,000, which costs £7.99 per month for prescription and £8.99 for non-prescription. Premiums for £350, £500 and £750 of cover are also available.

An alternative is to add your specs to your home insurance. The downside of this is that if you make a claim, you’ll almost certainly see your premiums rise when you come to renew.

Pets

Pet insurance is essentially health and life insurance for your furry friends. Policies vary by provider and at their most comprehensive will include veterinary fees, behavioural problems, emergency boarding, overseas treatment, daily minding, theft or straying, death, accidents to the owner, damage to possessions, quarantine costs and even reward costs for the safe return of a lost animal.

Major insurers such as Direct Line, Sainsbury’s Finance, Liverpool Victoria and Churchill all offer policies with the most basic cover starting from less than £5 per month.

Caravans

A caravan is an expensive investment that’s well worth insuring. You can compare policy prices using caravanquoter.co.uk.

Make sure you check exactly what is covered with the policy, as it may not include contents cover. It’s also worth reading the small print of your home insurance – you may find some possessions that you plan to take on the road are included in the policy. But again, remember that any claims will push up your premiums.

Weddings

Wedding insurance protects against postponements, cancellations, problems with the venue or marquee and issues with the rings, gifts, photographer and even the cake. Personal liability and accident cover for the big day is also included.

Basic insurance starts at less than £20. You can compare policies by heading to compareweddinginsurance.org.uk.

Chancel liability

Chancel liability is a medieval layover from the times when wealthy owners of large estates used to maintain local churches. As time passed, these huge areas of privately owned land were broken up. But the liability for repairs to the local church has remained, passed down to the separate landowners within the parish. As a result, many affected households will take out specialist insurance to protect against this liability.

The problem is it's fairly unclear who is impacted by this archaic legislation as there is no central register. When you bought your property, your solicitors should have advised you whether or not you’d be subject to chancel liability should the local church require repairs. But if they didn't, that doesn't mean you're completely in the clear. The ABI recommends that you speak to your local diocese if you are concerned and carry out a chancel check. From here, you can take out insurance to cover the liability - ChancelSure provided by the CLS is one of the most widely-used policies.

Fortunately from October 2013, only houses specifically identified on the land registry as liable for chancel repairs will be affected - making it far easier for households to figure out if they need insurance.

Games consoles

If you’re a devoted gamer or frequently travel with your gaming gear, you may want to consider a designated policy for your console. £150 of console cover with protectyourbubble.com will cost you £2.19 per month, while £400 of cover costs £4.79 per month.

Sat nav

Many car insurance policies will not cover sat navs. And even if your policy does, making a claim will often incur a large excess, push up your future premiums and void any no claims discounts you have accrued. As a result, if you have a pricey navigation system, it may be worth insuring it separately.

You can get £400 of cover with gadgetguardian.co.uk for £5.88 per month, while Protectyourbubble.com offers £400 of insurance for £4.79 per month or £1,000 for £7.79 per month.

Headphones

Headphones can cost as much as mp3 players nowadays and are just as prone to breakages or loss. Gadget-cover.com offers £150 of protection for just £1.99 per month or £250 for £2.49 per month. Protectyourbubble.com provides £150 of cover for a monthly premium of £2.19 and £250 for £3.79.

Many electrical and music stores now also offer insurance policies and warranties for headphones, however these often only protect against breakages and faults.

Bicycles

Bicycles are often not included in home insurance policies, even when on your property. And even if you’ve specifically chosen to add-in your bike to your property’s cover, any claims will push up future premiums.

Cycleguard are one of the largest specialist bike insurers. Policies from the provider can cover regular cycles and electric cycles used for leisure, commuting or competition for public liability, roadside recoveries and personal accidents. ilovemybike.co.uk is another specialist insurer for cyclists that will provide free hire bikes and legal help as well as discounts for folding bikes. Endsleigh Insurance is also worth a look if you’re after cover for your cycle.

Specialist car insurance

One sure way to push up regular car insurance premiums is by modifying your motor, importing a vehicle or purchasing a classic car. Indeed, the less ‘regular’ your car is, the more you can expect to pay in premiums. If you have an unusual or rare car it may be worth shunning mainstream insurers altogether and opting for a specialist. You could find that premiums are lower and as a whole the service is more geared towards your needs.

Here are some of the top specialists you should be considering:

Do you use any of these?

Let us know about your experiences using any of these policies.

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