My new home is next to a large tree, will I be able to get insurance cover?

When you set your heart on a new home, little can persuade you otherwise. It can take months or even years to find a property which ticks all the boxes and when you finally find that special house you can sometimes overlook the negatives in the excitement. Buying a property surrounded by large trees can make for a spectacular view but it’s very advisable to do your homework about the likely implications both in terms of insurance and damage risk before signing on the dotted line.

Many people have made an offer on a property and have gone through to the latter stages of the deal before realising that their insurers are not very accommodating when it comes to tree damage cover – especially if the tree lies in close vicinity to your home. Some will refuse at the outset to offer cover for some tree-related incidents, while others will lay down strict terms and conditions before agreeing to provide protection. If you fail to meet such criteria and then make a claim, you can wave your safety net goodbye. As the potential homeowner, it’s your responsibility to ensure you can keep up with any maintenance plan before committing yourself or alternatively you can go back to the drawing board and find a property that is less hassle.

Some mortgage companies and building societies may refuse to provide a loan for properties that lie in close proximity to a mature tree unless a professional tree report is obtained by a tree surgeon. This will assess the health of the tree and the likelihood that it could come down and cause damage or cause subsidence. It’s also worth remembering that if you ever decide to extend your new property, you could experience difficulties obtaining permission from the local authority if any works or building operations causes damage to the tree.

Insurance companies commonly insert clauses into home policies where the property lies adjacent to a large tree. Such clauses may specify pruning requirements at certain times of the year or regular inspections from a qualified tree surgeon to ensure no structural damage is occurring or damage to drains and sewers. Similarly, insurers might require a tree to be maintained at an existing height throughout the period of cover. Failure to comply with the terms within the agree timescales could result in immediate withdrawal of cover.

Homeowner’s will need to keep receipts and reports relating to any maintenance work carried out according to the terms of their insurance to support their case if they ever have to make a claim.

Hopefully this post has opened your eyes to the potential problems of buying a home in close proximity to a tree but we mustn’t forget that trees offer the kind of natural beauty that we all crave when we look out of our kitchen window and add significantly to the aesthetic value. Cutting a tree down should be very last option you consider.