A private client insurance review is a conversation, not a form. A good broker asks what you own, when the building was last valued for rebuild cost, how the property is used and secured, and what cover you already have, to find the gaps a standard policy would miss.
People tend to expect a form. A first private client insurance review with us is a conversation, and the questions we ask are the point of it. Each one exists to find something a standard policy would miss. Here are the questions, and why we ask them.
What do you own, and what matters to you?
We start with the house, but we do not stop there. Contents, art, jewellery, wine, cars, a garden built up over years, hobby equipment. The things that matter most often have no receipt attached.
When was the building last valued for rebuild cost?
Rebuild cost is not market value. Independent research reported this year found rebuild costs were around 35 to 40 percent higher by early 2025 than in 2020, so a figure set several years ago is likely to be short.
Tell us about the building
Age, construction, listed status, the roof, previous work. A thatched roof, lead, lime plaster or an oak frame all change what it takes to rebuild, and what insurers need to know.
What work is planned or recently done?
Renovations, extensions and periods when a property is empty all affect cover, and contractors need their own insurance in place.
How is the property used?
Who lives there, whether it is a second home, how often it is empty, whether any of it is let. These change both the risk and the terms.
What security conditions does your policy have?
Many policies carry minimum security conditions, covering things like alarms, safes, leak detection and fire protection, and very few people can say what theirs are. We want you to know before a claim, not after.
What valuables do you own, and how are they valued?
Art, jewellery, watches, wine and cars each need valuing properly. We ask when each was last valued, by whom, and on what basis.
Who else owns what?
Each person in a household has things of their own, often covered thinly because they were never part of the original conversation. We ask about everyone, not just whoever took the call.
What cover do you have now, and when does each policy renew?
Many people have several policies with several insurers and several renewal dates. That is where gaps and overlaps hide.
Have you made a claim before, and how did it go?
Your experience tells us what you value and what you would want done differently.
If something went wrong tomorrow, what would you want from your broker?
It is the most useful question we ask. Some people want a single call and everything taken care of. Others want to be involved at every step.
Why it matters
A good review ends with a plan: the gaps found, what to change and in what order.