Second, your claim might well take months, if not years to complete. There is a long list of exclusions. Here is a likely list. If one or more of these apply, you could well be without any payment from the insurer.

No outside paths, walls, gates, decks, patios etc. are covered if none of your main buildings or outbuildings are damaged.

Landslip by coastal erosion.

Any disturbance of solid floor slabs unless the house's foundations under exterior walls are also damaged by the same cause

Bedding down of new structures or newly made-up ground settling.

Then there are the extras that apply to standard cover. These exceptions provide some cover against accidental damage with your standard perils.

Underground service pipes and cables. Apart from wear and tear, you are pretty well covered for any damage you might be responsible for as the property owner.

Sanitary fittings, windows etc. Again you are covered against accidental damage to your bathroom fixtures, built in ceramic hobs in your kitchen and all the fixed glass and glazing in your building. Beware, that there could well be a clause later on into the policy that will specify what you are allowed to claim for. Every item is treated as an individual item, not as part of a suite. Thus, if your hand basin is accidentally damaged, don't expect the company to pay out for a full new bathroom suite!

Stand-By Accommodation. Very important if your home is made uninhabitable owing to serious damage. The insurance company will pay for you to be put up elsewhere. This could be a nearby hotel or maybe the extra costs to friends and family if they can help out with temporary accommodation. At least one major online insurance company will also pay the boarding costs for any pets if you have to be away from them. The policy could also provide for either loss of rent, if you are a landlord, or payment of rent due. There is a limit, a sum insured which is usually 20% of the overall sum insured for your buildings cover.

Incidentally, if you sell the house, the purchaser can enjoy the benefits of the policy up to the date of completion provided they have no cover of their own in force at the time.

BASIS OF SETTLEMENT - All reputable policies will provide for 'reinstatement'. In other words they are offering 'new for old'. The property will be restored with new parts and should the entire structure be beyond economical repair, it will be rebuilt with new materials and no payments from you (with the exception of any excess due). With some buildings, meeting new regulations might mean increased costs. Not a problem - but it only applies to the damaged part of the building. Demolishing, removing debris, shoring up and so on will all be covered as are reasonable architects and surveyors fees, legal costs and fees for estimates, plans and so on.

In all instances the insurance companies like to have control of the situation so if you notice cracks in your home, report it to them at once. If you go and instruct your own surveyor they might well recommend drastic measures to prop up your house that might not be required. You will end up in dispute with your insurer.

There are countless issues that can arise during a claim involving subsidence. Because of the length of time that these claims can take, things such as trying to sell your home, trying to change your insurer and so on can all raise problems. It would take a whole volume to clarify them all. One that is worth mentioning is that if you have changed insurance companies, the previous insurers might be called upon to make a contribution to your claim under the Association of British Insurers Domestic Subsidence Agreement. This prevents disputes between insurers as to which insurer pays for what. You should not be affected by any negotiation between the companies.

We'll finish by considering what happens when an underground pipe has leaked and this has led to movement and thus subsidence? What actual peril has occurred and what excess would you have to pay? Do your best to demonstrate that the claim should fall under the underground services peril. This way you are not required to pay the large excess for a subsidence claim. The policy clause in question is known as the 'proximate cause'. You must attempt to prove that the proximate cause of the damage is the leaking or broken pipe.