Music instrument the musicians choice

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Buying a musical instrument is a serious investment, which is why it’s so important to search for instrument insurance to ensure you have suitable cover in place. However, will you be able to get the cover you need from a typical policy?

How home insurance applies to musical instruments

Musical instruments may be covered under the contents aspect of a home insurance policy. Typically a contents insurance policy will cover furniture, household goods, clothing, curtains, carpets, and so on – so check to see that musical instruments are among the items covered.

You should also check what risks the musical instrument is protected against. These may include:

Storm damage.
Flooding and water leaks.
Malicious damage.
Explosions.
Theft.
Fire damage.
Accidental damage.

You may wish to look for a policy that offers more extensive cover such as protection for items against mechanical damage and damage relating to temperature and humidity levels.

Is there anything to watch out for?

Pay close attention to the terms and conditions of any policy that interests you. In particular, look for:

- Excess levels: This is your contribution towards a claim and is usually divided into a ‘compulsory excess’ set by the insurer and a ‘voluntary excess’, which is an additional amount you agree to pay in case a claim is ever necessary.

- Exclusions: These are circumstances in which you will not be covered. For example, your musical instruments may be covered against accidental damage. However, the policy may state that if the accidental damage is caused by children or pets then claims are not valid.

- Personal possessions cover: Sometimes known as ‘all risks cover’, this protects items you take outside the home. In the case of musical instruments, you may take them out of the home on a regular basis, particularly if you perform in concerts and so on. However, you should read the terms and conditions carefully as the items may not be covered while in use, and they may not be covered when carried abroad. So read the policy documents thoroughly.

- Specified item limits: Most home insurance policies place a limit on the amount you can claim per item – usually in the region of £1,500. However, some musical instruments are worth much more than this and so may need to be specified and listed separately on the policy. Alternatively, if you have a large collection of musical instruments, you could look for a high value home insurance policy which has much higher limits on the levels you can claim per item.

How can you find the right policy for you?

Use a comparison website to search for home insurance quotes and to assess the cover that is on offer from different providers. Remember that while price is important you should not assume that the cheapest deal is necessarily the right one for you as the protection it offers may not be adequate.

There are ways of bringing home insurance premiums down too – particularly by lowering the risk of a claim. So adding security devices to your home; installing fire detection devices such as smoke alarms; raising your voluntary excess; or joining a Neighbourhood Watch scheme could all help you save.

What if you can’t find an appropriate deal?

If you can’t find home insurance that’s sufficient to cover your musical instruments then you may wish to take out separate musical instrument cover that is available from a handful of specialist providers.

Though policies vary between companies, musical instrument insurance may include:

- Cover for musical accessories – Such as a bow, case, etc.

- Cover for hiring other musical instruments in the event of a claim.

- Damage while in transit.

- Depreciation as a result of damage.

- Loss or damage while in use – including professional use.

- Theft – Including from workplaces or from unattended vehicles.

- Worldwide all risks cover - To protect your instruments against accidental damage or loss anywhere in the world.

These policies can be expensive, so shop around to ensure you are receiving value for money.