Sunlife Home Insurance Review and Quotes
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Discover the methodologyWould you like to protect your home against any damage or an unfortunate event such as a house fire or theft?
Are you wondering if Sunlife is the best home insurance company to protect your house?
You’ve come to the right place.
This ultimate and up-to-date review on Sunlife home insurance gathers all you need to know: consumers reviews, cover details, prices, claim process, contact numbers and much more. Let’s dive right into it.
Is Sunlife the best insurance company for you?
Getting the best home insurance deal is not just about the price. Indeed, focusing on just getting the cheapest deal might be a bad calculation when it comes to getting a good pay-out if your home is damaged as a result of an unfortunate event such as theft, fire or natural disaster.
At Safe, we’ve studied in detail Sunlife's home policy terms and conditions and given our own ratings based on different criteria for combined building and contents insurance policy.
4,4 Safe overall rating for Sunlife
| Safe rating | Our opinion | |
|---|---|---|
| Customer service & satisfaction and claims |
Online self service centre is available | |
| Cover provided for your home |
Sunlife specialises in offering home insurance services to policyholders over the age of 50 | |
| Value for money |
25% discount is given to policyholders when the insurance policy is purchased online | |
| Financial strength |
It has been part of the Phoenix Group since 2016 | |
| Technology |
Ease in website accessibility |
Expert and customer satisfaction reviews for Sunlife home insurance
| Review organisation | Sunlife home insurance reviews |
|---|---|
Defaqto expert |  |
| TrustPilot | 4,7/5 based on 1552 customer reviews |
| Feefo | 4,8/5 based on 5433 customer opinions |
Our general opinion on Sunlife home insurance
SunLife is a specialised over 50s insurance provider based in Bristol and it was founded in 1810 and has been part of the Phoenix Group since 2016. SunLife apart from providing home insurance also provides life insurance and funeral plans, as well as car and pet insurance.
Anyone above the age of 18 can apply for home insurance from Sunlife. One level of cover is offered for the home insurance and it has a 5 stars rating from Defaqto, a 4.7/5 rating from TrustPilot and a 4.8/5 rating from Feefo.
This attest to their financial capability as an insurance provider and also their good customer care services. The building insurance covers up to £75,000 for alternative accommodation and £5000 for claims linked to trace and access. The contents insurance covers cash up to £1000 and the maximum claim limit for single valuable item is £1500.
Most of the crucial information however can only be accessed by policyholders. The claim process is known to be prompt and efficient, even though claims can only be made via the company’s dedicated claims line.
What does Sunlife home insurance cover?
What is more important than protecting your home – the roof under which you sleep with your loved ones?
Applying for home insurance at Sunlife will allow you to protect the structure of your home (buildings insurance), what is inside (contents insurance) or both (combined buildings and contents insurance).
Without home insurance, your home is exposed to any kind of risk, from a minor water leak to a fire, and you are liable for any repairs – whatever the cost this represents.
Home insurance at Sunlife covers you for any damage made as a result of an unfortunate event such as theft, fire and natural disaster causing leaks, flooding, etc.
Sunlife buildings and contents insurance
Sunlife provides three main types of household insurance:
- Buildings insurance
- Contents and personal possessions insurance
- Combined policy
Buildings insurance covers the structural aspects of your home. It will cover any damage made to your walls, floors, ceiling, windows, outbuildings, garages, etc. You can also extend your buildings insurance to permanent fixtures such as bathrooms, etc. Buildings insurance is for homeowners.
Good to know
If you buy your property and get a mortgage for this, you will be asked to provide valid buildings insurance. Buildings insurance is not mandatory, though. However, you must know that an average claim for repairing a burst pipe for example is £25 000.
Contents insurance will cover any damage made to your belongings inside your home or in your garden (TV and other appliances, furniture, etc). In other words, it will cover anything which is not structural.
Good to know
House contents insurance is highly recommended (especially in case you get burgled or if you are renting a furnished flat) but is not mandatory.
In the event of a fire, for instance, buildings insurance will give you compensation for your home structure, your walls, roofing or other structural elements damaged during the fire, and contents insurance will cover any damage made to your household appliances, furniture, jewellery and so on.
You will find below policy details for building and contents insurance:
| Sunlife building insurance | Limits |
|---|---|
| Maximum sum insured | Up to £1M |
| Owner liability | £2 000 000 |
| Alternative emergency accomodation | Up to £75 000 |
| Period of home's unoccupancy cover | 90 days |
| Repairs guarantee period | 1 year |
| Trace and access | £5 000 |
| Burst pipe | As standard |
| Blockage of sewer pipe | Only stated in policy wording |
| Gradual build-up of groundwater | Only stated in policy wording |
| Subsidence | As standard |
| Underground services | As standard |
| Keys cover | £500 |
| Flood and storm damage (except for fences) | As standard |
Good to know
Limits mentioned above are part of the total sum you insured with your insurer when applying for home insurance (and not in addition to).
Let’s have a look now at Esure contents insurance limits:
| Contents insurance | Limits |
|---|---|
| Maximum sum insured | £50 000 |
| Owner liability | £2 000 000 |
| Alternative emergency accomodation | Up to £20 000 |
| Period of home's unoccupancy cover | 90 days |
| Damage made by pets | Not covered |
| Contents kept in garden | £1 000 |
| Contents kept in outbuildings (garage included) | Only stated in policy wording |
| Thefts from outbuildings | Up to 2000 |
| Single item limit for valuables | £1 500 |
| Items temporarily removed from home | Not Stated |
| Money in and outside the home | Inside: £1 000 Outside: Only stated in policy wording |
| Credit cards in and outside the home | Inside: Only stated in policy wording Outside: Only stated in policy wording |
| Business equipment kept at home | Not Stated |
| Student equipment | £1 500 |
| Keys cover | £500 |
Sunlife home insurance additional cover
On top of your Sunlife buildings and contents insurance, you can find additional cover such as:
| Home insurance additional cover | |
|---|---|
| Accidental damage cover | Optional extra |
| Home emergency |
|
| Boiler cover |
|
| Legal protection |
|
| Personal possessions |
|
| Mobile cover | Not Stated |
| Bicycle cover | Not Stated |
Sunlife home insurance excess
The deductible you'll have to pay in case of claims are as described below:
| For both building and contents insurance | |
|---|---|
| Excess for standard claims | Only stated in policy wording |
| Excess for escape water claims | Only stated in policy wording |
| Excess for subsidence claims | Only stated in policy wording |
| Excess for personal possessions | Only stated in policy wording |
| Excess for keys | Only stated in policy wording |
Sunlife home insurance fees and NCD
To manage your policy, renew, cancel or modify it, Sunlife fees are as follows:
| Fees applied to manage your Sunlifehouse policy | |
|---|---|
| Interests on payment installments | Not Stated |
| To renew my policy | £0 |
| To adjust my policy | Not Stated |
| To duplicate documents | Not Stated |
| To cancel my policy during cooling-off period | £0 |
| To cancel my policy outside cooling-off period | Not Stated |
| For payment default | Not Stated |
| To switch from one insurer to Sunlife | Not Stated |
How much does Sunlife home insurance cost?
You will below indicative quotes for building and contents insurance at Sunlife:
| Building insurance | Contents insurance | |
|---|---|---|
| Excess | Only stated in policy wording | Only stated in policy wording |
| Home cover | Building: £250 000 Contents: £20 000 Personal items: £4 000 | Building: £500 000 Contents: £50 000 Personal items: £8 000 |
| Premium | £164,71 | £323,18 |
It is very difficult to give a precise range of how much exactly will your home insurance cost at Sunlife as it will mainly depend on:
- The insurance you apply for (building, contents, combined insurance, extras)
- Your address
- Your claim record
- The insured value of your home and of your personal belongings, etc.
Sunlife will establish a risk rate, taking into account all these elements, and offer you a price based on it.
The average cost of combined buildings and contents insurance in 2018 was £163, with contents insurance usually counting for a third of the premium (around £60) and building insurance for the rest (around £110). However, premium will be higher if you buy stand-alone building or contents insurance.
Do you want to compare the cheapest home insurance quotes? It couldn’t be easier. Just do a quick home insurance comparison using our comparison tool below. It takes only 15 seconds and is completely neutral and 100% anonymous.
Sunlife home insurance discounts available
25% discount is given when the comprehensive over 50s home insurance is bought.
How do I a claim on Sunlife home insurance?
Claims can be made via the company's 24/7 line.
You will be asked to provide your insurance policy number as well as details on claim circumstances such as date and time, pictures or other person involved.
| How to claim on Sunlife home insurance? | |
|---|---|
| Claim by phone | 0330 018 2058. |
Good to know
If you claim is related to a criminal incident (theft, fire etc), you must call the police upfront.
How can I cancel Sunlife house insurance?
To cancel your Sunlife house insurance, here is what you need to know:
| Cancelling your home insurance at Sunlife | |
|---|---|
| Cancellation notice if Sunlife cancel your policy | 14 days |
| Cancellation fees | Fees during cooling-off period: £0 Fees outside cooling-off period: Not Stated |
| Cancel by mail | SunLife |
| Cancel by phone | 0800 008 6060 |
How to contact Sunlife home insurance?
| Services | Phone numbers | Opening hours |
|---|---|---|
| Claims | 0330 018 2058 | 24/7 |
| Policy change | 0330 018 2059 | Monday to Friday 8am to 9pm |
| Sales enquiry | 0800 107 0990 | Monday to Friday 8am to 9pm |
| SunLife Home Insurance | 0330 018 2059 | Monday to Friday 8am to 9pm and 9am to 5pm |
| Other Home and contents insurance administered by One Insurance Solution | 0800 804 4964 | Monday to Friday 9am-6pm |
Sunlife home insurance contact details
| Sunlife contact details | |
|---|---|
| Sunlife address | Sunlife Home Insurance |
| Customer service email | |
| Chatbot available | Not available |
How do I log in to Sunlife customer portal?
You can login by clicking on the "Your Online Self Service Centre" button on the Homepage of the website and select the "Log in" option.
To access, it, you can follow this link: https://sunlife.insure-systems.co.uk/SelfService/Security/Login/LoginRegister
How do I get Sunlife home insurance quotes?
To get a quote online at Sunlife, it couldn’t be simpler.
You can go on our home insurance comparison tool here and compare the main home insurance deals on the market. If Sunlife is the company that best suits your needs, then you just click on the ‘Get quote’ button and follow the whole process explained online.
To get Sunlife home insurance quotes, you will need to provide:
- Your personal information: ID, age, phone number and job
- Your address and postcode
- Your homeowner record (claims included)
- Your home description (type of property, the date it was built, how many square metres inside and outside)
- Your property related status: do you own it, rent it, have a mortgage on it, etc.
- Extras you’d like to get on your home insurance, contents sum insured and the excess you’d like to pay.
The types of questions you will be asked are typically:
- Are you a first-time buyer?
- Has the property ever suffered from subsidence, cracking, subsidence or undergone any underpinning (or showed any signs)?
- Has the property ever been damaged by flood?
- Has anyone living permanently at the property made any home claim(s) for loss or damage in the past X years (usually 3) or had any claim(s) made against them? etc.
5 tips to reduce your Sunlife house insurance quote
- Always shop around on home insurance comparison sites. If you do not auto renew and instead apply for new home insurance, you will easily be able to lower your house insurance cost and benefit from new customer discounts.
- Increase the excess amount you are willing to pay in case you make a claim.
- Choose the level of cover that is right for you. Insure with the right sum for both your buildings and contents insurance. If you do not have high value items, consider an ‘indemnity’ contents insurance rather than a ‘new for old’ one.
- Opt for a policy offering No Claim Bonus to lower your premium if you've gone for a few years without making any claim.
- Consider index-linked cover for building insurance to follow prices of building materials.
