Does Home Insurance Cover My Artwork?
Caeva O'Callaghan | June 27th, 2023
Your valuable artwork and furniture is covered by your home insurance, but if you have a very fancy valuable collection you may need extra cover. Read on to find out more.
Yes – your artwork is considered content and is therefore covered against insured perils. However, many standard home insurance providers have limits on what you can claim.
Artwork tends to be costly, and replacing it may not always be covered by your premium. If you have a large collection or a particularly valuable piece of art, you may need separate insurance.
In this article, we’ll answer the following questions:
- Does my home insurance cover my artwork?
- What happens if my artwork is damaged by fire or a leak?
- Can I claim on my home insurance if my artwork is stolen?
All in all, if you’re wondering whether you need specialist insurance, you should consult a home insurance broker. Give us a call and we’ll be able to give you some advice.
Artwork and home insurance
Common or garden home insurance policies will cover works of art as standard. They count among your personal possessions, and are assumed not to leave the house. This means they fall under your normal contents cover.
Insurance companies factor in that many people have relatively inexpensive works of art in their home. These pieces may be originals, but they’re not worth much in the grand scheme of things.
Risks to artwork
You don’t have to be the owner of an Old Masters original to be the target of art thieves. Some burglars will grab anything they think is worth something. A few may even know the true monetary value of what they’re looking at. But, art theft is incredibly rare. A bigger threat to your art when a break-in happens is damage to your art or antique furniture.
If a burglar knocks it off the wall, smashes it or otherwise ruins your art, your insurance may be able to help pay for it. Always secure your art to the wall firmly and use solid frames to lessen the risk.
Another big risk to artwork is fire. Most traditional art – canvases, paint, wood, etc – is very flammable. Others (concrete, metal sculptures, for example) can still come to harm via flames or smoke.
Your art won’t be immune to water damage, either. Damp walls, leaks, burst pipes and storm damage can ruin artworks as well. If a window breaks due to a tree branch falling, the flying glass may hit your art. If a leak behind a wall goes unnoticed for a long time, you may have a nasty surprise in store. Your favourite picture could be hiding a nasty black patch of mold, spreading all over the inside of the frame.
Policy limitations
The biggest factor affecting works of art or valuable furniture when it comes to home insurance is how much the piece is worth. This is because many standard home insurance policies come with limits. This means your insurance provider may only pay out so much for one particular item.
Specialist insurance
Concerned about your prized artwork? You can get specialist insurance from certain providers. They will provide you with a bespoke quote, depending on your needs.
Insurers like these will require you get a professional to value your artwork, before they take you on. It’s always a great idea to keep receipts of sale whenever you can for your art.
Specialist art insurance providers aren’t exactly well known: it’s a niche market. This is why it is so useful to use a home insurance broker like QuoteMe.ie. All of our qualified and friendly professionals carry this information in their heads, and can advise you quickly and effectively. Give us a call and we’ll talk you through the different options. There may only be a small difference in premium, but if you have one or two valuable pieces of furniture or art, it is well worth getting the advice and the right cover.
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