Home Insurance - Before you Insure

Third Party Liability covers your legal responsibility for injury or damage caused to others while using your vehicle or property. This includes compensation for bodily injury, property damage, and legal fees.

Learn more about what’s covered under your 123.ie policy here: What does Third Party Liability cover in car insurance?​.

An insurance endorsement is a formal update to your policy that changes its terms. It can expand or limit coverage based on new circumstances.

For example, if you are carrying out home renovations, an endorsement may temporarily adjust your cover during construction.

Endorsements can be added at the start of your policy or mid-term if your circumstances change.

For a full breakdown, check out our detailed guide here: What is an endorsement on my insurance policy?.

You should insure your home for its full rebuild cost, not its market value.

This means covering the cost to rebuild from the ground up, including demolition and debris removal. Your sum insured should reflect everything that makes up the structure, including fixtures, fittings, and outbuildings.

To estimate your rebuild cost, use the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland’s guidelines and adjust for any high-end finishes.

For a full breakdown, see How much should I insure my buildings for?

What is a Schedule of Insurance?

Your Schedule of Insurance is a handy document that summarises all the important details specific to your insurance policy. Think of it as a personalised snapshot—clearly laying out the key info such as:

• Your personal details
• Exactly what's covered
• Policy start and end dates
• Any specific terms or endorsements that apply to you

We always recommend double-checking your schedule carefully. Keep this document safe, along with your other policy documents, so you can refer to it whenever you need it.

Spotted a mistake, or something unclear? Give us a quick call on 01 524 6000 or send an email complaints@123.ie - we’ll happily clear things up.

A Statement of Fact is a clear summary of all the important details you've provided about yourself, your vehicle, and your insurance needs. It confirms the information we use to set up your policy.

Make sure it’s accurate—need changes? Let us know straight away.

A proposal form gathers all the important details we need from you to set up your insurance, such as your claims history, car details, or your home’s rebuild cost. At 123.ie, it’s quick, easy, and paper-free—done online or over the phone. Simple!

Yes, 123.ie provides a 14-day cooling-off period for Car, Home, Van, Health and Travel Insurance policies. This period starts either from your policy's start date or when you receive your policy documents, whichever is later.

If you cancel within this timeframe, you'll be charged only for the days covered. However, keep in mind that if a claim has been made, no refund is due.

For more details, see Is there a cooling-off period for my policy?​.

Utmost Good Faith is the obligation to voluntarily, accurately, and fully disclose all material facts related to the insurance risk, regardless of whether they are specifically requested.

Being transparent about all relevant details ensures your policy is valid and provides the right coverage. For more information, review our policy documents or contact us for assistance.

If there is more than one owner of the property, all owners should be listed as joint proposers on your Home Insurance policy. Your mortgage provider may also require all individuals named on the mortgage to be included.

Need further assistance? Get in touch with our Customer Care team at 01 524 6029 or send us an email at info@123.ie. ​

Contents insurance should cover household goods and personal belongings, including furniture, electronics, clothing, and items stored in sheds or garages. To calculate the right amount of cover, estimate the cost of replacing all items as new.

For a detailed guide on valuing your home contents, see How do I value and cover my home contents?

Reinstatement means repairing, restoring, or rebuilding a property after it has been damaged. While most settlements are made by cash or cheque, some Home Insurance policies allow either the policyholder or insurer to opt for reinstatement instead.

123.ie ensures your home is protected with flexible settlement options. Need more details? Contact us or email info@123.ie.

High-value items are possessions of significant worth, such as:

• Jewellery or precious metals
• Artworks
• Books
• Furs
• Antiques
• Fine wines
• Stamps or coins

To make sure these items are covered correctly, you can use your My123 account to check your contents sums insured.

For more information, please refer to your policy documents or contact us to explore adding extra protection.

A joint policyholder refers to when two or more individuals are insured under a single policy. Our Home policies can be in joint names.

If you need help with adding or managing a joint policyholder, contact us for assistance or review your policy documents to understand your cover.

A property is considered unoccupied if no member of your household or authorised person lives in it for over 45 consecutive days. If your property is unoccupied, your Home Insurance coverage may be affected.

Need more help? Contact our Customer Care team at 01 524 6029 or send us an email at Info@123.ie.

Buildings insurance covers your home's structure, fixtures, and fittings, including fitted kitchens, bathrooms, walls, fences, gates, and outbuildings. Contents insurance protects your household goods and personal items inside your home, belonging to you, your family, or resident domestic employees.

For full details on your Home Insurance policy, including cover limits and exclusions, see your policy documents.

For other queries, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our Customer Care team—we're always here to clearly guide you through what your policy covers.

Think of proximate cause as the main event setting off a chain reaction leading directly to your loss. Pinpointing this initial trigger matters, because it decides if your claim is covered or not.

How do insurers determine proximate cause?

Our claims handlers and loss adjusters jump into action to investigate what really caused your loss. With their expert detective skills, they make sure every claim receives a fair assessment based strictly on your policy.

Remember, coverage kicks in only when the cause aligns clearly with your policy’s terms, conditions, and exclusions.

Why is a proximate cause important in insurance?

Simply put, your claim outcome hinges on whether your policy covers the specific event behind your loss. Good news—if your policy covers that initial cause, your claim sails through approval. But if it doesn’t, unfortunately, your claim might hit a snag.

Have more questions about claims and cover? Contact us for expert guidance, or check your policy documents for details specific to your policy.

Yes, installing an approved intruder alarm system can qualify you for a discount on your annual premium. To be eligible, the alarm must:

• Be installed by a company regulated by the Private Security Authority.

• Meet current European standards.

Once you notify 123.ie, an alarm clause will be added to your Home Insurance policy. This clause outlines conditions you must follow to maintain full coverage. For more details, see Will an alarm system lower my insurance premium?.

No, you can choose any Home Insurance provider for your building's cover. Your mortgage provider will only require a letter of indemnity as proof of insurance.

If your home insurance policy is cancelled or not renewed, we will notify your mortgage provider.When setting up your policy, provide us with your mortgage details to ensure this is included in your policy documents.

Looking for home insurance that works for you? Contact us for expert support on setting up your policy the right way.

In insurance, ‘risk’ can mean two things:

1. The insured item – This is what is being covered, such as a car, home, or belongings.

2. The insured event – This is the situation you are protected against, like theft, fire, or accidental damage.

For example, if you insure your car, the car itself is the insured risk, while events like theft or a collision are the risks you’re covered against. Insurers assess both to determine policy coverage, terms, and premiums.

Need help to understand your cover? We’re here to help. Contact us for guidance or review your policy documents for full details.

Yes, you do. If your home is within 100 metres of a lake, river, stream, canal, or sea, you need to let us know when applying for Home Insurance.

It’s also important to tell us if your property—or the area around it—has ever had flood damage. If this information isn’t shared upfront, your cover may not be valid, and future claims might not be paid.

We’re here to make things clearer so you can protect what matters most, so don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions.

No, you don’t have to by law—but if you have a mortgage, your lender will almost always require you to have Home Insurance. It protects their investment in case something happens to the property.

At 123.ie, we make protecting your home simple. If you need help getting started, contact us - we’re here to help.

No, you don’t need to send us any documents before buying your policy with 123.ie. Once your cover is active, we’ll ask for specific documents for Car Insurance customers (e.g. proof of your No Claims Bonus, named driving experience, or driver’s licence) to issue your insurance certificate and disc.

For all the details on what’s required and how to send it to us, check out: Do I need to send documents before buying a policy?.

Non-disclosure happens when you don’t share information that’s needed when you’re applying for, renewing, or changing your policy.

Insurers rely on the details you give to set up your cover and keep it right throughout the year. If important information is left out, your insurer may cancel your policy, reduce the amount they pay, or refuse to pay a claim.

Not sure what counts as relevant info? We can help. Contact us or read your policy documents to stay on the right track.

Yes, if you have a Home Insurance policy with 123.ie, you can choose a higher excess (€1,000) to lower your premium. The standard home excess is €500.

For Car Insurance, the excess is fixed at €300. Travel Insurance excess varies depending on the type of claim. For Van Insurance, the excess is fixed at the amount shown on your policy Schedule and cannot be altered to lower your premium.

Looking for more details? See Can I increase my excess to lower my premium?.

We don’t currently offer quotes on unoccupied properties. If you already have a Home Insurance policy with us and your home is now unoccupied, give our Customer Care team a call on 01 524 6029. We’ll help you understand what this means for your cover.

Have a question or need to update your policy? Contact us or review your policy documents to check your current cover.

If you received the message, "123.ie is currently unable to offer you a quote," it means the details provided fall outside our acceptance criteria.

For further assistance, please contact the sales team of the product you’re interested in via phone or email.

A peril is an event or cause that leads to a loss covered by insurance. For example, fire is considered a peril under Home Insurance, as it can result in property damage and financial loss.

An insurance premium is the amount you pay to an insurance company to cover a specific risk, such as your Car or Home, for a set period of time - typically one year. Terms and conditions apply, see our policy documents for more information.

Yes. If you haven’t made a claim in the last period of insurance, we will increase your No Claims Discount on your Home Insurance policy by 1 year, subject to a maximum of 7 years.

Just a heads-up, though—if you make a claim during your policy year, your No Claims Discount will reset to zero at your next renewal. Unlike Car Insurance, there's no option to protect your No Claims Discount on a home policy.

An exclusion is something your policy doesn’t cover. It’s a clearly listed situation, item, or event that isn’t included in your insurance.

For example, if your vehicle is stolen while left unlocked, you may not be covered. You’ll find all exclusions, terms, and conditions in our policy documents.

We offer discounts across different types of cover, but they can vary depending on several factors. For example, if you already have a Home Insurance policy with us, you could save on a new Car Insurance policy—and the same goes in reverse.

These multi-policy discounts are usually available when you buy over the phone and are subject to minimum premium requirements.

We aim to provide the most competitive price available at the time of quoting. For a full breakdown of available discounts and how they work, check out: How can I get a discount on my insurance policy?.

A property is considered unfurnished if it is not adequately furnished or equipped for normal living purposes. Being unfurnished can affect your Home Insurance cover, so it’s worth checking how this applies to your policy. You’ll find more details in your policy documents.

The limit of liability refers to the maximum amount an insurance company will pay for a covered event or item. This cap may apply within a specific timeframe.

For instance, the personal accident benefit for Car Insurance has a yearly limit of €5,000. For more information on specific limits, see our policy documents.

You need to be a resident of the Republic of Ireland to buy Car, Travel, Health, and Van insurance with 123.ie. That’s part of the eligibility criteria for those products. For Home Insurance, we might be able to offer you a quote - if the property is located in Ireland.

To chat through your options, contact our different sales teams on:

• Car - 01 518 1403 / Motor@123.ie.
• Home - 01 518 1401 / household@123.ie.
• Travel - 091 501 677 / traveldept@MAWDY.com.
• Health - 01 518 1400 / Health@123.ie
• Van - 01 241 8536 / Info@123.ie

Personal effects are everyday items you typically wear or carry with you—like jewellery, watches or rings, excluding contact lenses, hearing aids and dentures. Personal effects are typically covered under your Home Insurance policy.

You need to be a resident of the Republic of Ireland to buy Car, Travel, Health, and Van insurance with 123.ie. That’s part of the eligibility criteria for those products. For Home Insurance, we might be able to offer you a quote - if the property is located in Ireland.

To chat through your options, contact our different sales teams on:

• Car - 01 518 1403 / Motor@123.ie.
• Home - 01 518 1401 / household@123.ie.
• Travel - 091 501 677 / traveldept@MAWDY.com.
• Health - 01 518 1400 / Health@123.ie
• Van - 01 241 8536 / Info@123.ie

Yes—when renting, you typically only need contents insurance, as your landlord insures the building. Get a quick Home Insurance quote online or by calling 01 518 1401. We're available Monday–Friday (9am–5.30pm) and Saturday (9am–3pm). For details, see our policy documents.