The moment you sign and the moment protection begins aren't necessarily the same day – it's worth learning the rules between the two before you sign. Start of cover, waiting periods, continuity when switching: three questions that decide whether an uncovered day ever appears on the calendar.
- Cover typically starts from the date set out in the contract – often from midnight the day after the offer is made, once the premium is settled; the exact rule comes from the terms.
- Waiting periods in home insurance typically apply in few places – mostly for a handful of special risks.
- When switching, the goal is no gap, no overlap – the end of the old policy and the start of the new one should line up exactly.
The start of cover
The insurer stands behind you from the date the contract fixes as the start of cover. This is typically the date requested as the start – often midnight the day after the offer is made – provided the contract comes into being and the premium is settled under the rules in force at the time. The exact schedule can differ between insurers, so rather than a rule of thumb, it's worth checking your own offer and policy – ideally at signing (see how signing works). This isn't a formality: if a claim arrives at the wrong moment, the first question is whether cover had already started – so it's worth setting the dates deliberately, not leaving them to chance.
Certificate of cover: when the bank needs one
With a mortgage, the bank typically asks for a certificate confirming that buildings insurance is in place on the property, with a mortgagee clause in its favour. The good news: a certificate of cover can typically be issued shortly after signing, so the mortgage process doesn't stall – the mortgage contract and the bank's own guidance govern the details. If you're switching insurer alongside a mortgage, there's a separate schedule worth watching: we cover it here. The same logic applies when buying a home: it creates a clean situation if the start of cover lines up with the handover of possession.
Waiting periods: where, and why?
In home insurance, a waiting period typically applies in few places: mostly for certain special risks – flood, for instance – where the rule protects the community against taking out cover against a danger that's already visible. In these cases, cover only becomes live once the period set out in the terms has passed after the start of cover. Whether your package includes one and how long it runs is answered by the waiting-period section of the terms – one question before signing, and the picture is clear. One important distinction: a waiting period isn't an exclusion, it's a rule about timing – but no new policy, of any kind, ever covers a loss that has already happened and is already known about.
When switching: continuity is the yardstick
When switching, we line up the timing of two contracts: the old one's cancellation follows its own rules – at renewal, or within the March switching window, under the rules in force at the time – and the new one's cover starts on the very day after the old one ends. That way there's no uncovered day, and no double premium either. The order matters: the new cover's accepted offer should be in place first, and only then should the old policy's cancellation go out. The exact sequence is shown in the switching step by step article – and I'm happy to take the timing off your hands: run the numbers in minutes, and let's talk through the schedule.
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