Building & Contents Insurance

..... before I started my new life here in Italy, insurance was my occupation. I specialised in property, so might be able to help. What's your issue? PM me if you don't want to go into detail in the open.

Presumably the question is:'If I spill my custard (if I have any) on the kitchen floor can I claim for cleaning my cotto tiles (another thread)?

Hi From Now OnHope you are having a good time in Italy.I insure in the UK with Hiscox but they were very expensive for insuring in in Italy and excluded earthquake damage. Have now insured with Intasure with £150.00 excess ( very impressed so far - haven't had to make a claim yet though!) I have earthquake cover - but with an excess specifically for earthquake damage of £5,000. Jinty     

 slightly off subject to your question and we all have our own way of dealing with things so no crticism meant but the quake site will only show you what has been.....  what is more importat is to see before you buy in Italy where your property is located in terms of earthquake risk... ie the purple/red areas on the italy map... these have a pretty equal spread from north to south all along the appenines but in general to the westen side with few exceptions... heading towards venice being one and sicily being the other...the most marked area for quakes is most probably the southern half of Italy... not central... however those areas marked as being in zones red and above are situated along that part of the country where the two plates meet...hence the appenines ... and in reallity despite the fact that most tremors during the last months have centred on the central abruzzo/lazio areas as the earth settles back into place you will find that once this happens the quakes will brake out anywhere and everywhere along that line ... the sure thing here is that it would be very rare... to have a quake within the next fifty years or so  as the earth has released its energy via L'Aquila and it usually takes a while for the same sorts of pressures to build up again... thats a statistic not a guarantee..therefore a major quake outside the central lazio/abruzzo region that border the appenines to the west  is now almost a certainty ...  within ten years... as pent up pressures build in some new spot... however major quakes can be preceeded by several small tremors or not...  often the most violent ones being where there has been an intense build up with no smaller releases before  and it all letting go at once...in reallity the size f the quake in L'Aquila in terms of major world quakes even by italian standarsds was quite small... it was where it was centred upon and the buildings that were not built to or restored to seismic 1 regulations that caused the extensive damage and loss of life... in fact since the L'Aquila quake they have run several hospital building inspections and it will be no suprise to hear that many of the new hospital in sesimic one areas especially in sicily and calabria and campania would not be safe places to be even if there was a small tremor...as the sand ratio is so high within the wals they have trouble finding any cement or steel at all... what they do ... cannot close them all ... and they generally like the L'Aquila one cost double the normal price to build as local provincial regional governments plus their mates in the building trade skim most of the money before a single brick gets laid...so check the map and your building...and you will be safe...second guessing where the next quake will be might kill you.....