Private Client
Welcome to La Playa’s Private Client Group. Our insurance brokers provide specialist home insurance and independent financial advice for discerning private clients. Our 'joined-up' approach is founded on an in-depth understanding of our clients, a high calibre team of advisers and a commitment to excellence in service.
Read our Private Client Brochure>>
With financial affairs more complex than ever, the need for personal and attentive service is growing. Amid the increasingly impersonal and automated world of large corporations, La Playa remains committed to providing individual advice and cover based on an in-depth understanding of your specific situation.
Why Choose La Playa Private Client?
La Playa’s offering is very different from the mass market home insurance companies that you see clamouring to beat each others’ “discounts” on television.
If price is the only factor governing your choice of insurer and you have the time to shop around, you might prefer a “no-frills” policy from the high street or internet. However, if your assets are more substantial or complex, and your property is valued at £350,000 or more, we’d advise you to opt for a specialist policy that more closely reflects your needs. At this level La Playa offers competitive insurance solutions – and a level of service that will save you a great deal of valuable time.
We’ll take time to tailor cover for your specific insurance needs and give you the advice you need to protect your home and assets. La Playa clients enjoy…
- Exceptionally personal service
- Expert advice
- Individual risk assessment so you don’t pay for cover you don’t need
- Comprehensive cover
- First class claims handling
Why use a broker?
As a specialist broker, we believe we really earn our commission. Unlike the automated “computer says no” approach of some vast corporations, we give you real time from a real person with real expertise – which yields tangible benefits. Paying for an insurance policy that doesn’t live up to its promises is just money down the drain.
- Time saving: you can spend hours online searching for insurance – but often you’re comparing apples with oranges. Wouldn’t you rather talk to someone who understands your needs and can take the stress out of buying insurance? Using La Playa to seek out the most appropriate policy for you can save lots of time. We’ll also help you connect with advice on security, fire safety, valuations, surveyors, reinstatement value and art/antiques/jewellery collections.
- Expert advice: by helping you manage your risks better, we can often secure better premium rates. We can also advise on the sums you need to insure – a good broker should have a sound knowledge of changing trends and values in the art and antiques market, for example. As well as making sure you have comprehensive cover, individual advice could help reduce your premium – for example, if gold prices drop, you shouldn’t pay as much to insure your gold jewellery. Conversely, if your period property is insured for its market value, this may not be enough to cover the cost of specialist craftsmen and authentic materials you’d need to reinstate it after a loss.
- Knowledge of the market: we scrutinise home insurance policies every day, checking for small-print exclusions that could cause a problem and penny-pinching shortcuts that some policies carry. We know which policies really hold water and know those insurers who can really deliver on the service they promise.
- Understanding your needs: we’ll take time to talk through your lifestyle and priorities – for example, if you only wear 30% of your jewellery collection, why pay to insure 100% being out of the safe?
Why do you need a specialist policy?
Specialist High Net Worth insurance policies offer really comprehensive cover – with worldwide “All Risks” cover, they’re designed for busy folk with “non-standard” assets and lifestyles. Many also include extra covers such as travel insurance, liability (e.g.: for domestic staff), legal expenses, identity theft, car-jacking, aggravated burglary and stalking. Standard insurance is based on historical statistics - if your home and lifestyle don’t fit with “national average” profiles, you could find yourself…
- Paying too much: many specialist insurers offer lower rates for higher value properties to reflect the care taken – history documents them as lower risk. Why pay for the neglect of others?
- Over-insured: the market value of some properties is higher than the rebuild value – land prices causing the price difference. Specialist insurers offer an individual appraisal to set accurate rebuild costs.
- Significantly under-insured: again, appraisals avoid the danger of your sums insured being wrong. How can you be expected to know the cost of replacing 18th century floor tiles? Standard policies may also limit the sums you can insure.
- Having problems getting cover: listed, period and properties of unusual construction are the norm for specialist insurers, and their rates reflect this.
- Restricted by warranties: e.g. occupancy, safe and alarm clauses that can catch you out.
- Out of pocket when you make a claim:
- Listed buildings are protected by law: you may be forced to fund the difference between standard repairs and authentic materials required. Specialist policies may provide extra cover and a survey.
- Antique jewellery? A standard policy may only allow for repairs/replacement at a high-street jeweller and may not cover items if they’re not in a safe or being worn.
- Stolen antique furniture? It probably can’t be replaced easily. Specialist policies offer a full cash payment so that you can choose not to replace, or source your own supplier.
- Burst pipe under your valuable slate floor? If the plumber has to break through the floor to access it, the resulting damage is probably not covered on a standard policy
- Inherited some paintings? You’ll need advice on getting them valued to make sure you don’t fall into the common trap of under-insurance.
- Damaged the fabric of the building? Non-specialist repairs using inappropriate materials may affect the integrity and value of the property.
- Depreciation: even after repairs, damaged art and antiques may lose value: specialist policies will reimburse you for the difference
Arranging your insurance needn’t be like changing your will – we don’t like forms either, so we offer a hassle-free set-up with a simple phone call: 01223 200650. If this is the kind of service you’re after, look no further!
Mike Taylor-West ACII
Director, Private Client and Marine
mike.taylorwest@laplayainsurance.com
 | Talk to me on 020 7002 1544 |
Testimonial
“Friendly, intelligent, up to the mark and full of common sense.”
Richard S, Private Client
