Covered for what it is actually worth

Most significant houses are insured on numbers nobody has checked in years — a rebuild cost from a previous decade, contents that have quietly doubled, a collection that has never been scheduled. We put the cover right: proper valuations, specialist insurers who understand listed buildings and collections, and the policies the household's staff and vehicles require.

Then we keep it right, reviewing annually as the house changes. And when something goes wrong, we run the claim — evidence, contractors' quotes, loss adjuster meetings — until it is settled properly.