Everything you need to know about Home Insurance

Home insurance protects your property’s building and contents against loss, theft or damage caused by flooding, fire, storms, subsidence and escaped water. Listed buildings are properties of historical or architectural significance, and you’ll often need to take out a specialised listed building policy as many insurers don’t offer standard cover for these buildings.

If you’re a tenant you’ll only need to take out a renters insurance policy – this will let you cover your personal belongings. Your landlord should have their own buildings cover in place, and while they may also have a contents policy this will only apply to items they’ve supplied for the property, such as furniture.

How much does home insurance cost?

Buildings

£112 per year. Buildings insurance covers damage to the structure of your home and permanent fixtures such as bathroom suites and fitted kitchens.

Contents

£65 per year. Contents insurance protects your possessions and belongings, and usually includes furniture, mobile phones, laptops and clothing.

Combined

£146 per year. Combined home insurance offers cover for both buildings and contents - and can be cheaper than two separate policies.

How to get a cheaper insurance quote –

Get quotes from several insurers.

You can usually get a no-claims discount if you’ve gone several years without a claim.

Paying for your insurance in an annual lump sum works out cheaper than paying monthly.

Asking for a higher excess implies you’re less likely to claim, so you get a lower premium.