HOME INSURANCE
What do I need to run a home insurance quote?
Insurance for your home includes contents insurance and buildings insurance, so that your belongings and your bricks and mortar are protected against fire, flooding, storm damage and theft
When applying for home contents and buildings insurance, you will need the following information:
Details about your property
- Your address and property type (eg semi-detached or terraced)
- Number of rooms
- When your home was built
- What percentage of the roof is flat (we’ll help you work this out)
- Number of occupants and when they tend to be home
Rebuilding cost and value of contents
- Based on your postcode, we’ll suggest a figure for the cost
Security at your property
- What lock types are on the windows and doors at your home?
How to cut the cost of home insurance
MoneySuperMarket data found the average cost of home insurance (combined) in Summer 2017 (May to July) was £117.
Here are our top tips on how to reduce the amount you pay for cover:
- Shop around: Compare quotes from different insurers to ensure you are getting the best price. Market research company, Consumer Intelligence, found that 51% of customers could save up to £75 when comparing policies through us.
- Increase your excess: The higher the excess, the lower your premium will be. Make sure the amount you choose is affordable should you need to make a claim.
- Pay annually: Interest charges are often added when you opt for monthly payments, so paying annually could reduce the amount you pay overall.
- Build your no claims bonus: Insurers offer discounts if you have a claim-free history, in some cases up to 50% off.
For more tips, read our money-saving
*51% of customers could save up to £75.01 Consumer Intelligence, June 2017.
What type of insurance should I get?
Finding the right house insurance policy for your home depends on whether you own or rent a property. If you have a mortgage, your bank or building society will require you to have buildings insurance. If the house is rented, then buildings insurance will be the responsibility of your landlord, but you will need contents cover to protect your possessions.
You can reduce the cost of home insurance by taking out a combined buildings and contents insurance policy with an insurer that offers a discount if you buy both types from them.
What is the difference between buildings and contents insurance?
Buildings insurance provides cover for the structural elements of your home, such as the windows or roof, and covers the cost of repairs or rebuilding work.
Contents insurance, however, provides protection for your valuables, such as laptops or TVs, and covers your home contents against loss, theft or damage.
Both types of insurance usually cover loss or damage caused by:
Theft or attempted theft
Fire, explosion or vandalism
Flood or water leakage
Storm, lightning or fallen trees
How much cover will I need?
Buildings insurance cover is based on how much it would cost to rebuild your property, rather than how much your house is valued on the market. When you run a buildings insurance quote, we’ll suggest a rebuild amount using data about your address provided by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
The amount of buildings cover you need is based on how much it would cost to rebuild your property, rather than its market value. When you run a buildings insurance quote, we’ll suggest a rebuild amount using data about your address provided by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
The amount of content cover you need will be based on the total value of your contents within your home. When running a quote, you might find it helpful to work out the value of the contents of each room in turn before adding them together for your grand total. We’ll ask you about the value of expensive single items in your home such as laptops, jewellery, bicycles and items worth more than £1,000, to ensure your possessions are adequately covered.
- Charmian, Truro
01 Jul 2017
- Dan, Strathpeffer
21 Jun 2017
- Beverley, Tadcaster
12 Jun 2017
- Philip, Shaftesbury
03 May 2017
Home insurance guides
You and your home
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