How much does home insurance cost?

Key takeaways

• MoneySuperMarket customers paid an average of £251.37^{^} for home insurance in 2026

• Shopping around for the best deal can save you up to £193^{^} on your policy

• Your premiums can be affected by your property location, size, type and the personal belongings you have inside

How much does home insurance cost?

Home insurance prices are tailored to your individual circumstances. Insurers calculate premiums according to a range of factors, from the type and size of your home to the contents within.

As a guide, these are the cheapest and average prices currently paid by MoneySuperMarket customers for different types of home insurance.

With this data, "cheapest price" means 10% of our customers paid this price or less. "Average price" means 51% of our customers paid this price or less.

💡 Top tip: You can usually save money by combining buildings and contents cover under one policy.

Cost of home insurance

This video information is available as a Text Transcript

Why are home insurance premiums increasing?

Home insurance prices have been rising for several years, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), including a 19% jump between 2023 and 2024. This demonstrates how important it is to shop around for home insurance to give yourself the best chance of finding a good deal.

A number of different factors contribute towards the increase in home insurance premiums, including:

• Inflation: as the cost of living climbs, so do the costs associated with repairs and replacements

• Extreme weather: the UK has seen its fair share of weather-related claims, driving up premiums

• Building material costs: with higher prices for materials, the cost of rebuilding and repairs increases

• Claim frequency: An increase in the number of insurance claims naturally leads to higher premiums, including those from fraudulent activities

📣 Did you know? The average home insurance claim worked out at £6,200 in 2025, according to the ABI.

What affects the cost of home insurance?

Home insurance is split into different types, and you will pay more if you want to insure the actual building of your home as opposed to just the contents within.

Insurers will also assess your overall claim risk when setting home insurance premiums. This is based on a range of factors and personal details including your house size, where you live, and if you've claimed previously.

💡 Top tip: Comparing quotes 25^{^} days before your renewal could save you £5.35^{^} on average. Don’t renew at the last minute – this can lead to a higher annual premium.

What affects the cost of buildings insurance?

Your buildings insurance policy premiums will depend on the following:

• Location: Postcodes that are at a higher risk of flooding, subsidence, burst pipes or theft and burglary can often see higher premiums

• Age and type of property: Older properties or those with unique features may also cost more to insure

• Home floor space: Larger homes generally mean higher rebuild costs which means higher premiums

• Rebuild value: Your home’s rebuild value encompasses all potential labour and material costs to rebuild your entire home if the worst happens

💡 Top tip: You only need buildings insurance if you own your home. If you rent, your landlord is responsible for the buildings insurance.

What affects the cost of contents insurance?

Contents insurance protects the movable items within your home, such as carpets, appliances and furniture. The more it would cost to replace these items, and the more likely it is they could be stolen or damaged, the more you will generally pay.

When taking out contents insurance, it's important to accurately calculate the value of your possessions. Although policy premiums are generally cheaper if you select a lower cover level, being underinsured could leave you paying a lot of money out of pocket if you were the victim of a fire, flood, burglary or other issue.

High-value items will need to be declared separately to be properly covered. Check your insurance policy's single-item claim limit to see how they define high-value items as these can differ between insurers. Generally, anything worth over £1,500 needs to be declared separately.

You should also keep receipts or other proof of purchase for high-value items. To prevent fraud, insurers often look closely at claims for loss of expensive items and may deny the claim if you can't provide the documentation they request.

Should I get separate contents and buildings cover?

It's usually more expensive, but it may be most suitable in some circumstances. For instance, if you own a flat, the buildings cover might already be included in your management charges.

It's worth comparing the costs and cover of combined and separate policies, as sometimes having them apart can be more beneficial.

If you're unsure, you can speak to an insurance broker, who'll show you a breakdown of all your options. A broker may also have access to deals that aren’t publicly available.

Why do I need to value my home and contents for home insurance?

Getting an accurate and realistic valuation of your home and contents means you can get the right level of cover on your home insurance policy.

Underestimating could leave you underinsured when you need to claim, while overestimating means you’ll be paying more than you need to.

How do I calculate home contents insurance?

It’s best to take a systematic approach when calculating the cover amount you’ll need for your contents policy:

1. Go room by room and list everything you own.

2. Add an estimated value for each item, using receipts, bank statements or online prices as a guide.

3. Get professional valuations for high-value items such as jewellery or watches and check whether they need to be listed separately to be fully covered.

4. Total everything up to get a realistic overall figure.

You can also use our contents insurance calculator to help you assess how much cover you need.

How do I calculate home buildings insurance?

Determining the rebuild value of your home can be done through a professional residential property surveyor or by using tools like the MoneySuperMarket comparison tool, which provides estimates based on the information you provide and Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) data.

How can I get cheaper home insurance?

There are a few things you can try to reduce the cost of your home insurance policy:

• Pay annually: Paying your home insurance premiums in full often works out cheaper than spreading the cost over 12 months, even though there’s a bigger upfront cost

• Choose a higher excess: Setting your voluntary excess higher indicates you’re less likely to make a claim, so you’ll often get cheaper cover as a result

• Combine home insurance policies: Taking out contents and buildings insurance with the same provider can often be cheaper than covering each separately

• Upgrade your home security: Installing insurance-approved alarms and locks will make your home more secure and reduce the risk of burglary and theft, potentially reducing insurance costs too

• Compare quotes: You could save up to £193^{^} by comparing deals on home insurance through MoneySuperMarket