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Contents insurance is a type of home insurance policy that covers personal belongings and possessions in your house in the event of loss, damage, or theft.
This type of policy also protects your belongings from events outside your control, including fire, storms, floods, ground moving below your property (aka subsidence) and water leaks.
Contents insurance only offers protection for items within your home and can be purchased separately, but you can also combine contents and buildings insurance under one home insurance policy.
Home contents insurance policies will cover pretty much everything you own, except the actual building itself. An item is also covered if it’s something you would take with you when moving home. It's important to remember there will likely be a single article limit i.e. any item worth more than £1,000, such as engagement rings, probably won't be covered unless listed separately on your policy.
Gadgets - such as mobile phones, laptops and cameras
Electrical items - such as televisions, desktops and games consoles
Money and financial documents - bonds and deeds, for instance
Furniture - sofas, chairs, tables
Furnishings - such as curtains and carpets
White goods
Clothing
Jewellery and watches
Artwork, ornaments, books
Sporting equipment and musical instruments
Household belongings are generally covered against unexpected events outside of your control, although exactly what you're covered against will be specified in each policy.
You'll typically be covered for damage or loss of items due to:
Theft
Vandalism
Fire and explosions
Flooding and burst pipes
Storms
There are two main types of contents insurance:
New for old, also known as 'as new', policies, will pay out for the full cost of repair of a damaged item, or for the equivalent new item. It is the more expensive type of cover because you can get back the full value of the items you claim for.
An indemnity insurance policy pays you what the item you claim for is worth now, not what you paid for it. This type of policy tends to be cheaper because the pay-out reflects depreciation or wear and tear, so you might not get back the full value, just the cost of replacing an item of the same age or condition as yours.
As with any insurance, there are a few key considerations before choosing your contents insurance policy:
Some policies may offer 'replacement of sets' cover, where an item from a matching set (e.g. kitchen units or furniture sets) is replaced if damaged. This type of cover helps you replace the whole set if the individual item cannot be repaired or replaced
Contents insurance policies don't offer cover that adjusts with inflation, so you should review your policy regularly to ensure you have the correct amount of cover for the changing value of your belongings
Some items fall into a grey area. Items that can be easily removed without damage (e.g. carpets) are covered by contents insurance, while permanent fixtures (e.g. fitted wardrobes) are covered by buildings insurance
The amount of contents insurance you need will differ depending on what you own and which items you would like to insure. Insurers often use three methods to work out how much cover you need:
Bedroom rated - this is where the cover is calculated based on the number of rooms in your home
Sum insured - is the cover based on the estimate of the total value of the things you own
Unlimited cover - this covers everything up to an unlimited amount (there may be limits for particularly expensive belongings)
A good way of figuring out how much cover you need yourself is to calculate how much it would cost to replace all of the possessions you would like to insure in your home.
This includes items you would like to take with you if you moved house. You can then find a policy offering your desired level of cover.
Remember to check the insurance provider's policy documents or the insurer's website to ensure you have the right level of cover.
Contents insurance protects your belongings from most major threats, but not everything will be covered as standard. If you want extra peace of mind, you should think about adding the following:
This is for when you accidentally break a possession, for instance knocking over an ornament while doing the dusting. It’s easily done, but could be long lamented if you don’t have the right cover for accidents.
This protects your possessions while you’re out and about, but you usually have to declare which items you want to cover, supplying your insurance company with details and values.
This will cover the costs if you need any assistance or repairs because of a domestic emergency, such as a burst pipe or broken boiler. Either can be a mightmare that you want sorted out as soon as possible.
If your children are away at university and they take their laptop or phone with them, you may be able to arrange affordable cover for their belongings.
You can add extra insurance cover for any valuable items you own if their value exceeds the limits of your policy. That usually means individual items worth £1,000 or more.
Legal expenses insurance can help you cover the cost of certain legal fees, such as boundary disputes and personal injury claims which can arise when you least expect it.
The average cost of a contents insurance policy is £84.05iii but this can vary based on a few factors, including:
Your address
Building type and size of your property
How many people are living with you
The nature and number of claims you have previously made
Contents insurance policies are not terribly expensive, but there are steps you can take to get a cheaper quote:
Prices vary between insurance companies, so get a range of quotes from different insurers to see how much you could save. Be clear about the level of cover you need to get accurate quotes and once you’ve found the best deal, don't forget to shop around when it's time to renew insurance
If you don’t need any added insurance extras like accidental damage cover, you could cut your cost by opting for basic cover only. But bear in mind that will limit the amount you can claim for
High-quality locks, burglar alarms, smoke alarms and joining a Neighbourhood Watch scheme can all reduce your premiums. The safer your home, the less likely you may need to claim on an insurance policy. But check with insurers before installing expensive security that may not help reduce costs
Most insurance policies include an 'excess', which is the amount you pay towards any claim. If you agree to increase the excess you will usually pay a lower upfront cost. But bear in mind that you will need to stump up the amount of the excess if you need to claim
Many insurers charge extra if you pay by monthly direct debit. You’ll save money if you make a one-off, annual payment instead, if you can afford it
Insurers usually reward people who have not made any claims in the past with a cheaper policy premium. You may even be able to protect your no-claims discount after you’ve built it up
Home insurance in any form isn’t a legal requirement – but it is a good idea. Here are some people who could benefit from taking out a policy:
Homeowners with a mortgage are generally required to get buildings insurance, so a combined home insurance policy will protect your belongings too
Your landlord will likely have a buildings insurance policy in place already, but that won't protect your possessions in cases of burglary, fire, flooding or storm damage. Though you might want a specific renters’ insurance policy to cover your possessions
Lodgers have a slightly different legal status than regular renters, but you can still get lodgers’ insurance to ensure your possessions are insured
Living in halls with people you don't know may mean you're more likely to experience theft, accidental damage or loss of personal items. Specialist policies designed for students will provide peace of mind that your valuables are insured
People living in a flat share need separate policies for each member of the household
Buy-to-let owners need a different type of policy for properties they rent out called landlord contents insurance
Whatever cover you’re looking for, the easiest way to find the best policy is by comparing quotes online. You can compare policies in one simple search on MoneySuperMarket.
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When looking for a home insurance policy, it's important to get the right cover for your home. Here is what insurers will ask you for when you're getting a quote:
Go around your home and make a list of all the contents, including items in areas such as your loft, garden, garage, and shed
If you have any jewellery, luxury clothing, or items such as electric bikes, which exceed the cost of £1,000, you will need to disclose this when you take out cover
Insurers will ask for your name, address, anyone who lives in the property with you, and when you are usually home
You will be asked about the type of property you live in, including details such as locks and alarms systems installed
You can add additional cover when taking out a home insurance policy, including accidental damage, and away from home cover for specific items such as phones and laptops
You will also need to inform insurers of any previous claims made in the past five years
Contents insurance is the perfect way to protect your possessions, but you need to be wary when you buy it. Work to the value of your belongings and be as accurate as possible so that if you need to claim, you have the cover you need. Make sure you declare your valuables, too.
Keep up to date and find out all you need to know with our latest guides.
Contents insurance does cover theft as standard, but most policies will cost more if you also want theft cover for your belongings when you take them out of the house. Likewise, high-value items may need to be itemised on your policy to ensure they are covered.
Contents insurance does cover mobile phones, but if your phone is worth more than a certain value, often £1,000, you’ll have to inform your insurer that you need it covered specifically.
For electronic items you use a lot, including those you carry with you when you leave the house, you might want to consider taking out a more specialised gadget policy.
It does, but if it's worth more than the single-item limit listed in the small print, often around £1,000, you will need to inform your insurer that you own it. Bikes aren’t usually covered by contents insurance when you have them outside the home. You need a separate out-of-home policy add-on for that.
The single-item limit is the most an insurer will pay to replace any individual items that hasn’t been specifically listed. The limit will depend on your provider and will be specified in your home insurance policy, but it's often around £1,000. If you need to cover anything worth more than that, you should mention it as a high-risk item.
As well as there being a cover limit for your items, there are other exclusions that may affect your claims. For example, some providers also have a maximum claim limit for all valuable items. So, if several items are stolen or damaged at once, you may not be able to reclaim their full value.
High-risk items are your most valuable possessions, the ones which cost the most to replace. You need to let your insurer know about each one, and you'll be able to specify items when comparing quotes for home insurance.
Your home office equipment is likely to be covered under your contents policy, but it's always worth double checking the fine print to make sure.
Most insurers let you do this, but you’ll need to get in touch with them if you’ve made a major purchase. If you claim without telling them, then it may prove hard to claim the money back for any items.
Some home insurance policies will cover the contents of your garden and outbuildings - like a garage or shed - as standard. However, many won’t, and which means you may have to pay extra. Make sure you check before you buy a policy.
You might do, especially for high-value items. It’s a good idea to keep the receipts for everything you have when you take out insurance.
Yes, the cost of your policy will likely increase if you make a claim on your insurance, as you will lose your no claims discount. The more claims you make, the higher the risk you are to insurers. Therefore, you're more likely to pay more next time you renew.
When it comes to claiming on your contents insurance, think about if it's cheaper to just pay for a repair or replacement yourself first. If your excess makes up the majority of your claim, it's unlikely to be worth claiming for, as you might end up paying more in the long run.
Most home insurance policies won't cover you for any damage caused by damp and condensation.
When you get a quote, you will agree to a list of assumptions, and one of them is that your home is in good condition, and isn't subject to any risks such as damp.
If you do not declare that your home has damp issues or inform your insurance provider if your home develops damp during your policy term, your insurer will not pay out if you need to make a claim.
Yes, to get a no claims discount (NCD) you will need to keep your policy in place for least one year. After this point, many insurers will offer you a lower price on your insurance. For every year you have home insurance and don't make a claim, you should receive an extra discount on your next quote.
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