Home insurance

There are a few factors that will affect the price of your home insurance, including:

• Location: crime rates, flood risks, number of claims in your area. Some insurers may also consider whether your property is in an active Neighbourhood Watch area as part of their risk assessment.

• Value and size of your home: most insurers will value the size of your home, as bigger properties will require a larger payout

• Age of the property: older properties are more of a risk and may be built from materials that are difficult to repair and replace

• Level of cover: the more comprehensive your policy is, the more expensive your premiums are likely to be, and add-ons will likely increase your premiums

• Security: having high quality door and window locks and a burglar alarm could help to improve your home security and result In cheaper premiums.

It is often cheaper to buy buildings and contents insurance as a combined policy if you want to take out both kinds of cover. A combined policy also has the benefit of being easier to manage. You are required to pay only one set of premiums and have the same provider for both types of cover, meaning fewer documents and contact details to keep track of.

You can find out when your property was built by:

• checking your property deeds or survey

• looking at HM Land Registry records

• asking the estate agent or previous owner

• using online property sites or local council records

However, you don’t usually need the exact year to fill in a home insurance application. An estimate or build period (e.g. pre-1900, 1930s, post-2000) is often enough for a quote.

Home insurers usually ask when your property was built because age affects risk - older homes can be more expensive to repair and may use materials that are harder to replace.

Yes, it is possible to get home insurance if your property has a history of subsidence, but it can be more difficult and expensive.

Subsidence makes a property higher risk, so some insurers may refuse cover or charge much higher premiums. You may need to go through a specialist insurer, especially if the issue is ongoing or hasn’t been fully resolved.

If the subsidence has already been treated and repaired, you may have more options, particularly if you stay with your existing insurer, who already understands the history of the property.

➡️ Read more: Should I buy a house with subsidence?

Yes, home insurance is generally still available even if you live in an area with a high risk of flooding, thanks to the government-backed Flood Re reinsurance scheme.

However, the Flood Re scheme only applies to properties built before 2009.

Yes, you can get home insurance if you're having building work done, but you’ll need to tell your insurer.

Building work increases the risk of damage, theft, or accidents, so your standard policy may no longer be valid if you don’t inform them. Your insurer might adjust your cover, increase your premium, or place restrictions while the work is ongoing.

For major renovations (like extensions or loft conversions), you may need specialist renovation insurance to stay fully protected.

No, most policies only cover your belongings while they’re inside your home.

To protect items like phones, jewellery or bicycles when you’re out and about, you’ll typically need personal possessions cover. This can often be added onto your home insurance for an extra cost, or you can take out a separate policy.

It depends how long you are away for. Home insurance typically covers unoccupied properties for up to 60 days. If anything happens outside this period you won’t be covered.

However, you can take out specialised unoccupied home insurance if you plan to be away longer than your standard home insurance covers you for.

Some contents insurance policies cover students’ belongings while they’re temporarily away from home at university. However, this usually comes with limits and conditions, and may only apply if the items are kept in secure accommodation.

It’s important to check the policy details, as you may need separate student contents insurance to be fully covered.

No, standard home insurance is designed for main residences and won’t usually cover a second home or holiday let.

These properties are considered higher risk because they’re often left unoccupied for longer periods and may have multiple occupants or guests.

However, you can get specialist second home insurance, holiday home insurance and holiday let insurance.

Some standard home insurance policies will still cover you if you have a lodger, but will generally require you to inform your insurer. Since having a lodger can increase risk, it is likely to increase your premium or terms. You home insurance will not generally cover the lodger's personal possessions - they will need to take out their own contents insurance.

Someone is only classed as a lodger if you also live at the property as your main residence and you share communal areas. If you rent out a large part or the whole of your property they would likely instead be classed as a tenant and home insurance will not cover you. You will instead need to take out landlord insurance.

To make a claim on your home insurance, you will need to fill out a claims form with your insurance provider. You should do this as soon as possible once an incident occurs, but there are a few things you'll need to get started:

• Evidence to support your claim: 

  Any damage to your property needs to be documented. If the event is related to a crime, you'll also need a crime reference number from the police.

• Your policy number: 

  This can be found in your policy documents, so it is wise to keep them safe. These days, most policy documents are sent to you digitally or available through your provider's online portal, but it’s worthwhile save some copies just in case.

• Your provider contact details:

  In your policy documents you'll also find the contact details of your provider when you want to make a claim. They will typically have a helpline phone number for you to call but many insurance providers now have an online claims process you can access through their website or portal.

In some cases, your insurer may appoint a loss adjuster to assess the damage and help determine how much should be paid out for your claim. They may contact you to arrange a visit to your property or request additional information.

You can cancel your home insurance at any time by contacting your insurer directly.

If you're outside your 14-day 'cooling-off' period, you may need to pay a fee, which is typically £30-50.

If you bought your home insurance through MoneySuperMarket, you can find your policy information by logging into our website or app. Your active policies will be shown on your dashboard.

You can also contact your insurer directly for your policy documents.

Home insurance has a lower claims payout rate than other common types of insurance like motor (98.8% of claims accepted) and pet (94.5% of claims accepted).

According to 2024 Financial Conduct Authority data, reported by Which?:

• 73.5% of contents insurance claims were accepted

• 70.7% of combined home insurance claims were accepted

• 63.2% of buildings insurance claims were accepted

It can therefore be a good idea to look beyond price when choosing a policy. Comparing what’s included and checking customer reviews can help you choose cover that’s more likely to pay out when you need it.

💡 Top tip: If your claim is rejected, you have the right to make a complaint to your insurer, and then to escalate it to the Financial Ombudsman Service if you’re still not satisfied.