What is Home Insurance?
If your home is damaged or your belongings are broken or stolen, house insurance can be the protection you need to cover the cost.
Here are things you need to know before buying home insurance.
There are two main types of home insurance: building insurance and contents insurance. One of the first things you are likely to need to know is the distinction between them and whether you are going to require one or both of them.
If you are a homeowner, you should take out both types of cover. This is recommended as building insurance is likely to be a condition of your mortgage therefore, you will definitely need it. Even if you own the property outright, protecting your investment and liability is imperative. If you are a rental tenant, on the other hand, then you will not need this coverage. It is your landlord’s responsibility to insure the building itself.
Contents insurance is optional but highly recommended for all homeowners and rental tenants, to protect against loss or damage to your belongings if, for instance, your house is burgled. If you are a landlord, you’ll only need this cover if your rental property is furnished or contains items belonging to you that are not already covered by your buildings insurance policy.
Read more: Landlord insurance
Building insurance usually covers you against damage to your property from the following:
Contents insurance generally covers your belongings if they have been:
Depending on which policy you buy, your insurance provider may pay out an agreed value, or there are providers who will replace old for new, so check your policy carefully.
Accuracy is key when it comes to sums insured, as being under-insured could cost you a lot more in the event of a claim than the money you might save on your premium.
The best way to calculate the value of your contents is to go from room to room and note down the value of each item, from clothing and computers to the contents of your fridge freezer. Try to be as accurate as you can as undervaluing your contents will leave you underinsured, while over-estimating will unnecessarily increase the cost of your cover.
Once they leave your home, personal possessions such as mobile phones, and laptops are not always covered under a standard contents insurance policy. This is known as personal possessions cover, so you may need to consider an add-on to your policy.
Valuables such as jewellery, antiques, and collectables may not be covered under the basic terms of your contents cover. You must check with the insurer if a separate cover is necessary. Most insurers have a maximum amount at which you could claim for. However, most policies will also have a limit to the amount you can claim for any one item. This is known as the single item limit. If worth more than the limit on the policy, you will need to list this item separately.
If your home is not what insurers would call ‘Standard construction’ i.e., constructed with brick walls and a tiled roof, then you may need a specialist insurance provider. Non-standard construction properties that are considered high risk by insurers include:
Most home insurance policies come with both a compulsory and voluntary excess. Choosing to pay a high voluntary can bring down the cost of the cover. However, if ever in the event of a claim, you must make sure you can afford the excess.
A no claims discount can lower the cost of your cover, just like car insurance. Always think before making a claim, especially if the cost of the claim is more than the excess, as it may be worth paying the bill yourself than losing your no claims discount.
With access to a wide-ranging panel of home insurance brokers, we at QuoteBeater offer a brilliant service that will help you find the highest quality home insurance quotes, at an affordable rate. We assist in the arrangement of insurance quotes for everything from thatch houses, and holiday homes to landlord and buy-to-let properties.
To find the best home insurance for you, fill out our enquires form here or email us at info@quotebeater.com.
