Compare Home Insurance

What Types of Home Insurance Are There?

• Buildings insurance — Covers the structure of your property, including walls, roof, floors, and permanent fixtures like fitted kitchens and bathrooms. Usually required by mortgage lenders.
• Contents insurance — Covers your personal belongings inside the home, including furniture, electronics, clothing, and valuables.
• Combined (buildings & contents) — A single policy covering both. Often more convenient and sometimes cheaper than buying two separate policies.

What Can Affect Home Insurance Prices?

Insurers consider a range of factors when pricing home insurance, including:

• Location — Postcode-level risk data for things like flooding, subsidence, and crime rates.
• Property type — Detached houses, flats, terraced properties, and listed buildings are priced differently.
• Rebuild cost — For buildings insurance, the estimated cost to rebuild your property (not its market value).
• Contents value — The total estimated value of your belongings. Undervaluing can leave you underinsured.
• Security — Locks, alarms, and security cameras can influence pricing.
• Claims history — Previous claims may affect your premium.

Tips for Comparing Home Insurance

• Don't auto-renew without checking — Just like car insurance, renewal prices can differ from what's available to new customers.
• Check the excess — Make sure the compulsory and voluntary excess are amounts you could afford to pay.
• List high-value items — Items above a certain value (often £1,000–£1,500) usually need to be listed individually on your policy.
• Check for accidental damage — This isn't always included as standard. If you need it, check whether it's included or available as an add-on.