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What is home insurance?
Home insurance, also called house insurance, is a type of insurance used to protect your home. As long as your premium is paid on time each month your home will be covered for insurance risks such as fire, flood, subsidence, theft and other emergencies.
Do I need home insurance?
It's a good idea to protect your home and the items within it, with a home insurance policy. The cost of rebuilding your home after a fire or flood would be more than most people could afford.
Most people underestimate the value of their belongings and the potential cost of buying everything new again if they're stolen or damaged.
It's important to shop around for the best quotes. The cheapest home and contents insurance may not be the best cover for you.
What type of home insurance do I need?
Buildings insurance
Covers the structure of your home and provides insurance against fire, flood, subsidence and the cost of rebuilding. It only covers the bricks and mortar of your home, not the contents.
You only need buildings insurance if you own the property, not if you rent it or are a tenant.
Contents insurance
Protects your possessions within your home, garages and outbuildings if you choose to include these within the scope of the policy.
Contents insurance is not compulsory, but is a good idea as the cost of replacing your possessions if they were stolen or destroyed in a fire could be high.
Combined home insurance
You can buy building insurance and home contents insurance separately.
Alternatively, you can buy them together in a single home insurance policy to protect your house.
This is often called buildings and contents insurance.
How do I choose the best home insurance for me?
The best home insurance policy is one that meets your needs and covers all the possible risks to your home and its contents.
Standard-built home
If you have a standard-built home with no particular risk factors (such as being near a river or being affected by subsidence) then you will find a variety of different quotes from home insurance providers.
Specialist needs
If you have more specialist needs – for example if your home is thatched, an unusual construction, is at risk of flood, or is large with a lot of rooms and value items, then you may need to find a specialist insurer to cover your property.
"Comparing and finding the home insurance policy most suited to your needs is the best way to make sure that all your personal belongings are covered in the event of an emergency. Some policies may require additional cover for high value items and it's important to make sure these are added on to your policy.”
Find the home insurance provider that suits you
We compare home insurance from over 70 insurance providers across the UK so that you can choose the deal that’s right for you.
See all home insurance providers we work with at Uswitch and compare today.
Admiral
Hastings Direct
AXA
ChurchillTips on how to get cheaper home insurance quotes
- Compare prices
Shop around for the best deals. Work out which is the best home insurance for you, not just the lowest monthly premium.
- Increase your excess
If you need to make a home insurance claim you may have to pay a small amount, known as the excess. The bigger your excess, the lower your premium is likely to be.
- Fit good quality locks to windows and doors
Improve your security to make a break-in less likely, you will be seen as a lower risk in the eyes of the insurance company.
- Check out combined deals
Sometimes getting home contents and buildings insurance together can work out cheaper.
- Try to build up a no-claims bonus
You're likely to be offered a lower premium if you have not made previous claims. If you have a larger excess, it's also probably not worth making a lot of smaller claims.
Find home insurance cover that’s right for you
While standard home insurance work for most people, there are also specialised home insurance policies that might be more suited to your needs
Compare home insurance quotes
FAQs
What is the average cost of house insurance in the UK?
The average cost of home insurance in the UK varies depending on your location, type of house, and the amount that you need to insure.
How much home insurance costs also depends on the value of your possessions, but generally speaking, the cost of home contents insurance is around £114 a year falling by 11% since 2021 (according to ABI figures for 2022).
While buildings insurance premiums are an average £225. The average price for combined buildings and contents insurance is just over £307 - down by 2%, according to the figures from the Association of British Insurers.
Is it better to buy buildings and contents home insurance together?
Some insurance companies offer a discount if you buy buildings insurance and home contents insurance together, but it's also worth getting separate quotes as this may work out cheaper.
What happens to my home insurance when I'm moving house?
If you're thinking of moving, check the area to make sure there is a low flood risk at the Environment Agency's website.
You also need to think about getting buildings insurance when you're in the process of buying a new house. To be safe, it's a good idea to have buildings insurance from the point at which you exchange contracts.
You will need home contents insurance from the point at which you complete the house purchase and receive the keys to your new home.
What else do I need to know about home insurance?
Home insurance is a relatively simple product, but you do need to look out for exclusions – these are events or occurrences that your insurance will not cover. For example, if you live near a river, you may not be able to get insurance cover for flood damage.
Your home insurance policy costs will also be affected by the value of your home or the contents within it, the location, the cost of rebuild, and whether you have had any previous claims. Your premium will also be affected by whether you are prepared to accept a large excess, which is the share of the cost you pay before you receive insurance compensation.
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