Home insurance

It will typically protect your home and your possessions inside it against theft and damage due to fire, flood, storms, subsidence, burst pipes and water leaks.

Want to know more? Read about:

• Insuring your home against fire damage
• Home insurance in high-risk flood areas
• Weather and storm damage insurance cover
• Insurance for subsidence 

A (very) quick definition:

• Buildings insurance covers the physical structure of your property, which includes the roof, walls and floors.
• Contents insurance covers the items inside your home, such as your furniture and clothes.

Buildings insurance also includes any permanent fixtures and fittings, such as your kitchen and fitted wardrobes. Outside structures, like fences, garages and sheds are usually covered too, as are pipes, cables and drains connected to your home (provided they’re your legal responsibility). Find out more about buildings insurance.

Contents insurance covers anything within your home that you could remove and take with you to another property – so your clothes, furniture, fridge and television (carpets are also usually included). There are some exceptions to this rule, so always check what’s included in the definition of ‘contents’ in your policy booklet. Find out more about contents insurance.

Neither buildings insurance nor contents insurance are a legal requirement. On the other hand, it’s always advisable to have both. It means you have protection for your property and belongings in case something unexpected happens.

If you own your home and have a mortgage, then your mortgage provider may insist you have buildings insurance in place for the length of your mortgage. You can buy this insurance from any provider, not just your mortgage provider.

Buildings or contents insurance – or both? It’s essential to have the right type of home insurance for your particular situation, so here are the basics in a nutshell.

• If you own your own home, you’re responsible for both buildings and contents insurance. Like we said earlier, it’s advisable to have both.

• If you’re renting, then buildings insurance is usually the responsibility of your landlord, but it’s advisable to have contents insurance to protect your personal belongings. Find out more about rental contents insurance.

• If you’re a landlord you’re responsible for buildings insurance to cover the property you own and rent out. If you rent out a furnished property, you can also take out contents insurance to cover your belongings against damage or theft. Find out more about landlord insurance.

• If you have a holiday home, both buildings and contents insurance can be more expensive than regular home insurance. This is because holiday homes are often left unoccupied, meaning problems like a burst pipe might go undetected for longer and cause more damage. Find out more about unoccupied property insurance.

According to comparethemarket.com data, 50% of people could achieve a quote of up to £133.30*** for combined buildings and contents insurance. The average price of buildings insurance for a year is £94***, while the average annual premium for contents insurance is £69.70***.

The easiest way to find the right level of cover for you at a price you can afford is to use our home insurance comparison service.

***50% of people could achieve a quote of £133.30 for their home insurance, £94 for buildings insurance and £69.70 for contents insurance. Based on comparethemarket.com data in February 2018

There are several simple things you could consider to help cut your home insurance costs:

• check you have the right amount of insurance
• look at combining buildings and contents insurance into one policy
• increase your voluntary excess
• build up your no claims bonus
• install a security system

For more detail and other cost-cutting ideas, read our guide: How to save money on your home insurance. 

When you start a home insurance quote with us, it’s a good idea to have some basic information about your property, including:

• your current home insurance policy documents
• details about your property
• the rebuild value of your home, but don't worry we help you with this. You can find out more in How do I calculate the rebuild cost of my home?
• the level of cover you need.

We’ll ask you questions to make sure we have all the information we need to provide you with a list of suitable quotes. The list will also show you optional extras you might want to consider, such as accidental damage insurance.