Home insurance

The cheapest house insurance for you will depend on your circumstances. A policy might be cheap because it doesn’t offer as much cover as other policies. When comparing quotes, make sure you’re covered for the things that are important to you and your home.

And don’t underestimate the value of your buildings or contents to save money. This could lead to you being underinsured. This might get you cheap house insurance, but it also means the pay-out you receive might not be enough to replace all your possessions or rebuild your property.

To make a claim on your home insurance policy:

1. If a crime has been committed, contact the police. You’ll need a crime report number for your claim.
2. Contact your insurance provider as soon as possible, with details of what happened and any damage. Most have a 24/7 helpline. They’ll take you through the claim process and let you know what evidence and documents you need.

Yes, by increasing the amount, your premiums are likely to be cheaper. If you’re looking for cheap house insurance, it’s worth playing around with this amount.

But don’t set your voluntary excess too high. You’ll need to pay it alongside the compulsory excess if you make a claim.

Your insurance provider sets the compulsory excess and you can’t change it.

If you take out a home insurance policy, insurance providers will carry out a soft credit check before they offer a quote to ensure  some key information you’ve given is accurate. This shouldn’t affect your credit score.

Having a poor credit score may affect the cost of home insurance. But you should still be able to find a provider.

Standard contents insurance will only protect valuables inside the home. You may need additional personal possessions cover to protect them outside, depending on the policy. 

Any items worth more than the insurance provider’s single-item limit (typically £1,500) may need to be listed separately.

You might decide you need home insurance adds-ons if your standard policy doesn’t give you the specific cover you need.

Remember, adding extras will likely increase the cost of your home insurance.

To find out what kind of door lock you have, you’ll need to compare and identify them against the most common types.

Home insurance providers need to know what types of door lock you have, because some are considered more secure than others. 

• Five-lever mortice locks are often found on wooden front doors and need a key to lock and open them.
• Multi-point locking systems are commonly found on uPVC doors. If you need to lift up the handle to lock the door, you probably have one of these.
• Night latches are mounted on the surface of a door, so aren’t as secure. They automatically lock the door when it closes.

Yes, you can get home insurance during building works. But you’ll need to let your home insurance provider know about them.

It’s likely you’ll have to pay more during the work. Your provider may also place restrictions on your cover.

If you’re carrying out large-scale renovations, you might need specialist insurance during the work.

You might be able to transfer your policy to a new property. But you’ll need to check with your provider first and you might be charged for amending it.

It’s likely your premium will change. Your provider will work out what you need to pay based on:

• Your new address
• The property type
• The rebuild cost of your new property
• The value of your contents.

Moving home might be a good opportunity to see if you can find cheaper cover with a different provider.

Most buildings insurance policies cover you for burst pipes and water leaks as standard. This is usually classed as an ‘escape of water’, whether it’s caused by burst pipes, blocked drains or a leaky washing machine. 

But you might not be covered for a slow leak that you knew about but failed to repair.

It can be more difficult to get home insurance if you live in a flood-risk area. But the government’s Flood Re scheme may be able to help.

It was set up to ensure people in high flood-risk areas can still get cover for their homes at affordable prices. And you could still get a quote with us if you live in a flood-risk area.

We have a calculator to help you estimate the rebuild cost. Your home insurance needs to cover the cost of rebuilding your home, not its market value.

You can also find the rebuild cost of your property in your home survey. Or you can use the rebuild calculator on the Building Cost Information Service website.

It can be more difficult and expensive to get home insurance if your home has a history of subsidence.

If you make a claim for subsidence, it’s likely you’ll have to pay a higher compulsory excess in future.

Farmhouses are unlikely to be covered under a standard policy, even if a farmhouse is on a farm that’s no longer in operation.

Compare the Market doesn’t offer a comparison for farmhouse insurance. But there are many reputable specialist providers to choose from.

If your farmhouse is part of your business, you’ll need specialist farm insurance, often packaged with business insurance.

You should let your insurance provider know if you work from home. A standard policy might not cover items used for ‘business or professional use’.

If you have clients visiting, or you have stock at home, you’ll most likely need separate business insurance.

If you pay your home insurance monthly and can’t afford them, talk to your insurance provider.

If you don’t ask for help and miss payments, your policy will most likely be cancelled. This will leave your home and possessions unprotected.

A missed payment could also lower your credit score, and it may be harder to find affordable insurance in future.

How much a claim will affect your premium depends on the type of claim and the number of claims you’ve made. But it’s likely that your premium will increase when you renew.

That’s why it’s always worth comparing quotes. Just make sure you answer questions about recent claims honestly.