Home Insurance FAQs

What is home contents insurance?

Insurance cover for the contents of your home, such as your television, furniture and carpets. Additionally, the policy provides liability insurance. If someone were to visit your home, trip and injure themselves, they may make a claim against you. Such a claim could be for a considerable amount.

What does contents insurance cover?

A contents policy covers just about everything you would take with you if you moved. Furniture, household goods, kitchen equipment, frozen food and drink, televisions, video, computer and audio equipment, personal items and valuables up to stated limits. Also remember clothes and items such as CDs and DVDs, as their collective cost is often under-estimated.

In addition to theft, some insurers cover accidental damage to home entertainment goods like your television and computer, cover for freezer contents, replacement locks if your keys are lost or stolen, cover for contents in your garden, and extra cover for wedding gifts if you or someone in your family gets married.

How much should I insure my home contents for?

You need to consider all of the possessions within your home including furniture, electrical goods, jewellery and how much it would cost to replace them new today. Clothing and linen should be valued after a deduction for wear and tear.

How much buildings insurance do I need?

The amount of insurance should be enough to cover the total cost of rebuilding your house. The rebuilding cost of a building is not the same as its market value. Depending upon the type of property the rebuilding cost could be more or less than the property valuation. For houses of standard construction, your insurer will be able to advise you of the average rebuild cost.

Are Bicycles covered under Contents Insurance?

Many insurers will charge an additional premium to insure bicycles

Are Contents covered away from my home?

Most policies will not include 'contents away from home' cover as standard. This is often an added extra and will cost you more.

My property is a listed building. Do I need specialist insurance?

Many insurance companies and surveyors determine the rebuilding cost of a property based on a standard exterior construction. This is not acceptable for a historic or listed building, which are inherently expensive to repair and rebuild in relation to modern equivalents.

It is recommended that you consult a specialist surveyor or architect to determine an accurate rebuilding cost for your listed building.

Will I pay an excess if I make a claim?

There is usually a compulsory excess for a standard claim. Claims for subsidence, landslip and heave normally carry a higher excess of around £1,000. This standard excess will be in addition to any voluntary excess specified in your policy or any excess imposed due to your claims history or the property's construction.