Home contents insurance UK specialists: help with your UK home insurance quote

The list on this web site represents the results of a survey of home insurance quotes gathered from UK insurers and intermediaries operating online. The results are ranked with the overall cheapest first. Remember that you are unique! What is cheaper for someone else may not be the cheapest for you.

We list many of the home insurance providers you might want to visit to compare the home insurance quotes they give. Some of the sites are sponsored. We do not endorse any of the home insurance providers we list and encourage you to shop around for the best home insurance for you; please read our disclaimer.

Buying your UK home insurance on the internet.

We have reviewed home insurance providers and created this shortlist which we feel provides you with the most of the insurers online.

The main reason we advocate buying your UK home insurance on the internet is because it is cheaper. The fact that admin charges are lower to the insurance company is reflected in the price of the policy. Secondly, it is quicker to get a handful of quotes so that you can make an informed decision about who you would like to insure your home. (Remember spending the entire afternoon on the phone and only obtaining one quote?)

Many of the policies are direct with the insurance company, but we have also included online brokers who will be able to quote from a huge range of policies and often will come up with a very competitive home insurance quote for you.

We advise you to shop around and take 3 or 4 quotes before you buy. Online forms are a bit of a pain, especially the first one you fill out, but don't worry, they just get easier and easier. We suggest to add the homepage to your 'favorites' in your browser, and return to it at your liesure before you make your decision.

Non Standard Home Insurance

Online home insurance can really only quote you on a standard home. If your home is what the industry call a non-standard house (thatched roof, timber frame, very old, listed etc), then you may have to phone for your quote instead. Both Quoteline and Direct Choice invite you to apply for a quote with them on your non-standard home.

Home Insurance Advice

We all need insurance, but we all seem reluctant to go about arranging it. The insurance market can seem so complicated.

The internet can be said to be helpful for consumers, as long as it is used properly. It is supposed to speed up the process of buying home insurance. However, it can still be a minefield. So let us help you out by offering you these tips for you to bear in mind when taking out home insurance online.

There are two basic types of home insurance that it is advisable to take out to protect your property:

Other tips:

Examine any limitations and upper limit pay-outs before buying the insurance policy.
Check to see if special valuables need to be insured separately.
Check to see if you are covered for accidental damage.
Don't give any false information when applying for your insurance. This will make your policy invalid if you make a claim.
Don't underestimate the value of your possessions. Evaluate their value before shopping around.
Check your policy frequently and update it if necessary.
Check your Excess limitation, especially for money, single articles and valuables.
Always read the small print and documentation. Otherwise you are leaving yourself open to the insurer's opt-out clauses.
If you are moving home, check with the insurer to see if your contents are covered, and inform them of exactly when you are moving.

Household Security tips:

Security marking is a simple and inexpensive way of making your possessions identifiable and will increase the chance of them being returned if they are stolen. The recognised method is by using your postcode, followed by your house number or the first two letters of your house name.
A house which looks occupied will be less likely to attract burglars. Leaving lights switched on is one way to create the impression that you're at home, but timing switches which turn lights on and off automatically while you're out are even more effective. Other household electrical appliances, such as radios, hi-fi systems and televisions, can also be operated in the same way.
Don't leave valuable property in a shed which is either unlocked or so old and run down as to be no obstacle to a thief.
Gardening tools and furniture are very saleable items for a burglar. What's more, tools stolen from your shed can be used to burgle your home as well! Don't make it easy to steal them.
Many insurance companies insist that the installation of alarms is carried out by companies registered with the National Approval Council for Security Systems. The Association of British Insurers recommends fitting outside doors with deadlocks which conform to BS3621.

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Flood advice

How does the risk of Flooding affect home insurance?

Ok, you are about to buy a home. You are looking at many details before choosing your property. You may look at house size, price, number of bedrooms, and whether there is a garden or not. But there is a vitally important question you now need to ask. Is the property in an area at risk of flooding? If it is, then there is a chance you can end up with a house that is not saleable, because you can’t get buildings insurance on it.

In areas that are found to be prone to severe flooding, a potential buyer would not be able to get a mortgage, and a potential buyer who can pay with cash will require a huge discount on the price of the homes, even if they were insurable.

The last time there were a series of floods in the UK, the government made an agreement with insurers for two years from January 1st 2001, in which the vast majority of the homes built on flood plains could still get insurance cover. This affected about 5 million people, which is hardly a small minority.

However, this government agreement expires on December 31st, and the Association of British insurers (ABI) have suggested that it is unlikely it will extended beyond that date.

The agreement committed insurers to offer cover to their existing customers whose homes had been flooded, although it still allowed them to substantially raise premiums and excess levels. The ABI said that they agreed to this in order to give the government some breathing space to build and strengthen the country’s flood defences. However, the £150m of spending that was earmarked in summer 2002 seems to have been two little, too late.

There are two million homes lying on flood plains in the UK. Some insurers may not abandon their existing customers, but others may not commit to that promise. Some insurers have said that they will ask people affected some extra questions. So, do they love on a hill. If they do, they can get extra cover.

For those that the insurers regard as particularly high risk, they may not be able to get cover without getting a surveyors’ report. They accept that the price of cover will go up significantly if this happens, but it’ll be better than no cover at all.

But some insurers have said that they will not insure homes with potential problems. They argue that we they to do so, everyone’s house insurance premiums would have to rise by about £40 a policy simply to pay for the flood claims made in the autumn of 2000.

Ultimately, it is down to the insurers whim. Luckily, you have a lot of companies to ask.

If your home is in an area which is prone to flooding or subsidence it will probably effect the insurance costs. Unfortunately there isn't a lot you can do about this, apart from moving home and taking appropraite precautions once a flood warning has been issued. Information on high risk areas is available at
www.environment-agency.gov.uk
National Flood Warning Centre - 01276 454 725
Or check up on the area
www.homecheck.co.uk

If you receive prior warning of flooding you may be able to take the following action to minimise damage to your home and belongings, but only if it is safe to do so and you have enough time!

Protect external doors, with sandbags if you have them
If possible, move furniture and electrical items upstairs
If you are unable to leave your property, fill a vacuum flask with a hot drink and take items such as a torch, warm clothing, a battery operated radio (tuned to the local radio station for updates) and a mobile telephone (if you have one) upstairs, until the danger has passed, or help arrives
If you have time, seal any delicate items in plastic bags to protect them form water damage
Ensure that your insurance documentation is at hand with helpline numbers
Pack a small selection of dry clothes and toiletry essentials, importantly including any medicines and emergency phone numbers

If your home has been flooded, we advise that you take the following action

Turn off the electricity at the mains
Lift any sodden carpets to allow the floor to dry. For an inexpensive Cooling fan or ventilator fan try cooling-fan-electric-evaporative-portable-industrial.co.uk
Use a low heat to gently dry things out - using a high heat can cause further damage. Safety first - don't use electrical sources of heat near flood water. For an inexpensive infrared heater in the UK, try infrared-heater-radiant-electric-gas-kerosene.co.uk
Once the flood water has gone, take professional advice before you start redecorating. You may need to let brickwork dry out for some months
If you are drying out your building by the central heating system alone, make sure the rooms are ventilated. For an inexpensive dehumidifier, try dehumidifier-humidifier.com
If you are using a dehumidifier, make sure doors and windows are closed. For an inexpensive dehumidifier, try dehumidifier-humidifier.com
Be patient-taking time to dry out your home properly now could save a lot of time later on when it comes to redecorating
If you property suffers severe flooding, you should not attempt to get through flood water to leave - it will probably be safer to move to an upper storey rather than risk wading through deep flood water, where there is a danger you could be swept away by the current.

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If you are looking for the insurance quote for home owners in the UK who want to insure their buildings, the list of best home insurance sites gives you most of the sites you would probably want to visit for the best sites for the home insurance quote .

What does Home Contents Insurance cover?

Home contents insurance is designed to cover almost everything that you own, and would take with you if you were going to move house. This could include furniture, along with furnishings, kitchen equipment, other household goods, televisions, computer and audio equipments, video, clothing, personal items, even frozen food and drinks. Valuables (up to stated limits) can also be covered in the policy.
Most contents policies will cover loss or damage to your possessions whilst they are in your home. The loss and damage could be caused by risks such as theft, fire and flooding. Other risks could be the escape of water from tanks and pipes, leaking oil from heating systems, storms, subsidence, heave or landslip as well as occurrences that are more rare. These rare occurrences could be falling trees or aerials, explosions, earthquakes, etc..

Moreover, many policies provide liability insurance. For example, if someone visited your home and were to trip over something you own and injure themselves, they could make a claim against you. These claims can be for a considerable amount.

You should also look at accidental damage caused by yourself. Does it cover accidental damage to mirrors and glass tops? Does it cover accidental damage to your audio and visual equipment, such as videos, TVs and computers? You can often extend the policy in order to cover accidental damage to any of your possessions. Bear in mind though, that this will likely only apply in the home, and should you remove items from your home, your cover could be limited or even non-existent.

What is Buildings Insurance?

Buildings cover.
This protects the basic structure of your property. That is the walls, windows, floors etc. Most policies will protect you against fire, storm, flood and vandalism as standard, but dont forget to check...
You can then add accidental damage to your buildings policy which will protect you from accidents such as putting your foot through the ceiling while in the loft). This may be included as standard on some policies .

Buildings insurance is designed to cover damage of loss to the actual structure and fittings of your home. Contents cover will cover the loss of your possessions, in particular those that can be removed and taken from home to home, but it will not cover the higher value of your property and those fittings that cannot be removed. The separate cover that you need to for this is called buildings cover.

The cover that you arrange needs to be sufficient to cover the total rebuilding cost of the property that you live in. Do not confuse this with the property’s market value. The rebuilding cost could be more or less that the property value if it was for sale

You are not qualified to work out the rebuilding cost yourself, but you should find that most insurance companies can help you to do this. They may have a conversion table which should enable you to estimate the rebuilding costs, thus giving you an indication of the level of insurance required. However, should you be living in a listed building or any other type of very valuable property, you should obtain a professional valuation first.

Many people ask if they need to have buildings insurance. It is very likely that your mortgage provider will make it a requirement that you have it before they lend you any money. Also, you should think about the fact that your house is likely to be your most expensive purchase, so how would you feel if it was badly damaged and you couldn’t afford to repair it.

The cover offered by the policy will need to keep up with inflation, so you will find that most insurance companies will index-link their cover, so that it will grow every year. You should still review your policy every few years, as the cover may not be adequate for your needs, especially give the rising house and land prices.
Your buildings cover essentially allows you to claim the cost of repairs or the complete rebuilding of the property should it be destroyed or rendered uninhabitable. You should be provided with alternative accommodation during this time. You can also make claims for damage caused by less destructive events, like floods or even just broken windows.

However, your mortgage lender cannot actually force you to take out buildings insurance with them, although they may try to. There is no guarantee that they will offer the cheap rates, so you should search the market.

Also, bear in mind that you need buildings insurance from the first time that you are responsible for the property, which could be from the moment that you exchange contracts on a purchase. Make sure that proper insurance is in place at this time.
You should always ensure that there is proper insurance in place from the point that you first become responsible for the premises, even if this is before moving in.

What does Buildings insurance cover?

You will find that your lender will insist that you have this cover when you take out a mortgage. The lender, remember, owns your home until you have paid off the mortgage. However, because they don’t live in it, you are responsible for it, thus you need to insure the building. Should the property fall down, the lender wants it to be covered for the catastrophe.

But buildings insurance cover permanent fixtures and fittings as well. It will also cover toilets, baths and fitted kitchens, your interior decorations and bedroom cupboards.

To know what your buildings insurance will cover, try this simple test – can you reasonably remove the fixture and take it to a new home? If you can it will be covered by contents insurance – as if you can remove it, so can a thief! If you can’t, it will be covered by your buildings insurance.

Your buildings policy insurance should also be able to cover - perhaps for a small extension to your premium – outbuildings such as your garages, garden sheds and greenhouses. However, it is unlikely that you can extend it to cover your swimming pools, fences, paths, gates or drives.

The risks which are covered by your buildings insurance are many. Your property faces damage from so many angles. Perhaps reading this list will make you realise just how important buildings insurance is.

Fire, lightning and explosions can cause damage to your house, as can earthquakes, storms and floods. Don’t underestimate the damage that thieves can cause to your home. They have to get in somehow, and can damage property that way. Sometimes, they will try and steal fixtures that aren’t easily removable (e.g. a chandelier) or will damage your property whilst looking for valuables. This damage would not be covered by contents insurance.

Should you suffer problems with your tanks or pipes, in terms of water leaking from them, or perhaps oil could escape from fixed heating installations, you should be covered under your buildings insurance.

Then there are the more unusual occurrences. Your home could be damaged by being caught in the middle of a riot. It could be the victim of an attack by vandals (‘malicious persons’ in insurance parlance). Perhaps a falling tree will crash through your window, or an aerial will fall off the roof and through your window.

Subsidence, land slip and heave can also cause damage to your home, which is why the insurance company will want to know if your home is in an area at risk from them. Finally, it has been known for cars and animals to cause damage to homes, and occasionally an aircraft or “things falling from an aircraft” can cause damage.

How do I calculate the rebuilding cost for my building insurance?

When you buy a property, you would be foolish not to insure the building. If you have taken out a mortgage, your lender will insist on you taking out buildings insurance. When you do so, you are covering the property against all sorts of risks. This covers the structure, but also the fittings in the property which couldn’t be taken should you move.

One of the questions you will need to answer when you apply for buildings insurance is the value of your property. This is NOT the market value Instead, it is the cost that would be incurred by the insurer of rebuilding the property should something happen to the property that makes it uninhabitable. So, how do you work this out?

To help you, the Association of British Insurers has produced a two page information sheet called “How to work out the rebuilding cost of your home”, and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has produced an information sheet called “Guide to House Rebuilding Costs for Insurance Valuation”.

However, to be absolutely sure, you should get a surveyors report, and bear in mind that if you are buying a property, the lender’s valuation report has to contain a rebuilding figure.

Should you take on working out the cost of rebuilding yourself, you need to know the dimensions of your building. This is done by following these steps:
• Calculate your ground floor area (length x width)
• Calculate the total floor area (ground floor area x number of storeys)
• Calculate the total rebuilding cost (total floor area x rebuilding cost per square foot).

The rebuilding cost per square foot varies depending on where in the UK you live, so for example you may find that your insurer will set a rate list for the UK. In London, for instance, the rebuilding cost could be very high, whilst there are places in the rest of the UK where the rebuilding cost per square foot could be a lot lower.

As an example, should you live in Manchester, where the rebuilding cost per square foot is hypothetically £46, and your property is 20 years old, and your house is of 2 stories and is 30ft wide and 40ft long, here is your calculation:

Ground floor area = 30 x 40 = 1200 sq. feet
Total floor area = 1200 x 2 = 2400 sq. feet
Therefore, the rebuilding cost is
2400 x £46 = £110,400

So, the amount of cover you would need for buildings insurance purposes would be £110,400. This is of course only a guide, but at least you can understand how the figures are arrived at.

(Please note that these figures are for illustration purposes only - the real costs will depend entirely on each individual set of circumstances)

What is Tenants contents insurance?

When you rent a furnished or unfurnished property, even if it is not for a long time, it will be in your best interests to take out tentant contents insurance.

Whether you have rented a fully furnished or unfurnished property, you will most probably be asked to pay a deposit, usually of one month’s rent, which is partly to secure the flat, and also to protect the landlord against damage to their property.

Should your property be fully furnished, you will not own the contents, but you will be responsible for certain types of damage to them. Should the furniture become the victim of wear and tear, the tenant may not be responsible. But damage that can be attributed to your irresponsibility, or that of any visitors, can be charged to you, and taken off your deposit.

An advantage of this is that since you can be held responsible for accidental damage to your landlords’ property, you can cover yourself for this as well.

The landlord actually will need to insure his/her contents as well, but you may want to cover the value of your deposit. Also, you may have some personal possessions in the furnished flat which you will want to cover.

In an unfurnished flat, then you are responsible for insuring your own contents. In addition, you can cover your personal possessions outside your rented flat by extending your policy to “all risks”.

You can cover yourself for household goods, personal effects, furniture, coins, stamps and other collections, along with other valuables. You could even have the option of covering the value of the frozen food in your deep freezer. Sometimes, you can be covered for money and anything else that belongs to or is the legal responsibility of you as a tenant. You can cover yourself against all of the usual standard perils. But ultimately, this kind of insurance is covering you for the value of your personal possessions along with the deposit you have paid.

Most policies will cover you for the cost or replacement locks due to keys that have been lost. You should also get alternative accommodation and any rent that is legally due. You should also find out if the contents will be replaced on a new for old basis.

Landlords need to be aware of their responsibilities here. They are completely responsible for getting buildings insurance, because they own the buildings, and they should also get contents insurance to cover their property in the flat. The deposit may not be enough to cover all of the possible damage that can occur when your property is rented out. This insurance, together of course with careful referencing of your tenants, could reduce the risks you take on significantly.

How are home insurance premiums calculated?

Insurance companies differ in the questions that they might ask you, and this can sometimes depend on the particular type of insurance that you are asking for.

Quotation forms are usually quite detailed. You will need to have a good deal of information to hand when you fill out the form. You need to provide details that are full and correct, because you will not have a valid quotation should you have not given correct and true facts.

Your premiums will be calculated based on the answers to certain questions. Answer these questions accurately, or you will find your claims hindered, and maybe your policy annulled.

As far as your personal details are concerned, you will likely be asked for your name and date of birth. Then you will be asked for some basic details about your property. They will want to know the type of property (flat, bungalow?), and if it is self-contained or not. They will also want to know when your house was built and how many people live in the property.

They’ll want to know how many bedrooms there are and whether or not your own or rent your property. If you own it, they’ll ask if it is your main residence or your second home. If it’s your second home, you should be asked if there are consecutive periods of time when the property is left unoccupied.

They will likely ask whether your property has been the victim of flooding or subsidence in recent years as well.
They will be interested in your occupation, as it can tell them about your ability to pay your premiums. They’ll ask details about your partner, if you have one, and also ask if your property is occupied during daylight hours (which makes it more secure in their view). You should tell them if you operate business activities from home.

You can also expect to be asked about the construction of the building. Is it brick, concrete or stone? Is the roof slate, tile or concrete? What is the percentage of flat roof area.

The next set of questions will be security related. They will want to know about the lock on the main entrance to the home, and whether they are mortise deadlocks. Do you have a burglar alarm? Are you a member of a neighbourhood watch scheme? Are the windows or skylights accessible?

Finally, they’ll ask whether you have smoke alarms, which can make a large difference to the chances of the house being made uninhabitable (in addition to possibly saving your life).

After all this, you’ll be asked what kind of cover you require, the value of the cover, and your claims history.

What are the Factors affecting the cost of home insurance?

The cost of the premiums on your UK home insurance is affected by many factors. Ultimately, the cost of the policy will depend on how these factors are applied to your particular circumstances. Should you live in a secure area, which is of low risk to the insurer, you are likely to have a cheaper home insurance policy than someone living in a more risky area. However, there are other issues at play here, and your premium will not be calculated until they are taken into account.

Firstly, like most insurance policies, you need to specify the level of cover you require. How much do you want to insure your property for? This amount will make quite a large difference to the size of your premiums, as this quantifies the insurer’s risk.

The next item affecting your premium is the area and size of your home plus all additional structures to be covered. This, when multiplied by the rebuilding costs per square foot in the area in which the property is situated, will tell the insurer the rebuilding costs of your property.

Your home should be made out of bricks, concrete or stone and the roof out of slate, tile or concrete, with the smallest amount possible of flat roof area. If any of these are not regular, then your premiums will rise.

The area you live in will contribute certain factors to the cost of your home insurance. Obviously, the crime rate of your area will determine the risk the insurers are taking on. But also there is the likelihood of natural disasters. Is there a likelihood of a flood in the area, or is the area prone to subsidence or slippage. If there is, the insurance company’s risk goes up, and so do your costs.

Another factor will be how near your home is to the emergency services, such as fire stations, for obvious reasons. It will also help if you are a member of a neighbourhood watch scheme.

As for your property, the level of security of your house is a factor, along with the condition of the plumbing, heating and electrics.

Your age is taken into account, with customers over 50 benefiting from discounts. Also, you can decrease your premiums by paying a higher excess, but increase it should you choose optional extras on your policies, or choose extended cover.

Ultimately, you can take certain measures in order to cheapen your home insurance. Most involve thinking logically and using your head. Any time you take a measure to make you a candidate with lower risk, tell your insurance company. You could get a discount, there is never any harm in asking!

How do I Compile an inventory?

When you are about to approach an insurance company for contents cover, you will need to have made a detailed and thorough inventory. This enables you to establish how much you need to insure your contents for. This will help you make the most of your UK home insurance policy. Your claims will be settled with greater speed, and you will waste less money on insurance by finding the correct level for you.

Should you be moving into a new home, make an attempt to take an inventory as soon as is possible. Otherwise, before you know it, your life will start to accumulate around your ears.

So, how do you actually make an inventory? Well, you need to visit every single room in your house. This should be done using a systematic method, and not forgetting lofts, basements and garages. You should look at every item in the property, and record each one with a name and a short description, which includes the make and the serial number, and an estimation of the cost of each item at today’s prices.

Use your head, make allowances for both appreciation and depreciation. How far is the object through its lifespan? How long is the lifespan? So, for example, you own a sofa that cost £1000, and you know that it is worth £800 at modern value in the shops. The sofa has a lifespan of 10 years, and you have had it for 5 year. That means that it has suffered wear and tear for half of its lifespan, so it should be valued by you as £400. You should be as accurate as you can to get the right content insurance.

Remember to give yourself time to value your inventory. Some items you will find easy to value. But others, such as art, antiques and valuables will probably need to be valued by an expert.

You should give your insurers as much information as possible, especially in terms of changes in your sum insured. Should you sell a possession of value, you should tell your insurance company. If you buy a possession of value, you should also tell your insurer. The insurance companies can adjust your sum assured according to fluctuations in price and market value. This is called index linking, and you will not be charged for this between renewal dates.

However, you will find that not all companies use index linking. Therefore, every year you should check your sum insured every year to make sure you are properly covered.

You should keep your inventory and receipts and any documents you have that relates to your possessions in a safe place with your policy. These will be very important if you claim.

Any good security tips?

Security marking is a simple and inexpensive way of making your possessions identifiable and will increase the chance of them being returned if they are stolen. The recognised method is by using your postcode, followed by your house number or the first two letters of your house name.

A house which looks occupied will be less likely to attract burglars. Leaving lights switched on is one way to create the impression that you're at home, but timing switches which turn lights on and off automatically while you're out are even more effective. Other household electrical appliances, such as radios, hi-fi systems and televisions, can also be operated in the same way.

Don't leave valuable property in a shed which is either unlocked or so old and run down as to be no obstacle to a thief.

Gardening tools and furniture are very saleable items for a burglar. What's more, tools stolen from your shed can be used to burgle your home as well! Don't make it easy to steal them.

Many insurance companies insist that the installation of alarms is carried out by companies registered with the National Approval Council for Security Systems. The Association of British Insurers recommends fitting outside doors with deadlocks which conform to BS3621.

Insurance companies will cut the cost of your premiums if you improve the security of your home. Some insurance companies will even refuse to insure you at all if the security levels at your property are not up to a certain standard.

But it’s not just the insurance companies who need your home to be safe and secure. It is in your interests as well. A burglary of your home can be quite psychologically disturbing in itself, and those effects can last a long time. You really do want your home to be as safe as possible. Here are some tips to make that so.

Outside doors are the most important security concern. Your doors should be fitted with mortise deadlocks up to at least the BS3621 standard. These can only possibly be opened by a key, rather than an implement such as a plastic card or by smashing a window and opening the door.

If you usually lock a door from the inside, you should also fit it with bolts. The door itself and the frame should be as strong and safe as possible. Patio doors should be fitted with extra security locks, so that the slicing frame can’t be lifted of its tracks. Double doors should be fitted with top and bottom bolts as well as these locks. The bolts should have removable keys.

Windows should be fitted with key operated locks, particularly if they can be accessed easily.

As far as keys are concerned, don’t leave them in locks, and don’t leave spare keys outside the house in secret hiding places. Try leaving a key with a trusted neighbour if you are worried about locking yourself out.

Opportunist thieves commit most burglaries. In two out of ten burglaries they don't even have to use force - they get in through an open door or window.

Don’t make it obvious that you are going away or are away. Avoid giveaways by having a dark house with open curtains. Cancel milk and newspapers while you are away.

Make an inventory with details of your valuable possessions and their serial numbers, make and model numbers. You can buy a property marking kit to write the number of your house and postcode. Take photos as an extra precaution.

Don’t open your door to someone you don’t recognise. Use a door chain if you can, as you can look at the person and be passed identity documents without exposing yourself. Ask for proof of identity and call their head office if you are unsure.

Your small possessions can be stored in a safe. Make sure it is a good make though by asking your insurance company for a recommendation.

Burglar alarms are an added security measure, but you should again get the advice of your insurance company to ensure it conforms to safety standards.

Finally, join a local neighbourhood watch scheme, or create one if there isn’t one there.

AreTips on ways to reduce ones premiums?

Some people feel that the only way to reduce their home insurance premiums is to cut back on the cover that is asked for. This is not a clever way of going about cutting costs though. You need that cover, and should something happen to your home, you will not want to be left so far short with your cover that you can’t get your home rebuilt. So, how else do you cut your premiums?

Firstly, you should take the time out to get as many quotes as possible. It seems a simple idea, but you need to shop around to find a cheap premium. You also need to compare what each policy includes, so you really are comparing like with like.

Then, you should try and get into a head of a burglar and look through a burglar’s eyes at your home. Ask your insurer or your local crime prevention officer for a list of measures that you need to take to improve the security of your home. You should also join a neighbourhood watch scheme in your area or set one up if it doesn’t exist.

Once you get a list of measures to improve the security of your home, you should carry out as much as you can. Put the burglar alarm up there, improve your locks and add bolts, add key operated locks to windows and strengthen them.

It is almost certain that Insurers who see that a policyholder has taken preventative action will see them as a better risk and lower their quotes. You should actually check with an insurer about this, as some will be offering no claims bonuses like those more commonly associated with car insurance policies.

Some people bought their building and contents insurance via the bank or building society with which they arranged their mortgages. You don’t have to do this, unless you have agreed to a special mortgage deal compelling you to buy ‘their’ insurance. This may seem to you to be convenient and a small price to pay for your good mortgage deal, but do your maths. Mortgage lenders say that this means they like to provide the insurance so they know that their “investment” is protected. But they may not be offering a good deal in terms of price, so you should shop around. Bear in mind that the mortgage lender will want to approve of the insurer and check through your policy details. Not all insurers are reputable remember.

If after you have several quotations, you are still not happy with the amount of your premiums. Consider paying a higher excess. Should you claim, you would have to pay a larger amount towards it, but your premiums would be lower.

How Do I find the best home insurance rates?

The home insurance market is becoming more and more competitive every year. New providers are coming into the market every year. In addition to this, people are starting to offer home insurance as an addition to their product mix. For instance, supermarkets and some other retail outlets are starting to offer home insurance.

The more companies join the market, the more competition there is, and the better your chances of finding cheap home insurance. It just depends where you look and how you look.

The same amount of cover for the same property and the same contents can cost differing amounts. You can save hundreds of pounds each year if you shop around. The more quotes you get, the higher the likelihood that you can get the cheap home insurance rate.

Some people, as a start, will go to one insurance company and give them all their details and hope for a cheap rate. But how do you know you’ve got the best rate if you only go to one company? You could do, but you’ll be very lucky. Conversely, you’d be very lucky to get the highest rate as well. You shouldn’t leave it to luck.

So, you should go to a few insurance companies, get quotes and compare the rates in order to find the cheapest rate. This won’t give you the fullest view of the market, so finding the best rate will still be a matter of luck.

Ultimately, the best way for you to find the best home insurance rates would be to go to a general insurance broker. Some companies will search the market on your behalf and give you the best quote they can. They get paid commission, so it is in their interest to make sure you have a cheap quote in order for you to buy with them. You can go to several insurance brokers, which should cover the whole market.

The onset of the internet has made it even easier for consumers do do a lot of this work themselves. You can go on personal finance sites and you can go to the sites for insurance brokers. On these sites, you will fill in a generic form, which will usually ask you for more information than required, to try and make sure you have given enough information to get a wide range of quotes.

An advantage is that you can even apply online for the policy that you can choose, and if you find a cheap home insurance policy, you should get it even cheaper as you are saving the insurance provider money on administration costs, as you don’t need people to talk to you, and you are inputting the details yourself.

What is the connection between Subsidence, Slippage and home insurance?

The words subsidence and slippage instil panic into even the least temperamental of home owners. To them, subsidence and slippage mean hassle, disruption and expense. To make things worse, the subsidence is not the biggest headache, it’s trying to insure a home with a history of being affected by subsidence and slippage.

What’s worse is that those people who want to find out advice and information about subsidence will see that it is very difficult. You won’t get much help from the government and any other guidance will cost you, unless you have a surveyor in the family who is prepared to help.

It’s almost amazing how difficult it is to find information about subsidence since in the mid-1970s there were only £5m of subsidence claims, and these days it’s more like £350m, because more and more properties are being built on land that is prone to slippage.

Subsidence can happen to almost every home. The ground beneath our feet, wherever we are, is always on the move. Mining, tree planting, water extraction, tree removal and other work can contribute to the problem. Natural phenomena also contributes as do other major geographical faults.

As soon as you see signs of subsidence (cracks in the wall, floors and ceilings) you should get a surveyor in and contact your insurance company. You may find that you’ll need work on your home’s foundations. You need to understand that once a property has a history of subsidence, you will forever have insurance problems.

Once remedial work has been completed and approved, you should find it easier to get insurance. At least, this is what is claimed by the insurance companies. However, this is not actually the case in reality. Only a few insurers, and they are likely to be specialists, will get involved in covering ‘previously underpinned properties’.

If you are an existing home owner, and you make a subsidence claim, you will very likely get cover as long as your remedial work is done. You may have to pay a higher premium though. But the biggest problem is that once a house is sold and the new owner tries to obtain buildings and contents insurance, they will find it almost impossible.

So, what can you do? Firstly, there is a Subsidence Claims Advisory Bureau (01424 733727). This offers a free telephone advice service to any member of the public. However, to really help you, it is likely they’ll need to visit your property, and this is where they pass it on to the Bureau Insurance Service, which charges a £250 fee to visit your property.

Subsidence Claims Advisory Bureau do have a sheme called PUPS - Previously Underpinned Properties Scheme. This Scheme involves the applicant completing a questionnaire, returning it to their office with all the relevant information (i.e. what caused the problem, what has been done to correct it etc) and an inspection fee of £125.00 + VAT, (£146.88) for a standard residential house. Properties that are arranged as four flats or more will incur a higher inspection fee. On receipt of the above, they arrange their inspection of the property so that they can put a presentation to their specialist Underwriters, and they then look to offer the final terms, conditions and quotation. If however, the Underwriters decline to offer any terms at all, and the property has been underpinned, the applicant receives their money back less a £25.00 administration fee.

If a homeowner suspects their property has a subsidence related problem, they have a Scheme whereby they arrange an inspection of the property, this includes the Surveyor and the applicant having an on-site consultation. The Surveyor carries out an inspection of the property along with a desk study of the area. They then provide a report summarising their findings, what they think is the cause of the problem and ways to remedy the situation or formulating a claim. This Scheme has a fee of £250.00 (inc. VAT).

What to do if you have to make a home insurance claim.

Firstly, if your property is getting damaged, do not wait until you get hold of your insurance company and they process your claim before you do all you can to prevent the damage getting any worse. Get temporary work carried out it. Most insurance companies should cover you for this. Check with your insurance company if you are unsure, ideally before an incident occurs.

Insurance companies tend to have emergency help lines. These will be able to give you advice in case of trouble. Keep this number in a safe and accessible place. You do not want to have to search frantically for this number in an emergency.

When you have an insurance policy, you should be fully aware of your policy details and which situation are covered. If you aren’t sure, you should refer to your policy so you can check that whatever loss or damage you have incurred is covered by your home insurance quote policy.

Then decide which policy you want to claim under. Is it your buildings insurance – which covers the structure of your home and any fixtures or fittings? Or is it your contents insurance – which covers your possessions that you could take away with you should you move?

As soon as you can in an emergency, advise your insurance company of the situation. But get your priorities straight. If you have been in a burglary, call the police first. If your credit cards have been stolen, call your card companies and get them cancelled.

Telephone your insurance company and tell them what happened. Ask for a claim form, then fill it out when it arrives and send it back with estimates for the cost of repair or replacement. Should estimates be hard to obtain (if there has been a flood, a lot of people will be wanting estimates at the same time), then return your claim form anyway, telling the insurer that you will forward estimates when you are able to.

Keep your damaged items, they are evidence when you claim. Keep sodden or burnt items in an outhouse if you don’t want to keep them in your house. You will need your receipts, warranties and other documents as further evidence of your losses

When your insurance company receives your claims form, it will take one of three actions. They may simply pay your claim. Or they might send round a claims assessor to your property, who will clear up your queries and arrange with you the basis on which the claim will be settled. Thirdly, a loss adjuster could be sent to handle your claim. They might be an expert in an area and could advice on repairs or replacement.

Home insurance in England

A recent decision by the Appeal Court means that the cost of compensation for some of the flood risk in England and Wales needs to be covered by the water companies, rather than the consumers or the insurance companies. This could lower the risk for the home insurance companies, who can start to share the burden of the problems associated with floods.

The actual case was against Thames Water. The potential cost that Thames Water could incur because of this ruling could reach about £1bn, which is over three times the profit that it earned in 2000/2001. It would also have knock-on implications for other water companies throughout the UK, as they would become more vulnerable to similar claims.

The plaintiff was a man from Stanmore, which is in Middlesex in North London. Sewage had flooded the man’s property since 1992.

The original High Court decision had made the water companies and other statutory sewerage undertakers liable for the compensation of all those in England and Wales whose homes had been affected by sewage flooding. Steps would also have to be taken in order to carry out alleviation schemes for sewage flooding with no regard to cost.

This is good news for those people who live in flood-risk areas, because with the chances that risks will be shared between the insurance companies and the water suppliers, it gives them a chance to be able to get home insurance.

Movement on this has already began, with some insurance companies allowing over 250,000 homes that had been previously excluded back onto the list of homes that are insurable. This followed a review of flood risk and defences. This particularly helps thousands of homes in Greater Manchester and parts of the north west, as well as Southampton, Portsmouth, North London and Herefordshire.

The original decision to exclude homes with an unaddressed flood risk had been taken to allow the insurance companies that did so to bring their premiums down. The insurance companies undertook analysis, which concentrated on areas where flood defences had been built or strengthened in the years preceding their decision.

Revised digital maps were used which provided new flood data, enabling the insurance companies to cover more homes without having to raise other customers’ premiums by including areas where the flood risk has not been addressed. This means that over 15,000 new postcode areas were re-introduced to the list of areas qualifying for cover. This was, according to one of the main companies, a way of making insurance cheapest for the ordinary person and household, and also “making sure that insurance remains insurance”, in that it covers events which are not likely to happen.

Home insurance in Ireland

A recent survey took the most popular type of home in the UK, the three-bed semi, and compared the quotes given by insurance companies for different postcodes around the country. Northern Ireland came in top for buildings cover with an average of £119.

The premiums are affected by such variables as the amount of subsidence in the area, and the size and rebuild costs of the house. Some policies were based on the number of bedrooms in the house, but there is also the issue of the cost of rebuilding, which vary due to local construction standards, the cost of labour and the availability and cost of materials.

When buildings and contents cover are assed together for a three-bed semi all over the UK, the best average is in Lisnaskea in Northern Ireland, which has an average premium of £223. Compare this to the rather down-at-heel suburb of West Norwood in South-east London, where the number of burglaries and the cost of rebuilding adds up to combined buildings and content cover of £702, and you see how cheap insurance is in Northern Ireland!

Another initiative which has helped people in Northern Ireland insure their home has been the Northern Ireland Tenants Action Project (NITAP), which aimed to make it more affordable and simple for housing executive and housing association tenants to insure their personal possessions.

This had been difficult before. Anyone who regularly gets home insurance in the UK will know that many insurance companies put a minimum on the amount that you can insure with contents cover of, say £20,000. This is strange, because not many people have contents worth that amount. What this means is that you are insuring yourself for an amount you don’t need to be covered for, which raises your premiums.

The consequences of this are that many people on low incomes are choosing not to insure their personal possessions and household goods. Tenants claim that the minimum cover demanded by insurers cause high premiums.

The scheme set up in Northern Ireland, means that those on low and fixed incomes can insure their personal possessions for as little as 80p a week, whether or not the total value of their possessions falls below the typical requirements for these policies.

Tenants over 60 can insure their possessions for sums as low as £6,000. For others, the minimum is £9,000. This means that the average premium for tenants in Northern Ireland is £75 a year.

Also, instead of paying premiums in advance, Northern Ireland tenants can pay fortnightly in many different ways. They can pay at any post office, with a personalised swipe card through Girobank. Also, monthly direct debit can be used, but you get a discount for annual payments.

home insurance in Scotland

Scottish homeowners can actually feel rather aggrieved at what has happened with their insurance quote for home owners in the UK who want to insure their buildings premiums recently. According to Esure, which is an insurance provider, Scottish homeowners are footing the bill for the flooding and subsidence problems south of its border. The consequence of this is that you should spend more time than normal finding the right insurer for your home if you live in Scotland.

Scotland is not at high risk from floods. Although there were some floods in Edinburgh, Paisley and Perth, it remains low risk in Scotland compared to England. Insurance companies had to foot a £1.3bn bill last year from floods, and to claw back their losses, they have raised premiums across the board.

Subsidence problems have also caused costs to the insurance industry to rise, but again this is mainly in England. There is a massive clay belt in England and the actual claims for subsidence damages are restricted mainly to that area, yet Scottish consumers are seeing a raise in their insurance premiums.

According to Esure, another problem is the way that insurers have used a broad-brushed approach to rating areas of Scotland. So, rather than using full postcodes to set premiums, they are setting similar rates for large areas, for instance the whole of Glasgow. This means that in areas where there is an enormous amount of variety in terms of risk, like Glasgow, people who live in low risk areas are funding insurance for those in high risk areas. This doesn’t happen in London.

Further research by HSBC bank suggests that Scottish people make great neighbours, and this goes as far as helping each other lower their home insurance premiums. If you know your neighbours well enough to ask them to keep an eye on your house when you go away you are less likely to come back to a break-in but you will find it easier to save money when it comes to renewing your household cover.

According to HSBS, 90% of people in Scotland know their neighbours well, as opposed to less than 80% in England. Neighbourhood watch schemes have always been found to be a very effective crime deterrent, which is why your insurance company will ask you if you a member of one.

On the negative side, the Association of British Insurers say that storm damage and the freezing temperatures that often occur in Winter have caused claims relating to burst pipes increase, and these can be costly to put right.

Ultimately, if you live in Scotland you should find an insurer who will rate your home fairly in terms of the risk involved in insuring it. Rates may vary so you could save a lot by shopping around.

home insurance in Wales

Because Wales can be quite sparsely populated it can be quite difficult for utilities providers to supply all the homes with what they require, as they find it more difficult to offer bulk or integrated solutions. This means that sometimes you can be left for says without power rather than hours in the event of a bas storm. This has an effect on your home insurance quote in ways you may not think of easily.

Power companies do not actually have an obligation to compensate homeowners should they lose power because of a storm. Under normal circumstances, most power companies will offer you a guaranteed payment should you go 18 hours without power, but there is a loophole for storms, mainly because there is no way the power companies can know when a storm will occur and what it will affect.

However, there is a certain line of thought that power companies should be able to make their supply of electricity “storm proof”. Maybe they could employ more staff or make their supply network more robust. At the moment, power companies do not even have to offer discretionary compensation in extreme cases.

The problem in Wales has been that some people are finding their power out for long periods, such as three days or more. This can cause problems for hotels for instance, who have large supplies of frozen food that they have. These hotels are popular, but after the storms in October 2002, some hotels were out of electricity for 3 or 4 days. This means that their frozen food could thaw, costing them maybe thousands of pounds.

The reason this affects home insurance quote is that the only way to cover the cost of frozen food is through contents insurance. The electricity companies will not compensate you for the loss of supply through the effects of a storm, so the only way to cover the food lost is to claim on home insurance, which will push up your premiums. You should make sure the level of cover you have is relevant to the risk that you will need this cover.

The whole issue has been brought to a head by the October 2002 storms, because of the damage that they caused both in terms of the effects of flying debris and falling trees, but also because of the effect on power supplies. The loophole that makes power companies not liable for the loss of electricity to their customers for over 18 hours if it is caused by storms could be closed.

Water companies are already becoming liable for the effects of floods. Power companies could be next.

Who do I contact should I wish to report a problem with a home insurance company?

The insurance industry is self-regulating. This means that if you are complaining about a online home insurance provider and you want to escalate it, you are escalating it to an organization of which the insurance company is a member.

That doesn’t mean the complaint will not be attended to properly. It’s more that your complaints will be dealt with by people who are experienced in the field of insurance. The insurance industry itself needs to remain credible and clean and clear in order for people to want to give it money.

First of all, when you choose your insurance company, you need to make sure that it is a member organization of at least one, but preferably all, of the following trade organizations. If they are not a member, there is usually a reason for it. Have they been expelled? Do they not want to be regulated? Whichever one it is, if your insurance company doesn’t belong to a regulatory trade organization, your complaints will not go very far.

Should you wish to escalate a problem with your insurance company you have a choice of two main organizations to go to.

First, there is the Insurance Brokers Registration Council (IBRC). Many insurance providers belong to this, and they aim to follow the code of conduct that is set down for them. Should have a real grievance, it will be taken on by the IBRC, which will take a number of steps to escalate the complaint. This means your complaint will be handled by more senior members of staff as it progresses.

The other organization is the Association of British Insurers (ABI). It is important you find out which organization your insurance company belongs to so you know where to go.

These two organizations may soon be superseded by a new organization called the General Insurance Standards Council (GISC). This is slowly taking charge of the regulation of the insurance industry.

In the first instance, you must complain directly to your insurance provider in writing. So, for instance, if you feel you have been miss-sold a policy, get down on paper exactly what happened, who said what to you and when.

If you are not satisfied with the response of your insurance company, you should then find out what they recommend as a complaints procedure. You should follow that. The complaints scheme will fall into two categories. An ombudsman scheme or an arbitration scheme.

The main difference is that both you and the insurer have to commit to accepting the decision of an arbitrator, but only the insurer has to commit to accept the decision of an ombudsman. So, if you don’t think the ombudsman’s decision is right, you can go to court, but it could be lengthy and costly.

Who should I contact should I feel I've been a victim of Misleading advertising?

Who you contact depends on where you saw or heard the advert. If you saw the advert on television, then you need to contact the Independent Television Commission (ITC). If you heard it on the radio, you would contact the Radio Authority (RA). Finally, should you have seen the advert in or on a non-broadcast medium, you should got to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

The ASA covers print adverts, outdoor posters, internet adverts (including banner ads and pop-ups), direct mail brochures and leaflets, commercial emails, cinema advertisements and all kinds of sales promotions.

Whoever you are complaining to, you should make it in writing. It is important that there is no misunderstanding about the advert about which you are complaining or the reasons for your complaint. You aren’t restricted to letter writing though, all three organizations provide online forms. Make sure you include your name and address with your complaint, so you can be kept informed of its progress.

If you want to complain about broadcast advertising, you need to provide them with certain information. They must know the date and time of the ad, or the teletext page if relevant, and obviously the name of the TV channel or radio programme and programme you were watching. You must make it clear which product the advert was talking about. Finally, make the nature of your complaint very clear.

You must also make the nature of your complaint and the name of the product clear when you are complaining about non-broadcast ads as well. Send in a copy of the ad, stating where you saw it and when it appeared.

When the relevant authority receives your complaint, they will investigate it and then they will raise the issue with the relevant media company, assuming they feel there is a case to answer. If it is decided that a breach of standards has occurred, the company could be ordered to make the necessary changes in order to prevent a repetition of the problem.

If the breach is found to be persistent or more serious, then the complaint-handling organization can issue a formal warning to the offending company. In the most serious cases, the company may have to print, publish or broadcast an apology and a correction. In extreme circumstances, the media company could be fined, or in the case of broadcasting companies, shorten or even withdraw their licences.

You should also think about the fact that an isolated service problem doesn’t make an advert misleading. This is not a way of dealing with disputes between a company and their customers. Unless the company makes claims about service and patently can’t live up to them, it’s not an advertising complaint.

Something to think about is if you are complaining about the service from an advertiser. An isolated service problem does not make an advertisement misleading in itself. Complaints commissions cannot intervene in a dispute between a company and a customer

If you are looking for the online home insurance , at the list of best home insurance sites your sure to find most of the sites you would probably want to visit for the best sites for home insurance .

The Price Survey

Home insurance advice

Flood advice
How does the risk of Flooding affect home insurance?