Of course you need home insurance, but how do you know you’ve found the best policy for your home, yourself, and your family?  There are a couple of easy things you can do to ensure your policy fits you and your lifestyle, and will also be there to cover you adequately should you suffer a loss.

First, stop for a few minutes and survey your situation.  How long has it been since you updated your policy?  For many people, that’s many years.  If that’s the case with you, take stock of your situation now by writing down large-value items you’ve acquired which might not be listed in your current contents policy.  Have you made improvements to your home which might not be listed in your home policy?  Add those to the list.

Now contact your current insurer and ask about these changes.  Ask about discounts you may have overlooked.  Are your autos insured with the same company?  Are you now over 50?  Can you afford a higher excess?  Get a new quote, but don’t agree to it just yet.

Now contact at least three other companies and compare home insurance quotes from them to your current company, ensuring that you request the same coverage and excess across all policies.  Research the financial stability of these companies and their record for good customer service.

With a bit of research, you can quickly determine the policy that’s exactly right for you, your family, and your finances.

Believe it or not, but earthquakes do occur in the UK and even though they are generally not severe they can still cause substantial damage to your home.  The good news is that in the UK most house insurance policies, although not all, do cover earthquake damage, unlike other risks such as flooding, which is not always covered.

Should your home be damaged it is important that you take a few careful steps to make sure your claim for earthquake damage will proceed smoothly.  As soon as possible after the event the most important step is to carefully inspect your home looking at the tiles, roof, chimney and walls for any damage.  It may even be advisable to get a buildings inspector to look over your house, just in case, you fail to identify all the damage and only realise it months later, in which case it may be too late to claim for what could be expensive repairs.

Always take photographs of any damage you notice so that it is fully documented.  In addition, notify your utility providers if you think water or gas pipes or electrical wiring is damaged.  Importantly, do not undertake any repairs whatsoever before your insurer has examined and approved your claim.

In some cases you may not be able to live in your house until it has been safely repaired.  Many buildings insurance policies include cover for the costs incurred in providing temporary accommodation.

There are two basic types of home insurance.  Buildings insurance covers you against extensive damage to your home or property by ensuring funds available to rebuild it in the event of some disaster, such as subsidence or an explosion caused by leaking gas, flooding or fallen trees.  Mortgage lenders will insist you take out buildings insurance to cover the cost of rebuilding the property should these or other disasters occur.

Home contents insurance is optional, but it is always a good idea to take it out, because burglaries are relatively common; in addition, there is always the possibility that you may damage personal possessions yourself.  New for old contents insurance sees lost or damaged items replaced by new ones and this is the most popular type of policy on the market today.  You could, alternatively, go for indemnity insurance, although with this your items will be replaced with only ones of the same age.

Most home contents and buildings insurance policies are taken out together, with the same provider, as this is normally cheaper.  The policies can be extended to cover eventualities not included in the basic one, such as home emergency and accidental damage, although this will affect the premiums.  It is really a balancing act when you compare home insurance quotes, between what level of cover you would like and how much you are prepared to pay.

Unlimited cover means that, in theory, any damage will result in an automatic payout, but whether or not you receive it will depend on the precise circumstances of the damage.

When you are looking for cheap house insurance, a good place to begin is with comparison websites.  They will trawl through all the best options for contents insurance and building insurance, based on your requirements and present you with a page of the best deals available at the time.

If you have a mortgage you will have no option but to take out some form of buildings insurance, which will cover you for the cost of rebuilding your property should it be devastated by any one of a number of possible catastrophes.  These could include falling trees or explosions due to gas leaks, subsidence or flooding or numerous other eventualities.  If buildings insurance is not in place, for instance if you failed to renew it after paying off the mortgage, this could wipe you out financially, so most homeowners take it out regardless of whether they have a mortgage.  As well as covering you against major disasters, buildings insurance will cover your kitchen and other fittings, such as pipes and wallpaper.

With contents insurance, it is entirely up to you whether or not you take it out.  Most people choose to have it because of the constant danger of accidental or malicious damage to their moveable possessions or their loss through burglary.  The cheapest form is indemnity insurance.  With this, if for example, your dishwasher is damaged, it will be replaced with another, but only one of the same age.  If you purchase a new for old policy you will get you a brand new replacement, although this level of cover is more costly.

One of the main advantages of taking out insurance to protect your home is obtaining cover for damage or theft to your home. In most cases this will include damage caused by flooding, fires, storms and natural disasters such as earthquakes.

Being able to sleep at night knowing your home is completely protected is a virtual necessity in today’s current society. Over the years, our homes become a haven of personal, treasured items – all of which can be protected under your house insurance policy. Cover for your personal belongings is especially helpful for those renting properties as it will cover all items as they are moved from one rented property to another.

With regards to damage caused by fires, flooding and storms, many home insurance policies will cover the cost of accommodation whilst your home is being repaired. Finding somewhere to live, whilst trying to look after a family during this sort of stressful situation, is going to be difficult at the best of times. This is where your insurance company can step in to assist. Ensure you check this within your policy documentation thoroughly to see if this is going to be covered.

It is important to remember not to go for the cheapest policy you can find. There is an increasing number of companies on the market so spend some time researching before you buy. Comparison websites are also exceptionally helpful in providing a direct list of prices from a large range of companies, whilst taking all of your personal requirements into consideration.

First of all, shop around and be prepared to do so every year when your policy is due for renewal.  Do not stick to one company out of any thoughts of loyalty; it is unlikely the feeling is reciprocated. 

Check out the price comparison websites and look at the various polices on offer.  Remember, you can usually save up to 10% by buying home insurance online.

If you decide to purchase your home insurance as a package, which is to say buildings and contents insurance from the same company, it usually results in you having to pay a lower premium.  In fact, if you can spare a bit of time, you can sometimes find an insurance company that will offer free home contents if you purchase their buildings insurance policy.

If you can afford the lump sum, then pay your home insurance premium annually rather than pay the interest usually charged for paying by monthly instalments.  Alternatively, search for a company that offers interest-free instalments.

Check your policy carefully and see how much you can save by increasing the excess, say from £50 to £250.  By doing this you will pay less for your premium, though in the event of a claim you would have to pay out more.  However, in the long-term this may be a more economical proposition.

Before you claim on your insurance, consider if it is actually worth it.  Your premium may go up next year, so maybe it is best to pay the costs yourself, especially if it is only a relatively small claim.

The idea of home insurance is to protect yourself, your house and everything in it against unforeseen circumstances.  When we get a home insurance quote, or a household quote which covers buildings and contents insurance, we are securing our future.

Homeowners are taking this protection to another level, however, and protecting their belongings in a more literal sense.  Confronting a burglar in the home is dangerous, but brave Brits seem willing to do this rather than call the police, a survey from Halifax Home Insurance has revealed.
 
The survey revealed that more than 60,000 people last year tried to stop an offence by confronting the criminal.  Protective measures like buying home insurance is a far cry from trying to snatch your possessions back from a burglar, and this should not be done lightly.

There are major risks to doing this, and it is putting your own safety in jeopardy.  It sounds like the actions of an uninsured person, as they know they are going to have to replace what has been taken by the burglar themselves.  People who have home insurance can just ring their provider and make a claim, and maybe they will be better off anyway if their policy has new-for-old cover.  We should think about our own safety first, and remember the reason we bought insurance.  You have no idea about the state of mind of the criminal so before you tackle an intruder think quickly about the potential risks.  Call the police immediately if you suspect a break-in in your home.

Looking for Deals

There are many that you can reduce your home insurance premiums.  You can phone insurers or brokers direct, visit each company’s website or use one of the many price comparison websites.  If you have the time, you can certainly save money and get yourself some cheap home insurance.

Of course, this all depends on your lifestyle and what kind and level of protection you require.  However, a quick glance on a price comparison website will start to give you some impression of the level of competition that exists in the home insurance market, which is good news for you, the consumer. 

Here are just a few of the deals currently on offer: 

•    Co-operative Insurance are offering a 30% discount to anyone who has not made a claim for a year.
•    Aviva are offering free home contents insurance with their house insurance and 20% off if you buy online. 
•    Moneysupermarket.com accesses over 60 UK companies to find you the best deal for buildings and contents insurance.
•    Swinton are offering a £30 cashback. 
•    GoCompare.com claim that its customers save an average of £145.79, with 10% saving over £290 on home insurance. 
•    Direct Line are offering 12 months home insurance cover for the price of nine, plus up to 25% discount if you buy online.

These are just a few random examples of the discounts that insurance companies are trying to tempt householders with, but you are the customer and it definitely pays to shop around for a cheap home insurance quote.

John Lewis has branched out and is now offering insurance on cars, homes and travel.  It is a trend that has seen many goods retailers, such as supermarkets, moving into new business avenues. Tesco, for example, now offers a bank, mobile phone contracts and all types of insurance.

John Lewis is arguably a more upmarket store than Tesco, and this is certainly reflected in the insurance they are promoting.  The home insurance cover will not be the cheapest by a long shot, however John Lewis is saying it is the most comprehensive, with a wide range of benefits.
 
John Lewis is renowned for providing quality products and luxury items that are well made.  These products sell well because we are actually buying something – a physical object; the same cannot be said for insurance.  John Lewis’ luxury insurance may not be as popular as their real products, as insurance is buying peace of mind, and unless you have had major disasters in the home, and have had to rely on your home insurance to sort it out, the luxury of John Lewis’ home insurance may be seen as unnecessary.
 
John Lewis’ insurance is a great deal more expensive than its competitors – anything up to a sum exceeding £200, depending on which of the three options you choose.
 
It will certainly not be used by a vast percentage of the population in the UK who trawl comparison websites to get the cheapest deal.  For those who need first-class insurance, however – including those who live on a flood plain – getting the best could save you money in the long run.

Direct Line markets itself as being less expensive to buy insurance from as they do not operate on price comparison websites, and therefore pay them no fees.  The only way to get a policy from them for household insurance is to go directly to them.

This may seem like they do not wish to be included in the pages of quotes because they would be near the bottom with an expensive policy, but taking a look at their website, it is easy to see why they have not chosen to be listed on comparison websites.

With Direct Line you have two options; to have the standard policy on home contents insurance, with some optional extras, or to go with the home insurance plus cover.  The optional extras of the first are included in the second, and are quite impressive.  The legal cover not only covers disputes in the home but also personal injury claims and employment disputes.  Should you be unfairly dismissed, Direct Line will cover you taking your employer to court. These legal fees can be anything up to £100,000 pounds.

Seasonal changes are also accounted for, such as Christmas, when the value of items in your home will increase over that holiday period.  Specific items that are personal to you are included such as those purchased in preparation for the birth of a child.  Equipment to help with this time, including expensive prams and cribs, are covered.