Nobody enjoys handing money to a provider just in case a specified event occurs, which is what insurance is all about, but in the case of home insurance it makes perfect sense to do this.

Everyone is aware of gas explosions, flash floods and subsidence damaging properties, and burglaries are all too common.  Buildings and contents insurance are to protect property owners against such events, and as your home is usually your single most important asset, it is important to have such protection in place.

Buildings insurance is the part of home insurance that will cover the cost of rebuilding the property if it extensively damaged by flooding, fire, subsidence or some other specified event, and the sum insured will be equal to the estimated cost of rebuilding it rather than its market value.

Contents insurance protects you against damage to or loss of movable property in the home, such as jewellery and clothing, and against accidental damage of items by members of the household.  It often also covers items such as garden furniture, with the garden classed as another room in the house.

Travel insurance will be needed to protect items taken on holiday, as these will normally not be covered by the standard home insurance policy.

Home insurance can be tailored to suit particular requirements, and it is always important to verify the exact cover that you have in place so that you will not be out of pocket when catastrophe strikes.