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Home / Insurance / Home Insurance / Home Insurance Types / Home Contents Insurance

Home Contents Insurance

Home contents insurance is the insurance that most people think of when they think about home insurance in general. This covers you for theft of your property and damage to your possessions through flood, fire or accident. Read more...>

Online Discount Pay Monthly

Tesco

Receive 50% off when you get a quote by 7th Jan 2009
50%

Direct Line

Trusted brand offering extensive cover.
25%

Barclays

Buy combined building & contents - get £50 cashback
10%

Sainsburys

20% discount when you purchase buildings & contents
20%

There are many versions of contents insurance and you don’t have to be a home owner to have it. As a tenant you can protect your belongings with contents insurance, although where there may be clauses where you have shared access to your home entrance which should be clarified before you take out the insurance. Home contents insurance usually specifies certain security criteria such as type of locks used and level of occupancy of the property and often discounts can be gained for up to date and maintained alarm systems.

A new for old policy will replace stolen or ruined items with brand new items rather than with an estimated lesser value. Many insurance companies have arrangements with suppliers to enable them to replace approved items quickly such as standard electrical goods.

In assessing your insurance cover it is easy to underestimate just how much it would cost to replace everything new so it’s worth doing a check through of your possessions with the current retail price in mind. If you have some very expensive items such as high-spec audio or computer systems they may not be covered under the standard policy and may need to be added separately. Some home contents policies will cover bicycles but again you should check rather than assume that they are covered.

Accidental damage to your property, such as a spilled pot of paint on a carpet, may also need to be an additional extra for a standard policy.

Top Tips

  • Make sure you have been realistic about the value of your possessions - a lower premium is of no use if it doesn’t allow you to replace your goods
  • The buildings insurance that you have to have for your mortgage provider in most cases won’t cover the contents of your home unless it is a stated joint policy
  • Keep an inventory of your possessions so that if you need to make a claim you can accurately remember what you’ve lost
  • Keep the security requirements in mind. If you leave your alarm turned off and leave your doors unlocked you may invalidate your home contents cover

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