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How can I get cheaper home insurance?

Shopping around for quotes isn’t the only way to save on your home insurance. Here's six more tips that could help keep the cost of your premium down:

1. Improve your home security

   Get insurer-approved locks for your home, as well as smoke and burglar alarm systems.

2. Regularly maintain your home

   Staying on top of things and getting repairs done early can save you money in the long run.

3. Build your no-claim discount

   For every year you don't make a claim, you'll likely reduce the cost of your premium.

4. Don't over-insure

   Overestimating the value of your contents and the rebuild cost of your home will increase your premium. But if you're in any doubt, it's better to overestimate than underestimate.

5. Only pay for what you need

   You'll be offered a variety of optional extras when you apply for home insurance. Remember the best home insurance policy for you is one that offers the cover you need at an affordable price.

6. Pay upfront

   With monthly payments, you'll have to pay interest and sometimes a finance arrangement fee, so it'll be more expensive.

Who needs home insurance?

Home insurance isn’t a legal requirement, but it’s a good idea to have it. Think about whether you could afford to repair your home or replace your possessions if they were damaged, lost or stolen.

Those who might need home insurance include:

• Homeowners

  It's often a condition of your mortgage to have buildings insurance. Protection of your belongings is optional. If you own your home outright, both buildings and contents insurance are optional.

• Renters

  If you’re renting a property, buildings insurance is the responsibility of the landlord. Your landlords insurance won’t cover your contents though. You’ll need your own renters insurance policy for that.

• Landlords

  Landlords are required by law to have insurance that’ll look after the property and the occupiers. Landlord insurance will cover your buildings, contents, accidental damage, landlord liability, and alternative accommodation.

• Students

  Students living away from home may want student contents insurance for any expensive kit they own. Share houses are regularly targeted by thieves, and the right insurance could protect you against theft. Before you buy, check whether your belongings are covered by your parents’ home insurance first.

• Holiday homeowners

  You can't cover a second home with standard home insurance. Instead, you’ll need holiday home insurance to cover the risks associated with renting your second home out and leaving it empty for long periods of time.

• Short-term letters

  If you let a room, annex or your entire property on a short-term basis, you’ll need short-term let insurance. It’ll cover any guest injury claims or damages caused by guests during their stay. You’ll likely need standard home insurance too to cover your home for any non-guest related losses.

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Check your policy wording so you know what cover you have in the event of bad weather

There’s not a lot you can do to control the weather, but you can minimise the damage to your property and help protect your belongings.

Check your home insurance policy in advance of bad weather to understand what's covered. If your home's affected, make a note of the time and date so you can inform your insurer should you need to claim. Many policies will specify what they deem a weather-related incident, so writing down details of the situation will help if you need to claim. Taking photos or a video of the damage - if safe to do so - can be useful to support your claim too.

A storm can highlight problems with your home due to lack of maintenance or wear and tear. If your roof wasn't in the best state and damage occurs during a storm or high winds which wouldn't have happened if the roof had been properly maintained, then it's like you would not be covered for this.

Ceri McMillan - GoCompare Home Insurance

Other types of home insurance

You may need something more specific than standard buildings and contents insurance if you live in a property that’s high risk for example. More specific types of home insurance include:

• Flood risk insurance

  Flood risk insurance can be a valuable investment for those looking to protect their home and contents from damage by flooding.

• Subsidence insurance

  If your property has a history of subsidence, getting insurance may be tricky and you’ll probably need to go to a specialist provider.

• Unoccupied home insurance

  Cover for properties left unoccupied for more than 30 days can be costly and hard to find. Specialist unoccupied property insurance helps you find cover for properties left vacant for up 12 months.

• Listed building insurance

  You’ll need to tell your insurer if your home is listed. You may find your choice of insurers more limited. Make sure you declare an accurate rebuild value.

• Non-standard construction home insurance

  If your home is not made from standard materials, you may require specialist home insurance. Features such as thatched roofs or timber-frames are widely viewed as non-standard by insurers.

• Flat roof home insurance

  Flat roof homes can be more expensive to insure than standard homes. This is because insurers consider flat roof homes to be at higher risk of water ingress, weather damage and burglary.

Add-ons and additional cover

You can add upgrades to your home insurance policy if you need them. You’ll have to pay extra for them, so think about whether they’re worth the extra cost.

• Accidental damage cover

  This'll cover you for claims due to accidents in the home like a spilt glass of wine on a rug or a smashed window. Accidental damage caused by children is usually included, but rarely pets and amateur DIY.

  Find out more about accidental damage cover and home insurance

• Away from home cover

  Standard contents insurance will only cover your belongings while they’re in your house. If you want cover when you're away from home, you’ll need personal possessions insurance.

  Find out more about insurance cover away from home

• Home emergency cover

  This’ll protect you against things like boiler breakdowns, electrical failure and blocked drains. It’ll cover the cost of calling out an approved tradesman to get your services up and running again, as well as any replacement parts needed.

  Find out more about home emergency cover

• Legal expenses cover

  Help for the costs of legal proceedings that involve your home. Personal injury claims and property disputes with neighbours are times you may need to use it.

  Find out more about legal cover and home insurance

Frequently asked questions

• How does Covid-19 impact my home insurance?

  Most insurers cover office work from home due to Coronavirus, and your employer should have insurance for any equipment they’ve sent you home with.

  If your working situation has permanently changed, update your details. For example, if you’re going to be home during the day more often than before.

  Consider whether you need add-ons like ‘cover away from home’ too. If you’re not planning to take expensive equipment out of your home, it could be an added expense you don’t need.

• Does home insurance cover me to work from home?

  While it’s possible your home insurance will provide some cover, it may not offer adequate cover for all your business equipment and stock.

  Either way, you should inform your home insurer if you work from home. You won't necessarily have to take out additional cover, but not telling them could invalidate a future claim.

  You find more information on our guide to working from home and insurance.

• When’s the best time to buy home insurance?

  You can buy home insurance up to 29 days before you want the policy to start.

  But our research shows that the later you leave it, the more you’re likely to end up paying.

  The cheapest time to buy your next buildings and contents insurance policy is 29 days before your existing policy ends.[5]

  Our research shows it’ll cost around 16% less than it would to buy it the day before your existing policy renews.

• Can I get insurance if my home is undergoing building work?

  You can, but you’ll need to tell the insurer about any building work or home renovations that are underway or planned to take place during the policy period. Insurers need to know about:

  • Structural alterations to the layout of the property, such as building an extension
  • Major structural renovations like rewiring or re-plumbing the property
  • Loft, cellar, basement or integrated garage conversions

  If you don’t tell your insurer about structural building works, and something goes wrong, it’s very unlikely your insurer will help you with any of the costs, and your policy could be invalidated.

  You don’t need to tell them about simpler refurbishment works, though. Things like redecorating or fitting a new bathroom or kitchen are fine to do without telling your insurer.

  You can find more information with our guide to home renovations and insurance.

• What insurance is needed when buying a house?

  If you’re buying through a mortgage, you’ll usually need to have buildings insurance. Contents insurance could be handy for your own peace of mind.

  You might also want to consider life insurance, critical illness cover and/or income protection, just in case something happens which means you’d struggle to pay back your mortgage and other bills.

• Is a leak covered by home insurance?

  It can be. Frozen and burst pipes are a major source of home insurance claims, but cover varies enormously from policy to policy. You may also want to check if you have trace and access cover on your home insurance, as this can be invaluable if you need to find and repair a leaking pipe.

• Can I get home insurance if my property has subsidence?

  Insurance for properties with subsidence history can be difficult to find, so you’ll likely need to go with a specialist provider. Most policies will cover loss and damage caused by subsidence, however, they might not cover the cost of preventing further subsidence from occurring.

• Can I get home insurance if my property is at risk of flooding?

  If your home is at high risk of flooding, it's worth looking into flood insurance. Flood Re may be able to help you find affordable home insurance, even if there’s significant risk of flooding.

• What home insurance is needed for a listed building?

  As listed buildings are commonly made from unusual materials you might need a specialist policy to cover your unique home. You might also need to declare that your home is listed.

• How do I estimate the rebuild cost of my house?

  To work out your home's rebuild cost you can use the calculator provided when you’re getting quotes with us. Otherwise, you should be able to find the rebuild value of your home on a survey from a chartered surveyor – just make sure that it’s recent.

  The amount of buildings cover you need is based on the rebuild cost of your home. This is the amount it would take to rebuild the property if it was demolished. The figure is likely to be less than the price you'd get if you sold your home.

• How much contents cover do I need?

  To give you a general idea, the average value of household possessions on combined home insurance policies bought through us was £47,648.[6]

  Most insurers will offer you around £40,000 cover for your contents, which for some is enough, but if you think you need more or less change it.

  Take a walk around your house and look out for high-ticket items - fridges, TVs, even a wardrobe full of clothes. Your contents insurance is there to cover the cost if you had to buy those items again today.

  It's important to itemise anything worth over £1,000. If you don't, your insurer won't pay more than £1,000 for it - this is known as the single item limit. Keep hold of receipts or valuation certificates for these items. Check cover limits for cash too - it's usually between £500 and £1,000 and you can't increase it.

  The things we own change, and so does their value. If you buy any expensive items - like gadgets or jewellery - you’ll need to tell your insurer if you want them covered too.

• What are the new rules for home insurance and how do they affect my premium?

  The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has introduced new rules to make home insurance pricing fairer for existing customers. The new rules mean that insurers must offer the same price to both new and existing customers. Find out more

• What's a home insurance excess?

  Your home insurance excess is the amount you must pay towards any claim you make.

  It’s made up of two parts: the compulsory excess and the voluntary excess. Your insurer sets the compulsory excess and you choose the voluntary excess.

  Choosing a higher voluntary excess usually means cheaper premiums, but make sure it’s an amount you’re still comfortable paying if you do need to claim.

• Does home insurance cover bicycles?

  Most home insurers will cover bicycles as standard, but not always.

  Some insurers only cover theft or damage to your bicycle at home. If you want extra cover for your bike away from home, you'll need to extend your policy.

  If you own an expensive bike, such as those used in races or competitions, you may want to specialist bicycle insurance.

• Does home insurance cover mobile phones?

  Yes, most policies will cover your mobile phone while it’s in your home. If you want your phone to be covered while you’re out and about, check whether the policy offers away from home cover.

  If your phone is worth over the single article limit, you might have to list it separately on your contents policy.

• Do I need home insurance with my mortgage?

  You might do. Some mortgage providers will insist upon you having home insurance before they’ll offer you a mortgage.

  If your lender requires you to have home insurance as a condition of the mortgage, then you’ll usually need to have the policy in place on the day you exchange contracts – this is where you haven’t bought the property yet, but you’ve made a legal commitment to it.

  Tenants can also get contents insurance to protect their possessions while they’re renting.

• What happens to my home insurance if I move house?

  You need to tell your insurers that you’re moving house and see if they can “port” your cover over to your new address – you might be charged a little extra if your new home and location differ a lot from your previous address.

  As long as you use a professional removal service, your contents might be covered during the move.

• Do I need home insurance if I live in a block of flats?

  The flat insurance you need depends on whether you’re renting, a leaseholder, or own the freehold. The block needs to be covered by buildings insurance, but that’s the responsibility of the freeholder. It’s up to you if you have contents insurance or not.

• Is home insurance the same as buildings and contents insurance?

  Yes. Buildings and contents cover are two elements of home insurance. You can buy buildings and/or contents cover separately, or as a combined home insurance policy.

• What insurance do I need for a non-standard property?

  If your home is made out of rare materials or in an unusual way, you can get specialist non-standard construction home insurance to help account for any quirks.

• Are my valuables covered inside the home?

  As standard most insurers will only cover your belongings while they’re inside your home. But you can get personal possessions cover to protect the items that you’ll be taking out and about.

• What home insurance do I need if I’m renting?

  Contents insurance could help protect your belongings while you’re renting – you can get tenants’ contents insurance. You shouldn’t have to worry about buildings insurance as this is your landlord’s responsibility.

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