Compare home insurance in the UK

Buildings insurance

Building insurance protects the brick and mortar structure of the home from things like fire and flood. It also covers any parts of you property that are fixed in place, such as a fitted kitchen. If you wouldn’t take something with you if you moved house, it’s probably covered by buildings insurance.

Contents insurance

Contents insurance covers the moveable items in your home, from food in your freezer, to TVs and computers, to furniture, clothing and jewellery. If something would usually come with you in a house move, it’s likely to be covered by contents insurance.

You can buy buildings insurance and contents insurance as separate policies, or together as a combined home insurance policy. The best choice depends on your personal circumstances. Combined policies are more convenient and often cheaper, but may not be practical if you live in a flat where the buildings insurance policy is shared between multiple flat owners, for example.

Do I need home insurance?

Home insurance isn’t a legal requirement, but if you don’t have it, you risk losing everything if the worst happens – if your home burns down in a fire, for example. Even if the loss is less extreme, the cost of home insurance is a small price to pay for the peace of mind that you’re financially covered for any damage to your property or its contents.

If you have a mortgage, it’s likely to be a condition of the loan that you must have buildings insurance on the mortgaged property.

If you rent your home, you don’t need to pay for buildings insurance as that’s the landlord’s responsibility. However, particularly if you are furnishing the property yourself, you may want to take out contents insurance to cover your belongings.

What does home insurance cover?

The situations covered by your home insurance will vary depending on the insurer you choose and the level of cover you opt for, so you’ll need to compare home insurance policies carefully. However, the best policies generally provide cover against the following as standard:

• Theft or burglary. Covers you against loss or damage caused by theft, attempted theft or burglary.
• Malicious acts and vandalism. If your home or contents are damaged due to vandalism or a malicious act, your policy will cover you.
• Riots or civil commotion. Financial protection in the event that a riot, civil commotion, or industrial or political disturbance results in loss or damage to your home.
• Burst pipes and other water damage. When water or oil escapes from gutters, pipes, baths, toilets, appliances or a range of other household items, home insurance covers you for the resulting loss or damage.
• Flood. Protects you against loss or damage caused by water that has escaped the normal confines of a lake, river, or a number of other bodies of water. Some home insurance policies only offer flood cover as an option, not as an automatic inclusion, so make sure you check your policy documents.
• Fire. If your home and/or contents are lost or damaged due to fire.
• Storm. Loss or damage caused by a storm, including violent winds, hail, snow, rain, thunderstorms, fallen trees or branches.
• Lightning. Loss or damage caused by lightning, or by a power surge caused by lightning.
• Earthquakes. This benefit ensures that you are covered against loss or damage caused by an earthquake.
• Explosion. Loss or damage caused by an explosion, as well as a landslide or subsidence that occurs as an immediate result of an explosion.
• Impact damage. This benefit covers you against impact from objects such as falling trees, power poles, TV antennas, motor vehicles and meteorites.
• Subsidence. This is when the foundations of a property give way, gradually or over time, typically causing cracks in the walls or other damage.

How to compare home insurance

To compare home insurance policies effectively, you’ll need to follow a few simple steps.

• Know your basic cover needs. Before you start shopping for a policy, think about the risks you want to cover and the level of protection you need. For example, do you need both buildings and contents insurance? What is the value of your home and belongings, including individual valuable items, and how does this affect the level of cover you need? Once you’re clear on the type of home insurance you’re after, you can start looking for the right policy.
• Decided which add-ons you want. Some policies include various add-ons as standard, but more often you’ll need to pay extra. If you like the sound of accidental damage or personal possessions cover, for example, make sure you take account of any additional costs when you compare home insurance policies.
• Use a price comparison site such as Finder to compare policies. Don’t settle for the first policy you find. Instead you should compare the benefits, cost, features and exclusions of a wide range of policies to work out which option provides the best value for money. Bear in mind some insurers aren’t on price comparison sites, so you may need to check a handful directly to get a complete picture.
• Ask for recommendations. Check out online reviews and ask friends and family for their home insurance recommendations. Hearing from people who have actually had to make a claim on their policy is a great way to sort the strong policies and insurers from the weaker ones.
• Read the policy docs. Don’t wait until it’s time to make a claim to check your policy documents, read the terms and conditions of shortlisted insurers before you buy the policy. This will allow you to determine exactly what the policy includes, how much protection it offers, and under what circumstances cover would not be provided.

How much does home insurance cost?

Find out how you can cut costs on your home insurance.

How do I work out what level of home insurance cover I need?

Finder expert Liz Edward answers

Home insurance can feel like a necessary evil, and it can be tempting to cut corners and opt for lower levels of cover to keep premiums down.

But try to resist the temptation to underinsure just to save a few pounds. Buying insurance with too-low limits could come back to bite you if, for example, you need to make a claim and find that your £10,000 worth of belongings are only covered to a maximum of £5,000.

There are calculators that let you accurately estimate the rebuild value of your property and the total value of your contents. The Association of British Insurers has commissioned a rebuild value calculator, and many insurers have their own contents value calculators.

Make sure you check the maximum limit to which an insurer is willing to cover any single item, too. For example, while your engagement ring may be worth £15,000, your insurer may only provide up to £3,000 cover for jewellery as standard. If this is the case, you should be able to increase cover for this item. It’ll cost a bit extra, but it’ll be worth it if criminals target your home and steal your jewellery.

Our 2021 home insurance customer satisfaction league table

We asked policyholders to rate their satisfaction with their insurance company, and whether they’d recommend it to a friend. We’ve shown both for each brand in the table below. Our independent survey of 1,173 insurance customers was carried out in December 2020.

Overall satisfaction	Customers who’d recommend	Issuer	Review
★★★★★	84%		Aviva is the largest general insurer in the UK. There are three levels of cover to choose from and its customers find it to be reliable and trustworthy.	View deals
★★★★★	81%		With two levels of cover to choose from, Home and Home Plus, and a flexible approach to contents insurance, LV= is a strong option for home insurance. LV= customers raved that it was good value and easy to set up and that they felt that the company was trustworthy.	View deals
★★★★★	79%		Saga is a specialist insurer catering to the over-50s market, offering two levels of home insurance cover. The policy can be tailored to your needs and customers praised it for its competitive prices and helpful advisors.	View deals
★★★★★	77%		Direct Line has three levels of home insurance cover to choose from, including its Select Premier policy, which features unlimited contents and building cover. Customers in our survey commended its quick payouts and excellent service.	View deals
★★★★★	76%		Who’d have thought that major supermarket Tesco Bank offers home insurance as well as your local shop? Customer find that it’s great value for money and really easy to renew.	View deals
★★★★★	75%		Churchill’s home insurance comes with a wide range of features. Policies can also be upgraded with optional extras such as legal expenses cover and home emergency cover. Its customers find that it is reliable and that there’s an easy claim process.	View deals
★★★★★	73%		Admiral has three levels of home insurance available, with the Basic one being pretty limited, but the Platinum policy offering very comprehensive cover. Customers surveyed said that it has great customer service, its policies are easy to understand and that it’s cost effective.	View deals
★★★★★	75%		Swinton lets you build a home insurance plan that suits you and exactly what you’re looking for. You can also add optional extras to your policy whenever you like. Its customers like that its well priced and reliable and that its staff is helpful.	View deals
★★★★★	73%		Getsafe has several different types of cover depending on what you’re looking for, including accidental damage, personal possessions and home emergency. Its customers say that it’s got good customer service and that it’s reasonably priced.	View deals
★★★★★	73%		AXA has three levels of home insurance cover – HomeSmart, HomeSure and HomeSafe. The benefits offered differ with each level, but customers in our survey reported that it’s good value, easy to deal with and competitively priced.	View deals
★★★★★	70%		Popular high-street bank Halifax offers two levels of cover – Limit and Ultimate Limit. It also offers renters insurance with a good range of benefits. Customers find Halifax to be reliable and supportive and the policies competitively priced.	View deals
★★★★★	68%		More Than has several options when it comes to home insurance. Its standard buildings and contents insurance are standalone policies, but you can combine these if needed. Its customers think that it has good prices and that it deals with claims efficiently.	View deals
★★★★★	62%		Home Protect’s specialist home insurance is available to homeowners, holiday homeowners, landlords, tenants and students. Basic home emergency and legal expenses cover are included as standard in the broker’s policy and its customers think it offers a helpful and friendly service.	View deals
★★★★★	66%		Policy Expert offers two levels of home insurance cover and a range of optional extras. It also compares a range of home insurance policies from other providers. It’s got Defaqto ratings between 3 and 5 stars.	View deals
★★★★★	62%		Age Co (formerly Age UK) is an over-50s specialist, but offers cover to customers of all ages. It only has one level of home insurance cover, but it’s a decent one. The policy comes with the extra benefit of access to 24/7 legal advice and a free identity theft advice line. Customers found it to be reliable.	View deals
★★★★★	61%		A newcomer to the home insurance market, Urban Jungle is a modern take on insurance aimed at a younger audience, and particularly renters. Urban Jungle’s customers liked that it has personalised cover and low prices.	View deals

The bottom line

Don’t simply pay your annual home insurance renewal when it arrives each year. Insurers are always competing for more business and offering attractive savings to new customers. It’s always a good idea to shop around and compare home insurance policies to see if you can find the same or better cover at a more affordable price.

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Frequently asked questions

• Why do I need home insurance?

  Home insurance is something every homeowner should consider buying. It offers crucial financial protection for your home and important possessions. It can protect you against everything from fire and storm damage to burst pipes, falling trees, theft and vandalism.

  If you’re not sure whether to take out home insurance, take a moment to think about how you would cope financially if your home and everything you own was completely destroyed. Sure, it’s a worst-case scenario and one that you’ll hopefully never have to deal with, but would you have the financial means to start again from scratch following an unexpected disaster?

  • Protection for your home. Your home is usually the most expensive thing you’ll ever buy and therefore the most valuable asset you’ll ever own. Home insurance provides a level of protection for your home should certain unexpected disasters strike. It means that in the event of damages or loss you’ll be able to claim to repair or restore your home.
  • Mortgage Requirement. Most mortgage lenders require you to have at least buildings home insurance in order to approve your application.
  • Peace of mind. The biggest benefit of home insurance is the reassurance it provides. With the right policy in place you can relax knowing that you will have the financial support you need should loss, damage or some other unexpected misfortune affect your home or contents.
  • Protection for your possessions. The possessions within your home are much more than just stuff; they’re often your most important and treasured belongings, and can hold just as much sentimental value as they do financial worth. Contents insurance ensures that you will be able to repair or replace your possessions if they’re damaged by fire, storm, theft or a range of other insured events. This type of insurance usually available as standalone cover or as part of a combined home and contents policy.

• What makes a good home insurance policy?

  There are a number of factors that will help determine the right home insurance policy for you. This includes whether you’re an owner-occupier, renter or landlord and whether you want to just protect the property itself, your possessions or both.

  If you own your home, the type of building, as well as any additional features such as a garage or yard, may also affect the type of cover you may need. There are a few different types of home insurance, and they each provide cover against different things.

  Finding the best home insurance policy is a matter of understanding your situation and needs as well as your budget and risk tolerance.

• When do I need home insurance?

  It’s not compulsory to get home insurance, but it’s still important to cover your home and belongings. Even if you’re renting, you can still get tenant’s insurance to protect your belongings and cover you against any accidental damage to the rental property.

• How often do I need to pay for home insurance?

  Most home insurance policies will let you pay your premium on a monthly or yearly basis. While it may be tempting to choose a monthly premium, it will generally be cheaper to pay your insurance premium once a year.

• What's the difference between contents insurance and buildings insurance?

  Contents insurance covers damage to or loss of the moveable belongings inside your home, such as furniture, electrical items and clothes. Buildings insurance covers damage to the structure of your home (the walls, floors and roof) and any fixed fittings (the units in your bathroom, for example).

• Can I insure multiple properties?

  Yes, you are free to insure more than one property, and it’s a good idea to get insurance policies for each of the houses you own or occupy (all or some of the time).

• How much will I be covered for?

  When you purchase a home insurance policy, you are generally able to set the sum insured, which is the total amount you would be covered for in the event your house or possessions are destroyed or need to be repaired.

  It’s important that your sum insured amount is high enough to cover the likely cost of rebuilding your home or replacing your items, as you will otherwise be required to make up the difference using your own savings. Specific types of claims, such as key and lock replacement, will also have individual cover limits.

• Are leaks covered by home insurance?

  Water leaks are the most common cause of insurance claims. Many policies do cover water leaks, otherwise known as “escape of water”, but it depends on the policy and what’s caused the leak (for example, leaks caused by poor maintenance may be excluded), so read the small print carefully.

• Will my home insurance cover me if I leave my property unoccupied?

  It depends how long you’re away for. Most home insurance policies state that you must not leave your home unoccupied for more than 30 days; with some it’s 60 days. If you take lots of long holidays, check the terms. Houses that are unoccupied for very long periods of time will not be covered under regular home insurance. If you’re insuring a second home that you only spend part of the year in, consider specialist holiday home insurance.

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

  Probably, but – depending on the reason for the subsidence – you may find that fewer insurers are willing to cover you due to the higher risk your property poses, or they may exclude subsidence from your cover. If you can find cover, you should also expect your premiums to be higher, particularly if there have been claims for subsidence on your property in the past. Excesses are also likely to be high. If you struggle to find affordable cover for a property with subsidence, a broker may be able to help. Try the British Insurance Brokers’ Association’s “Find a Broker” service.

• Can I get home insurance for a listed building?

  Yes, but many insurers don’t offer standard cover for such properties, so you may need to take out a specialist listed building policy. If you struggle to find a policy, the British Insurance Brokers’ Association may be able to suggest a broker that can help.

• Does my credit score affect my home insurance?

  There are many factors that affect how much you’ll pay for home insurance, including where you live, the value of your property, and any previous claims. Your credit score is unlikely to be one of the main factors affecting your premium – or your ability to get a quote in the first place – but insurers may take it into account. It’s more likely to have an impact if you want to pay in monthly instalments rather than a single annual payment, and if you’re taking out a home insurance policy on a property for the first time rather than renewing.

Choosing the right option

• How much is home insurance?

  The average cost of home insurance in the UK is around £146 a year for combined buildings and contents insurance, according to financial insight firm Consumer Intelligence. However, the cost of your policy may differ based on the type and level of cover you require, as well as the age, size and location of your house.

• What type of home insurance do I need to pay for as a landlord??

  If you’re letting out a property you own, it’s your responsibility (not the renter’s) to pay for buildings insurance. You should check that any buildings insurance policy covers you for renting out your property. Even if it does, you may wish to take out landlord insurance instead. As well as damage to the structure of the building, landlord insurance policies typically also include cover for loss of rental income, personal injury cover if someone is hurt on your property, and cover for your belongings – for example if you are letting a furnished property.

• Do I need landlord insurance if I already have building insurance?

  Not necessarily, although building insurance will not cover you in the event of someone sustaining an injury on your property, or if you experience a loss of rental income due to damage to the property. If you want to cover these things, you will also need to take out landlord insurance.

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

  If you’re renting the property you live in, your landlord is responsible for insuring the building. They may also have contents insurance for their belongings (such as furniture in a furnished property). You may wish to take out contents insurance to cover your own belongings in a rental property, particularly if you’re providing your own furniture. Some insurers offer dedicated tenants’ insurance policies, which may also cover common issues that could cause you to lose your rental deposit.

• How high should I set my excess?

  There’s no right answer to this, as it depends on your specific requirements. Setting a higher voluntary excess will make your home insurance more affordable in the first place, but don’t set it so high that you can’t afford to pay it in the event of a claim. While most people won’t need to claim on their home insurance in any given year, if you do, you may regret a too-high excess that eats into your payout. In 2018, home insurers paid out nearly £9 million per day to repair homes and replace contents. Find out more about home insurance statistics in our dedicated guide.

• How do I know if a particular item is covered?

  When applying for contents insurance, a provider will ask you to list all the possessions you want to cover. However, you should also check the relevant policy to see if it covers certain items.

• Are valuables only protected inside the home?

  As standard, most home insurance policies only cover items when they’re inside your home. If you want to protect valuables that you carry outside of the home, you should consider a personal possessions add-on. Some more comprehensive (and usually more expensive) policies may include a level of personal possessions cover as standard.

• Will my home insurance cover the full cost of buying new items?

  Maybe, maybe not. Under buildings insurance, your policy will typically cover you for the full cost of rebuilding your property if its damaged or destroyed (minus any policy excess). However, in some cases your contents insurance may make a deduction from the full value of items that tend to deteriorate in quality over time, such as clothes or furniture. Check your contents insurance wording carefully. If it offers “new for old” cover for items, you’ll receive the full replacement value.

• Do I need both buildings and contents insurance?

  Not necessarily. If you’re an owner-occupier then it may be worth getting cover for both your house and possessions, but if you’re renting, you may only want insurance to protect your belongings. If you’re a landlord, you can get specialised insurance that covers your building and contents, as well as protects you from loss of rental income.

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

  As the name suggests, the rebuild cost of your home is how much you’d need to pay to rebuild your property from the ground up, if it was destroyed by a fire, for example. It’s not the same as the sale value of your home, which is usually higher (as this takes into account the value of the land it’s built on, for example). The Association of British Insurers has worked with the Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) to create a rebuild cost calculator.

Adjusting your policy

• Do I need to cancel my home insurance when moving house?

  Some insurers will let you transfer your existing insurance when you move, but they will also likely adjust your premiums based on your new location and the type of house you move to. If this isn’t possible, you may need to cancel your existing policy and take out another one to cover your new residence.

• Can I change my policy?

  Yes, you should be able to adjust or change your policy to provide a different level of cover. If you insurance needs change, or in the case you’re performing renovations, you may also need to update your policy. Cancelling or changing a policy may also incur a fee, but this depends on your provider.

• Am I still covered if I cancel my home insurance policy?

  No, you will no longer be covered once you cancel your policy. If you have already paid your yearly premium, you will be refunded for the period you didn’t use, minus fees, but will not be covered for the rest of the year.

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

  Yes, but you will need to let your home insurer know about any major building work (for example, anything that requires scaffolding). If you don’t, it could invalidate your policy if you need to claim. Make sure you let your insurer know when the building work finishes too.

Making a claim

• How do I claim on my home insurance?

  Most providers will let you lodge a claim online or via phone. You will generally need to provide your policy number and details of the claim. It’s also a good idea to keep a record of the damage caused, as well as any receipts or invoices for things that are damaged.

• How long do home insurance claims take?

  Many insurance claims can be settled within a couple of days, at which time you should receive your insurance payout. More complex claims may require that someone from the insurance company inspect your house before approving your claim. They may also need to call in a specialist to check the extent of the damage, which can delay the approval process.

• What happens if my house is destroyed or uninhabitable?

  Many home insurance policies offer alternative accommodation cover, which means it will pay for you to find somewhere to stay while your house is being rebuilt or repaired.

Home insurance for the new normal

Finder published a paper in July 2020 on how the coronavirus pandemic, and subsequent rise in home working, are affecting the home insurance industry. Our paper includes original research and predictions from experts including Jimmy Williams, CEO of Urban Jungle; Amy Brettell, head of customer for UK claims at Zurich; Mark Eastham, CEO of Avantia; Yasha Kuruvilla, analyst at consultancy GlobalData; and Laura Hughes, property insurance policy manager at the ABI.

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