Home Insurance Guide

In this guide we answer some of the most commonly asked questions about Home Insurance, such as what
is it for; what your responsibilities are; and what needs to be done to find the best deals. At FreeQuotes we aim
to please, with the best possible information about Home Insurance policies; as well as advice on choosing the right Home Insurance policy for you.

What Is Home Insurance?

Home insurance is a type of insurance which can provide cover for both your home and its contents. In fact, there are two specific types of insurance: home contents insurance and home buildings insurance.

- Home contents insurance is insurance for your home possessions following incidents like burglary or
accidental damage.
- Home buildings insurance is insurance for the property itself, including the structure of your property such as
the bricks and mortar, doors, roofing, windows, driveways, patios and pathways.

What's Home Insurance For?

Home insurance building premiums cover damage from incidents like a natural disaster, flooding, fire, theft, vandalism and criminal damage. Secondary buildings like outhouses, garages and sheds can also be included in your home insurance policy.

Home insurance also provides cover for the contents of your home if they are damaged or affected by crime, accidents or disasters.

Home contents insurance can even include cover for plants and trees, garden furniture and other outdoor contents.

Home insurance can also provide compensation for additional things like re-housing costs, in the event of major damage to your home.

Is Home Insurance Compulsory?

Mortgage lenders usually insist you have buildings insurance or they will not lend to you.

Although contents insurance is not usually compulsory for your mortgage agreement it is a good idea, especially when you consider the value of many of today's household items: flatscreen TVs, computers, etc; as well as many other valuable personal possessions that you may have in your home, including jewellery, designer clothes, mobile phones, etc.

How Do I Find The Best Deals On Home Insurance?

Compare current offers. Use the Free Quotes price comparison guides. It is useful advice to obtain several quotes if you can and compare exactly what is on offer for the price you have been quoted. Also, remember that your mortgage lender will not usually be the best quote because they rely on people using them for convenience.

Always check for the level of subsidence cover, natural disaster cover, home insurance flooding protection, bursting boilers cover and anything else that concerns you; and also see what provision is there for loss of goods due to theft.

Other pointers include: always checking the policy thoroughly and seeing what is on offer. You can always ask questions at an early stage and also check if the insurance actually reflects your situation and requirements.
For instance, do you have expensive outdoor equipment or plants? Then you may want to ensure garden contents are included.

Also, do not overvalue your contents as this could lead to inflated costs for your insurance premium.

What Information Will I Be Asked For?

Your prospective home insurance provider will ask for details of your property, i.e. size, type, age, address, postcode, number of bedrooms and occupants.

Also they will ask for information about your claims history. You should be prepared for questions about you the owner, any joint owners, your mortgage details and your prior insurance policy.

Standard information also includes your security measures which can reduce the cost of a home insurance policy. Installing an approved alarm system and having good security, including window locks, smoke alarms, for instance, should reduce the price of your policy. Five lever mortise locks on external doors, window locks and secondary locks to outbuildings are other security improvements which may help reduce the cost of your home insurance. If you are a member of a Neighbourhood Watch scheme this is another potential way of getting a favourable deal; as it is known to reduce the risk of being a victim of crime.