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What is contents insurance?

Home contents insurance offers financial assistance that protects the belongings in your home from damage, destruction, or loss from theft. It covers things like furniture, and electronics, as well as specific high-value items like jewellery or art. Contents only insurance policies are great for tenants, lodgers, and students. Or you can get combined contents and buildings insurance policies that protect both your contents and the structure of your home. 

Why is contents insurance important?

Where you live is home to all your most precious and costly belongings, and contents insurance is important to protect these. Having contents insurance means you don’t have to bear the full financial impact of replacing your belongings if they’re damaged or stolen. This is particularly important if you have items that would become a financial burden if they needed to be replaced. For example, if a sofa was destroyed by fire, or if expensive clothing or electronics were stolen. Contents insurance for renters can also be necessary because your landlord’s insurance is unlikely to cover your belongings. Landlord insurance policies usually only cover the building itself and any contents that belong to the landlord. 

How does contents insurance work in the UK?

UK contents insurance covers the contents of a house up to a set value. You don’t have to specify every item in your house. However, you will need to give the total value of your home’s contents. Items you do need to specify are those with a value higher than £1000-£2000. This is because they typically exceed the maximum amount that your insurer will pay out for a single item. You can cover multiple high-value items like these, but they must be listed separately along with their value, and you may be charged extra per item. 

What does contents insurance cover?

Common items covered by home contents insurance

Each contents insurance policy will be unique but will generally cover: 

  • Household furniture like sofas, beds, and dining sets. 
  • Flooring, carpets and curtains. 
  • Electronics like televisions, gaming consoles and laptops. 
  • Kitchen and cleaning appliances. 
  • Home decor like paintings or artwork. 
  • Clothing, jewellery, watches, and bags. 

Additional coverage options

Beyond standard contents cover, you can add to your policy to increase your protection.  

  • Accidental damage cover to protect against one-off accidents like spills or burns. 
  • Personal belongings cover to protect possessions like electronics when they are outside the house.   
  • Depending on what your contents policy covers, separate insurance could be necessary including gadget cover, bicycle insurance, or outbuildings insurance. 

Common limits and exclusions

It’s important to understand the limits of your specific policy. These will be clearly outlined in your policy details and will typically include: 

  • General wear and tear  
  • Mechanical or electronic breakdown 
  •  Pre-existing or intentional damage 
  • Damage caused by pets 
  • Claims made when the house was unoccupied for longer than allowed by the policy.  
  • Business assets and equipment must be covered by separate office contents insurance.  
  • Vehicles are not covered under home contents or even garage insurance policies, these will need their own car, van, or motorbike insurance.  

How much is contents insurance in the UK?

The cost of home insurance depends on various factors and is specific to each individual policy. So, to know how much contents insurance will cost you, it’s advisable to compare contents insurance policies from various home insurance providers.  

Factors affecting contents insurance premiums

These factors let insurers know how much risk they are taking on when they insure your home contents. And this is used to set insurance costs, with higher risks generally being charged higher premiums. 

  1. Your location 
  2. The total value of the contents you are insuring 
  3. Additional coverage options like accidental damage cover 
  4. Your claims history 
  5. Your age 
  6. How many people live in the home 
  7. How long the home is typically unoccupied for 
  8. The locks and security features of the home 

Tips for getting cheap contents insurance quotes

Finding cheaper contents insurance quotes usually comes from lowering your risk to the insurer. So, considering the factors that affect premiums, you could get cheaper quotes by taking measures like improving your home security.  

One of the top ways to save is to shop around and compare multiple competitive quotes at once.

With Quotezone, this is not only convenient, but it ensures you can find contents policies tailored to your specific needs. 

How much contents insurance do I need?

Many insurers require you to specify the ‘sum insured’. For this, you’ll need to consider all the belongings you want to insure and estimate their total contents value. It’s best to insure your contents for their replacement value as new, and not their current value. This ensures you can fully replace damaged or stolen items without having to pay extra.  

Choosing the best contents insurance policy for you

Contents insurance for tenants

Lodger contents insurance 

Contents insurance for a house share

Combined buildings and contents insurance

Standalone contents insurance

Contents insurance FAQs

What is the difference between home contents insurance and buildings insurance?

Buildings insurance will cover the structure of the building including things like walls, roofs, pipes, and permanent fittings. Contents insurance, on the other hand, will cover furnishings, decorations and personal possessions within the home. A good rule of thumb is that if you can take it with you when you move out, it will be covered under contents insurance.

Can I get contents insurance for my student accommodation?

Yes, insuring contents in student or shared accommodation is possible. However, the cover will likely be limited to your own personal belongings while they are in your room. And it could require the room to have its own separate lock.  

Is old for new the best option for contents insurance?

Old for new cover allows you to replace your contents with brand new equivalents of the items. This can be particularly useful in today’s economy where it could cost significantly more to replace an item today than it did when it was bought. 

Is contents insurance mandatory?

No, contents insurance isn’t legally mandatory. But it could save you a lot of expense if something happens to your belongings. It can also bring peace of mind if you live in a home where your contents are at a higher risk. For example, homes that host a lot of visitors or have children. 

Who pays for home contents insurance if I rent?

Your landlord’s insurance doesn’t cover your personal belongings, so you are responsible for insuring your own contents. Contents insurance is not a legal requirement for renters, but it could protect you against potentially significant financial losses. 

Which contents insurance is the best?

There is no one best house contents insurance in the UK. It will be different depending on your needs. A good policy will offer comprehensive protection to the full replacement value of your contents. If you have special or changing needs, your policy should be flexible enough to accommodate this. And of course, you will need to balance coverage with your home insurance budget. 

Will my contents insurance policy still cover me if my property is unoccupied?

If your property is left unoccupied for longer than the limit specified by your policy, you will have limited cover for your contents, if any. In this case, you should contact your insurer and consider taking out specialised unoccupied property insurance. 

Will the contents of my shed be covered by contents insurance?

That depends on the type or level of insurance you’ve chosen. However, many insurers do offer some coverage for shed contents. Keep in mind that if you store high-value items like, musical instruments, artwork or electronics in your shed you may need to list the items separately. 

Does having contents insurance mean I’m covered against theft and burglary?

Yes. That’s exactly what this type of insurance is for. In the event of theft from your home, your policy will pay out according to the limits set out in your policy documents. However, most insurers require proof of forced entry for the claim to be valid.  

Does contents insurance cover my children’s things when they are away from home?

If the child’s main address is still your home, personal belongings cover can protect their belongings while temporarily away from home. This is typically relevant when a child is attending university. However, policies typically only cover belongings in the UK, so if a child is overseas you’ll need to take out additional cover.  

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Really helpful and saved me a fortune on my house insurance

Elaine

Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

My home insurance had double in one year. I had been with this insurance company for over 20 years, and never claimed. Yet I was given no good reason for the increase, but that the cost of things were going up. I managed to get a better cover for a lot less then 50% of my new quote.

Parveez

United Kingdom

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