Need assistance? Read our home insurance guides
If you're trying to find a cheap quote on your house insurance, MoneySupermarket is here to help. We've compiled a range of guides so you can navigate your way through the various different types of home cover on offer to find the cheapest quote on your buildings and contents insurance - and to ensure you find a policy that's right for you.Our guides offer a step-by-step explanation to what's covered by different types of home insurance, outline how to choose the right policy features, and show you how to make sure you're getting the right level of cover for your particular needs.
We also have lots of tips to help you search out cheaper home insurance quotes, helping you to keep costs down.
It is therefore essential that you ensure you have buildings insurance in place from day one to protect you from potential disasters out of your control.
Along with fires and floods, a good buildings insurance policy will protect your home against storm damage, subsidence, burst pipes and vandalism. Failure to have cover in place could result in you having to pay out thousands for repairs or even being left homeless.
How much should I insure my home for?
It is important that you don't over or under-estimate how much you should insure your home for. You don't want to have to pay a higher premium than you need to, but similarly, it could be disastrous if you needed to put in a claim and then found out you weren't covered.
The amount you insure your property for should be based on the rebuild value, rather than the market value. So, for example, if your home was completely destroyed by fire and you had to start and rebuild it from scratch, how much it would cost.
While this may sound daunting, the good news is that the rebuild cost is usually less than the market value, so this will clearly affect the price of your premium. A surveyor to determine the rebuild cost of your home can be contacted through the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
When comparing policies, it's important you read the small print to find out exactly what is included. All policies will differ, for example some insurers will include cover for drives and outbuildings, and some will cover the cost of temporary accommodation if your home wasn't suitable to live in following a claim.
