What is the Best UK Home Insurance in 2023?

Home Insurance Home insurance

Moneyfacts has been analysing data for 35 years and our Star Ratings act as a badge of quality, providing an easy way for you to identify exceptional products that deserve your consideration. The chart below shows a selection of home insurance policies awarded four and five stars. View the full list of winners below the chart.

Featured home insurance providers

Admiral
Moneyfacts Star Rating: 5 Stars

Home Combined Insurance – if you’re looking for cheap home insurance, get a quote with Admiral – you could pay as little as £127 a year if you insure your home (10% of Admiral-level Instaquote customers paid £126.06 or less for a combined policy between Jan and Jun 23).

Home Buildings Insurance – if you’re looking for cheap buildings insurance, get a quote with Admiral – you could pay as little as £111 a year (10% of Admiral-level Instaquote customers paid £110.89 or less for a buildings policy between Jan and Jun 23).

Home Contents Insurance – if you’re looking for cheap contents insurance, get a quote with Admiral – you could pay as little as £59 a year (10% of Admiral-level Instaquote customers paid £59 or less for a contents policy between Jan and Jun 23).
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The AA
Moneyfacts Star Rating: 5 Stars

The AA covers accidental damage as standard for any non-portable gas and electrical appliances – like cookers and washing machines. Or for fixed mirrors and glass in furniture - like dressing tables or TV stands*.

The AA will replace any lost, stolen or damaged items with brand new ones. And won’t take anything off, even if they’re worth a bit less now due to wear and tear

If something happens like fire, flooding, or subsidence, and you can’t live in your home, the AA will pay for alternative accommodation**.

Burst pipe, no problem -the AA will repair any loss or damage and pay up to £5,000 to find the source and make good any damage caused by the search in finding the leak***

_{* Ts&Cs apply. See policy booklet for more information. Only applies to non-portable gas and}_{electrical appliances.}_{** We’ll pay up to 20% of the insured value for alternative accommodation for Home Contents and}_{up to £45k for Home Buildings.}_{The accommodation will be of a similar size and standard to your}_{home, and we’lll only pay the costs we’ve agreed in advance.}
_{***Does not cover loss or damage if your home was unfurnished or unoccupied at the time of the}_{loss or damage. Or loss or damage caused by subsidence, heave or landslip.}
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Alan Boswell Group
UK-based claims support.

Flexible policy tailored to your needs with contents cover starting from £15,000.

Full accidental damage cover available. TVs, computers and audio equipment automatically included.

Up to £1000 for replacement of external door locks if keys are lost or stolen.

Up to £1 million cover if you need to rebuild your property.

Garden cover and business use (clerical only) included as standard.

Additional cover available for travel, home emergency, family legal and personal belongings.

_{The information above is based on the Alan Boswell Sentinel policy, underwritten by Aviva. Other policies are available.}
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SO-SURE
Start your morning with Win-Win! contents insurance. Protect the stuff you love in minutes with our customisable policy.

Get one month free when you pay yearly.

No hidden fees

Same price at renewal

Included as standard in our cover: fire and smoke, theft and vandalism, storms and floods, tenants liability, public and personal liability, alternative accommodation, items in gardens and shared areas, freezer goods, household leaks

Reduce your excess by using our app

Protect your precious belongings up to the value of £50k
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John Lewis
Moneyfacts Star Rating: 5 Stars

Up to unlimited building and contents cover (with Gold Cover)

Unlimited matching sets cover (with Gold Cover)

Up to unlimited alternative accommodation cover (with Gold Cover)

Tailor your policy to include optional add-ons like bicycle, gadget and legal expenses cover

Change or cancel your policy any time, without paying fees
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Sagic

Moneyfacts Star Rating: 5 Stars

Wholly owned by The Salvation Army, providing quality insurance products backed by a friendly, personal service.

• Sagic support the diverse charitable work of The Salvation Army.
• Tailored comprehensive home insurance policies with Home Emergency cover included as standard.
• Low £75 Standard Excess, £350 Escape of Water Excess, £1,000 Subsidence Excess.
• No interest on monthly payments and no amendment or cancelation fees.
• Over 100 years of service with a customer focused approach.

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Coverbaloo

Moneyfacts Star Rating: 5 Stars

Different tiers of cover can be confusing. We like to keep things simple, so we have one comprehensive policy for everyone, whether that’s buildings, contents, or both in one policy. As standard we cover up to £1m for buildings and up to £100k for contents. You can also tailor your policy by adding on extra peace of mind through our range of optional add-on covers, like Home Emergency, Personal Belongings and Legal Expenses.
We always strive to be fair and transparent in everything we do, and that’s why we won’t charge you extra for paying monthly by direct debit, and there are no hidden fees for cancelling or changing something on your policy. We also promise when you renew your policy, you will pay no more than you would as a new customer. Our Home policies are underwritten by RSA, who are among the best in the UK for paying claims, which gives our customers quality cover they can rely on.

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Swinton
Moneyfacts Star Rating: 5 Stars

Home legal expenses - Comes as standard with our Premier home insurance policies and can be added to Classic and Essentials home insurance plans.

Home emergency cover - Can be purchased as an additional extra to a standard home insurance policy.

An experienced team - Our insurance specialists are happy to answer any questions on live chat or over the phone.

View documents online - Customers can quickly and easily make changes or renew their policy using my account.

Separate policies - If customer’s aren’t interested in a combined policy, they can choose to take out separate buildings insurance and contents Insurance policies.
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Saga
Moneyfacts Star Rating: 5 Stars

Saga Home Insurance is rated 5 Star by Moneyfacts – choose between two excellent cover levels with the same great service. For people over 50.

Make yourself comfortable – settle in for 3 years at the same price, if nothing changes, with our Saga Plus cover. No cancellation fee if you decide to leave. T&Cs apply.

Home and dry – our trace and access buildings cover includes repairing any damage caused by finding and fixing leaking pipes (Saga Plus up to sum insured; Saga Select up to £5,000).
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Quotezone
Search and compare cheap quotes from over 50 UK insurance providers including: Hastings, M&S, One Call, One Call and Axa.

Compare quotes for a buildings-only policy, contents-only policy or combined buildings and contents insurance – see how much you could save today!

With Quotezone Rewards, unlock an entire platform of cashback and discounts for a full year just for completing an insurance quote.

Save online at up to 1,000 retailers

Earn cashback on your everyday shopping

Enter free competitions
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Homeprotect
Moneyfacts Star Rating: 4 Stars

Unoccupied, undergoing renovations, holiday homes, landlords, lodgers, listed buildings, running a business from home and more all covered

Policies underwritten by AXA Insurance

24/7 Claims Helpline

Basic Legal Expenses and Home Emergency included as standard
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Note

Links to third parties on this page are paid for by the third party. You can find out more about the individual products by visiting their site. Moneyfactscompare.co.uk will receive a small payment either if you click the links or if you use their services after you click through to their site. All information is subject to change without notice. Please check all terms before making any decisions.

Disclaimer

The list of home insurance providers on this page is a selection of services available and gives you an idea of the kind of options available. You can find out more about the individual products by visiting any of the providers listed. All information is subject to change without notice. Please check all terms before making any decisions. This information is intended solely to provide guidance and is not financial advice. Moneyfactscompare.co.uk will not be liable for any loss arising from your use or reliance on this information. If you are in any doubt, Moneyfactscompare.co.uk recommends you obtain independent financial advice.

What parts of the policy do we look at?

The many factors we look at to determine star ratings include:

Maximum sums insured
Standard excesses
Accidental damage cover
Valuables single item limits
Legal expenses
Personal possessions cover
Money and card cover
Set-up, adjustment, renewal and cancellation fees
Voluntary excess discount
No claims discount options
Students cover
Gift cover
Business equipment cover
Pedal cycles cover

Special events
24-hour emergency helpline
Alternative accommodation
Owners / occupier personal liability
Subsidence cover
Mobile phones cover
Home emergency cover
Burst and blocked pipes
Outbuildings cover
Garden cover
Home emergency repair guarantee
Keys cover
Freezer cover
Deeds and documents cover
Residential care cover

Maximum sums insured
Standard excesses
Accidental damage cover
Valuables single item limits
Legal expenses
Personal possessions cover
Money and card cover
Set-up, adjustment, renewal and cancellation fees
Voluntary excess discount
No claims discount options
Students cover
Gift cover
Business equipment cover
Pedal cycles cover

Special events
24-hour emergency helpline
Alternative accommodation
Owners / occupier personal liability
Subsidence cover
Mobile phones cover
Home emergency cover
Burst and blocked pipes
Outbuildings cover
Garden cover
Home emergency repair guarantee
Keys cover
Freezer cover
Deeds and documents cover
Residential care cover

Maximum sums insured
Standard excesses
Accidental damage cover
Valuables single item limits
Legal expenses
Personal possessions cover
Money and card cover
Set-up, adjustment, renewal and cancellation fees
Voluntary excess discount
No claims discount options
Students cover
Gift cover
Business equipment cover
Pedal cycles cover

Special events
24-hour emergency helpline
Alternative accommodation
Owners / occupier personal liability
Subsidence cover
Mobile phones cover
Home emergency cover
Burst and blocked pipes
Outbuildings cover
Garden cover
Home emergency repair guarantee
Keys cover
Freezer cover
Deeds and documents cover
Residential care cover

Home Insurance Star Ratings 2023

Click the headings below to see the full list of star ratings awarded.

Home Buildings Insurance - Five Star

AA - Home Insurance
AA - Home Insurance Plus
Admiral - Platinum Home Insurance
Age Co - Home Insurance
Age Partnership - Home Insurance
Ageas - House Guard Prestige
Aston Lark - Elite Home Insurance
Aviva - Home Insurance
Aviva - Home Plus
AXA Direct - AXA Premier Home Insurance
AXA Direct - HomeSafe
AXA Direct - HomeSure
AXA Insurance - AXA Advanced
AXA Insurance - AXA Exclusive
AXA Insurance - AXA Extra
Bank of Scotland - Home Insurance Select Bronze
Bank of Scotland - Home Insurance Select Gold
Bank of Scotland - Home Insurance Select Silver
Baptist Insurance - Home Insurance
Barclays - Barclays Home Insurance
Cavere Insurance - Cavere Home Insurance (RSA)
Cavere Insurance - Home Insurance (Ageas)
Cherish Insurance Services - Cherish Home
Churchill - Home Insurance
Churchill - Home Plus
Confidas - Home MAX
coverbaloo - Home Insurance
Cumberland Building Society - Home Insurance
Direct Line - Home Insurance
Direct Line - Home Insurance Plus
Direct Line - Select Premier Insurance
Ecclesiastical - Home Insurance
first direct - Home Insurance
First2Protect - Your Home
Frontier Home Insurance - My Cover
Halifax - Home Insurance
Halifax - Home Insurance Select Bronze
Halifax - Home Insurance Select Gold
Halifax -- Home Insurance Select Silver
Halifax - Home Insurance Ultimate
Hastings Direct - Hastings Premier
Haven Insurance - Home Insurance
Hilltop Finance - Home Insurance
Hiscox - Home Insurance
HomeProtect - Home Insurance
Hoot Insurance - Home Insurance
HSBC - Home Insurance
John Lewis Insurance - Bronze
John Lewis Insurance - Gold
John Lewis Insurance - Silver
Leeds Building Society - Basic Home Insurance
Leeds Building Society - Extra Home Insurance
Leeds Building Society - Standard Home Insurance
Leek United - Home Insurance
Lloyds Bank - Home Insurance Select Bronze
Lloyds Bank - Home Insurance Select Gold
Lloyds Bank - Home Insurance Select Silver
Loughborough Building Society - Home Insurance
LV= - Home Insurance
LV= - Home Plus Insurance
LV= - LV= Home Gold
LV= - LV= Home Silver
LV= Broker - Rainbow Home Insurance
M&S Bank - M&S Premier Home Insurance
M&S Bank - M&S Standard Home Insurance
MBNA - Home Insurance Plus
MORE TH>N - Home Choice Primary cover
MORE TH>N - Home Choice Upgraded cover
Motability - Home Insurance
Nationwide Building Society - Home Insurance
NatWest - Elite Home Insurance
NatWest - Home Insurance
NatWest - Premier Home Insurance
NFU Mutual - Home and Lifestyle
Nottingham Building Society - Home Insurance
One Click Cover - Home Insurance
Paymentshield - Plus Home Insurance
Paymentshield - Standard Home Insurance
Pen Underwriting - Premier Home
Police Mutual - Family Home Insurance
Police Mutual - Home Insurance
Police Mutual - NARPO Home Insurance
Policy Expert - Bronze Home Insurance
Policy Expert - Gold Home Insurance
Policy Expert - Silver Home Insurance
Post Office Money - Gold
Privilege - Platinum Home Insurance
Quotemehappy.com - Essentials Plus
Quotemehappy.com - Premier
Royal Bank of Scotland - Elite Home Insurance
Royal Bank of Scotland - Home Insurance
Royal Bank of Scotland - Premier Home Insurance
RSA - Preferred Choice
Saga - Saga Plus
Saga - Saga Select
Saga - Saga TailorMade
SAGIC - House and Home Insurance
Sainsbury's Bank - Home Insurance
Sainsbury's Bank - Home Plus
Santander - Santander Home Insurance - Plus
Suffolk Building Society - Home Insurance
Swiftcover - Plus Home Insurance
Tesco Bank - Tesco Bank Home Insurance
The Co-operative Bank - Everyday Home Cover
The Co-operative Bank - Home Cover Extra
TSB - TSB Pick and Protect Home Insurance
UIA Insurance - Home Insurance
Uinsure - Home Insurance
Utility Warehouse - Home Insurance
Vernon Building Society - Home Insurance
Virgin Money - Home Insurance
West Bromwich Building Society - Home Insurance
West Bromwich Building Society - Premier Home Insurance
Yorkshire Building Society - Home Insurance

Home Buildings Insurance - Four Star

Admiral - Gold Home Insurance
Admiral - Home Insurance
Ageas - Extra Home Insurance
Ageas -House Guard
Artsure - Home Plus
Aviva - Your House
AXA Direct - AXA Home Insurance
AXA Direct - AXA Plus Home Insurance
AXA Direct - HomeSmart
Azur Underwriting - Smart Home
Beazley - Home Insurance
Bradford & Bingley - Home Insurance
British Gas - Home Insurance
Chubb European Group Ltd - Masterpiece Initial
Co-op Insurance - Co-op Home
Cornish Mutual - Home Insurance
County Insurance Services - County Home Insurance
Covea Insurance - Profile
Dial Direct - Home Insurance
Emerald Life - House & Home Insurance
esure - Home Insurance
First2Protect - Your Essentials
Geo Personal Lines - Standard Home Insurance
Getsafe - Home Insurance
Hastings Direct - Hastings Direct
Hastings Direct - Hastings Essential
Home & Legacy - Prestige Home Insurance
Horizon - Longitude
Intasure - Home Insurance for Household UK
Lloyd & Whyte - House Guard Prestige for Professionals
Locket - Home Insurance
Mark Bates Ltd - Home Insurance
MBNA - Home Insurance Essentials
Methodist Insurance - Home Shield
Post Office Money - Silver
Privilege - Home Insurance
Quotemehappy.com - Essentials
RIAS - Home Insurance
RSA - Clearchoice
Santander - Santander Home Insurance - Classic
Select & Protect - Home Insurance
Sheilas' Wheels - Home Insurance
Swiftcover - Home Insurance
Swiftcover - Swift MADE
Swiftcover - Swift MORE
Swinton Insurance - Classic Home Insurance
Swinton Insurance - Premier Home Insurance
Urban Jungle - Home Insurance

Home Contents Insurance - Five Star

AA - Home Insurance Plus
Admiral - Platinum Home Insurance
Age Co - Home Insurance
Age Partnership - Home Insurance
Ageas - House Guard Prestige
Artsure - Home Plus
Aston Lark - Elite Home Insurance
Aviva - Home Insurance
AXA Direct - AXA Premier Home Insurance
AXA Direct - HomeSafe
AXA Direct - HomeSure
AXA Insurance - AXA Advanced
AXA Insurance - AXA Exclusive
AXA Insurance - AXA Extra
Azur Underwriting - Smart Home
Bank of Scotland - Home Insurance Select Gold
Bank of Scotland - Home Insurance Select Silver
Baptist Insurance - Home Insurance
Barclays - Barclays Home Insurance
Beazley - Home Insurance
Bradford & Bingley - Home Insurance
British Gas - Home Insurance
Cavere Insurance - Cavere Home Insurance (RSA)
Cavere Insurance - Home Insurance (Ageas)
Cherish Insurance Services - Cherish Home
Chubb European Group Ltd - Masterpiece Initial
Churchill - Home Plus
Confidas - Home MAX
Cornish Mutual - Home Insurance
Covea Insurance - Profile
coverbaloo - Home Insurance
Cumberland Building Society - Home Insurance
Direct Line - Home Insurance Plus
Direct Line - Select Premier Insurance
Ecclesiastical - Home Insurance
esure - Home Insurance
first direct - Home Insurance
Frontier Home Insurance - My Cover
Halifax - Home Insurance
Halifax - Home Insurance Select Gold
Halifax - Home Insurance Select Silver
Halifax - Home Insurance Ultimate
Hastings Direct - Hastings Premier
Hilltop Finance - Home Insurance
Hiscox - Home Insurance
Home & Legacy - Prestige Home Insurance
Horizon - Longitude
HSBC - Home Insurance
John Lewis Insurance - Bronze
John Lewis Insurance - Gold
John Lewis Insurance - Silver
Leeds Building Society - Extra Home Insurance
Leeds Building Society - Standard Home Insurance
Leek United - Home Insurance
Lloyd & Whyte - House Guard Prestige for Professionals
Lloyds Bank - Home Insurance Select Gold
Lloyds Bank - Home Insurance Select Silver
Loughborough Building Society - Home Insurance
LV= - Home Insurance
LV= - Home Plus Insurance
LV= - LV= Home Gold
LV= Broker - Rainbow Home Insurance
M&S Bank - M&S Premier Home Insurance
M&S Bank - M&S Standard Home Insurance
Mark Bates Ltd - Home Insurance
MBNA - Home Insurance Plus
Methodist Insurance - Home Shield
Midas Underwriting - Royal Home Insurance
MORE TH>N - Home Choice Primary cover
MORE TH>N - Home Choice Upgraded cover
Motability - Home Insurance
Nationwide Building Society - Home Insurance
NatWest - Elite Home Insurance
NatWest - Premier Home Insurance
NFU Mutual - Home and Lifestyle
Nottingham Building Society - Home Insurance
One Click Cover - Home Insurance
Paymentshield - Plus Home Insurance
Paymentshield - Standard Home Insurance
Pen Underwriting - Premier Home
Police Mutual - Family Home Insurance
Police Mutual - Home Insurance
Police Mutual - NARPO Home Insurance
Policy Expert - Gold Home Insurance
Post Office Money - Gold
Privilege - Platinum Home Insurance
Quotemehappy.com - Premier
Rentguard - Home Plus
RIAS - Home Insurance
Royal Bank of Scotland - Elite Home Insurance
Royal Bank of Scotland - Premier Home Insurance
RSA - Preferred Choice
Saga - Saga Plus
Saga - Saga Select
Saga - Saga TailorMade
SAGIC - House and Home Insurance
Sainsbury's Bank - Home Insurance
Sainsbury's Bank - Home Plus
Santander - Santander Home Insurance - Classic
Santander - Santander Home Insurance - Plus
Sheilas' Wheels - Home Insurance
Suffolk Building Society - Home Insurance
Swiftcover - Swift MORE
Swinton Insurance - Premier Home Insurance
Tesco Bank - Tesco Bank Home Insurance
The Co-operative Bank - Home Cover Extra
UIA Insurance - Home Insurance
Uinsure - Home Insurance
Utility Warehouse - Home Insurance
Vernon Building Society - Home Insurance
Virgin Money - Home Insurance
West Bromwich Building Society - Home Insurance
West Bromwich Building Society - Premier Home Insurance
Yorkshire Building Society - Home Insurance

Home Contents Insurance - Four Star

AA - Home Insurance
Admiral - Gold Home Insurance
Ageas - Extra Home Insurance
Ageas - House Guard
Aviva - Home Plus
Aviva - Your House
AXA Direct - AXA Home Insurance
AXA Direct - AXA Plus Home Insurance
AXA Direct - HomeSmart
Bank of Scotland - Home Insurance Select Bronze
Choice Insurance Agency - Aspire Home Insurance
Churchill - Home Insurance
Co-op Insurance - Co-op Home
County Insurance Services - County Home Insurance
Direct Line - Home Insurance
Emerald Life - House & Home Insurance
First Underwriting - Premier
First2Protect - Your Home
Geo Personal Lines - Standard Home Insurance
Getsafe - Home Insurance
Halifax - Home Insurance Select Bronze
Hastings Direct - Hastings Direct
HomeProtect - Home Insurance
Hoot Insurance - Home Insurance
Leeds Building Society - Basic Home Insurance
Lloyd & Whyte - Home Advantage
Lloyds Bank - Home Insurance Select Bronze
LV= - LV= Home Silver
NatWest - Home Insurance
Pen Underwriting - Home Insurance E-Solutions
Plum Underwriting - Flex
Policy Expert - Silver Home Insurance
Post Office Money - Silver
Quotemehappy.com - Essentials Plus
Royal Bank of Scotland - Home Insurance
RSA - Clearchoice
Swiftcover - Swift MADE
Swinton Insurance - Classic Home Insurance
TSB - TSB Pick and Protect Home Insurance

Landlords insurance

Find out more about the best way to insure your buy to let property.

Best buy to let landlord insurance

Home insurance explained

A comprehensive home insurance policy protects your home and its belongings in the event of damage or theft. When taking out a home insurance policy, providers will break down your cover into two categories:

Buildings insurance
Contents insurance

You can either purchase both forms of cover from the same provider, or individually from different companies.

Buildings insurance explained

Buildings insurance will cover any damages to the structure of your home. This means your buildings insurance can cover for damage to your roof, floors, windows or walls. In addition to this, some policies can cover for items which are not attached to your home, such as gardens, conservatories, or sheds.

Damages to your property can take many forms, and claims can often be made for incidents of vandalism, fires, or flooding just to name a few. Depending on the event, this claim can rebuild or repair any damages caused.

Contents insurance explained

Home contents insurance, alternatively, covers the personal possessions inside your home from theft or damage. This could include items such as a TV, computer, or jewellery among others. Many insurance items will have a price cap on the value of your claims, so extremely high value items should be insured for separately.

It is key to note that damage to your items will be covered under certain circumstances. Fire or flooding damage to your sofa will often be paid for, but if it is damaged after a rowdy party then your claim can be more difficult to argue.

Like building insurance, contents insurance can also extend to other areas of your home, such the content in a garden shed. This can include common things such as bicycles, lawnmowers, or patio furniture just to name a few.

What home insurance do I need?

If you are renting your home, then you will not need building insurance. This will fall onto the responsibility of the landlord and will likely be factored into your rent. You might, however, need to purchase contents insurance to protect your personal belongings.

Those who are on the property ladder, and have a mortgage on their property, should consider both buildings and contents insurance. In fact, many lenders require you to have building insurance if you use a mortgage.

Even if this is not required, it may be advisable to investigate this option. To explain why, consider a scenario where your home is destroyed. In such an event you will still be liable for continuing mortgage payments.

How much does home insurance cost?

The cost of home insurance varies greatly depending on several factors, including the size of your home, your location, the extent of your cover and previous claim history.

In addition to this, your property type will also influence your premium. For example, a thatched roof house will still be insured but will cost more due to the increased risk of fire.

At this point it is important to remember that the cheapest home insurance policy is not necessarily the best on the market. The cost of your quoted premium should always be used in comparison to the policy’s cover.

How to lower my home insurance premiums

One of the most practical measures you can take to lowering your insurance premium is to install a security system on your property. This can include a new alarm system, locks, or even purchasing a safe to use for your most valuable belongings.

In addition to this, there are broader steps you can take which include paying your insurance annually, opting for a higher excess, or building up a no claims history.

Do I need to add public liability cover to my home insurance?

Public liability cover can cover your legal and compensation costs in case of an accident on your property. For example, if a slate blows off your roof in high winds and injures someone walking past, then they can be entitled to compensation. If a claim ensues then public liability insurance will cover your legal and compensation costs.

Those who will be letting part of their property on Airbnb, for example, might be particularly interested in this cover. This, and holiday let insurance, is explained in more detail in our guide.

What is excluded from home insurance?

There are a several risks that can be excluded from home insurance cover. This means that you cannot claim for them if they occur.

First among these is what is called a ‘gradually operating cause’ – or, in other words, ordinary wear and tear to your property. Insurers may also not cover you if they believe the claim has arisen due to a lack of maintenance or care.

FAQs on home insurance

Do I have to have home insurance?

No. Neither buildings nor contents home insurance is compulsory by law.

Can I get immediate insurance cover for my home?

Yes. Many insurers offer immediate cover for home insurance or the option to purchase cover from a date/time up to 30 days in the future.

How do I make a claim on my home insurance?

Home insurance claims can usually be made by phone or online. It is very common for home insurers to provide a 24-hour helpline number for emergencies, such as a sudden flood, giving you immediate access to qualified local tradespeople. Often, their fees will be settled directly by the insurer, meaning you will only have to pay any excess that is applicable.

How do I cancel my home insurance?

You can cancel your home insurance within the first 14 days after buying a policy. Under consumer law, you are entitled to this 14-day cooling-off period. This is explained in more detail on our guide to cooling off periods.

If you are further into your insurance policy and want to cancel, then it is simply a matter of getting in touch with your insurers, which you can usually do online or by calling your insurer. When you cancel, you should receive a pro-rata refund of any outstanding premium left. Some insurers may charge an admin or cancellation fee to end your insurance early.

However, it is wise never to cancel your policy until you have alternative cover in place.

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