A person’s house is a home partly due to the fact it contains their personal belongings. Contents insurance is the branch of home insurance that is concerned with providing people with cover for the cost of replacing these belongings.
What does contents cover insure me against?
Generally your personal belongings will be covered by contents insurance from damage or loss relating to:
- Fire, storm, flooding and earthquakes
- Malicious acts and vandalism
- Theft or attempted break in
- Subsidence, heave or landslip
- Water and oil escaping form pipes in the heating system
Some contents policies will help with the cost of replacing keys that have been lost and locks which have been broken.
Do I need accidental damage or personal possessions cover?
Accidental damage cover will extend your contents insurance to cover damage caused by unexpected accidents. This will likely incur an extra cost.
Personal possessions cover can include personal belongings taken out of the home. This can be useful for people who rely on taking their laptop to work, or who have expensive gadgets and phones.
Contents insurance excess
The excess paid on the contents insurance for personal belongings is the amount of money a person will contribute to a claim. Agreeing to paying a higher excess will reduce your premiums.
Exclusions
All policies come with a set of exclusions, whereby a claim cannot be made. Check the policy before you buy to ensure it offers the cover you need.
Combined building and contents cover
Most providers will offer contents insurance quotes with lower premiums for a combined buildings and contents insurance policy.