Contents insurance

5* rated Home Insurance cover

What is contents insurance?

Contents insurance is a type of insurance policy that covers the cost of repairing or replacing your personal belongings in the event of damage or loss. This can include furniture, electronics, clothing, jewellery, and other valuable items.

What does contents insurance cover?

Contents insurance typically covers a range of perils, such as fire, theft, flood, and accidental damage. If any of your possessions are damaged or stolen due to one of these perils, your contents insurance policy would provide funds to replace or repair the items.

It’s important to note that contents insurance only covers the personal possessions inside your home, not the physical structure of the building itself. For that, you would need a separate buildings insurance policy.

Contents insurance is not usually mandatory, but it can provide peace of mind and financial protection in case of unexpected events. The cost of contents insurance varies depending on factors such as the value of your possessions, the level of coverage you require, and your location.

Why should I get contents insurance

There are several reasons why you may want to consider getting contents insurance:

Protection against unforeseen events

Peace of mind

Cost-effective

Requirement by landlords

Customisable coverage

Protection against unforeseen events: Contents insurance provides financial protection in the event of unexpected events, such as theft, fire, or flood. Without insurance, you would have to pay out of pocket to replace your belongings.
Peace of mind: Having contents insurance can provide peace of mind, knowing that your personal possessions are protected against a range of perils.
Cost-effective: Contents insurance can be a cost-effective way to protect your belongings, as the premiums are typically lower than the cost of replacing all of your possessions.
Requirement by landlords: If you are renting a property, your landlord may require you to have contents insurance as part of your tenancy agreement.
Customisable coverage: Contents insurance policies can be customized to meet your specific needs, such as insuring high-value items like jewellery or electronics.

It’s important to review your insurance needs and options carefully to determine if contents insurance is right for you.

Contents insurance works

Policy benefits includes

What Contents Insurance Covers

This covers loss or damage to contents in your home, including household goods, furniture, personal documents, valuables, personal belongings, money, and credit cards.

Cover is provided as standard for:

loss or damage to your contents caused by:
- fire, storm, and flooding; and
- subsidence, heave, and landslip;
theft of your contents from within your home or outbuildings and garages;
accidental damage to TV, satellite, and audio equipment;
accidental breakage of mirrors, ceramic hobs in freestanding ovens, and glass in furniture;
alternative temporary accommodation if your home becomes uninhabitable as a result of damage caused to your contents by an insured event;
damage to food in your fridge or freezer caused by a rise or fall in temperature, or contamination by the chemicals in the appliance; and
your legal liability to pay damages and expenses for bodily injury caused to any person, or damage caused to physical property.

For details of what is not covered, please refer to the Policy Wording.

It’s important for homeowners to carefully review and understand their home insurance policy, including any limitations or exclusions, in order to make sure they have adequate coverage for their needs. Additionally, it’s recommended to regularly review and update the policy to reflect any changes in the value of the home or personal belongings.

Home Insurance FAQ

Does the policy cover things like mobile phones and bikes?

Yes, mobile phones and bikes can be covered under the add on Personal Belongings cover as they’re taken outside your home.

Bicycles have their own specific cover section, and need to be specified if they’re worth more than £500 up to a maximum value of £3,000 per cycle and £5,000 for all cycles collectively.

Will the policy cover storm damage to my fences?

Unfortunately, any damage to your fences caused specifically by storms or flood will not be covered, but under our buildings insurance they are covered for certain other circumstances such as vandalism or fire.

Do I need to specify any valuable items on my home insurance policy?

Yes, you need to tell us about any item that is valued at over £2,500, as well as providing a valuation certificate for any jewellery or watches that are worth over £3,000 if you want them to be covered away from your home.

You can cover any individual item up to a value of £10,000 or several items collectively valued up to £20,000 (for cover away from the home) or up to £30,000 (for cover within the home).

What does the optional Home Emergency add-on cover me for?

It covers you for up to £1,000 to make your home safe and secure in the event of a domestic emergency. This includes problems with:

Main Heating System
Plumbing & Drainage
Gas Supply
Electricity Supply
Water Supply Pipe
Roofing
Security
Pest Infestation

If any of these emergencies occur which cause your home to become unsafe or cause a loss of these services, an engineer will be sent to your home to complete a repair and prevent or limit any further damage. Call out charges, labour, and materials to get your home back to a safe state or restore the key services will be covered.

Home Emergency cover is not a maintenance policy and does not cover the cost of routine maintenance in your home, nor does it provide or cover the cost of boiler servicing or maintenance.

What is the policy excess?

The standard excess amount payable on our Home policy is £100 on most Buildings & Contents claims. For claims relating to escape of water, it’s £250, and for claims for subsidence/heave/landslip it’s £1,000.

You can also choose to add a voluntary excess in addition to this. A higher total excess value makes your insurance cheaper, a lower value means you pay less towards a claim.