Home Insurance Help
(this page):
It is worth looking around for the best online home insurance online,
and our online company offers you a portal of online quotes for an instant
online home insurance .
If you are seeking the cheapest easy home insurance in
the United Kingdom ,
you should find the best online home insurance for
the United Kingdom
at 1st-home.
The Price Survey
The
list on 1st-home represents the results of a regular survey of home
insurance quotes gathered from UK insurers and intermediaries operating
online. Some of the sites are sponsored. All the sites are included on
merit.
The results are ranked with the overall cheapest first. Remember that
you are unique! What is cheaper for someone else may not be the cheapest
for you.
Buying your UK home insurance on the internet.
Buying your home insurance on the internet is relatively new. There
are only a few providers out there who offer this facility. We have reviewed
home insurance providers and created this shortlist which we feel provides
you with the best insurers online.
The main reason we advocate buying your UK home insurance on the internet
is because, it is cheaper. The fact that admin charges are lower to the
insurance company is reflected in the price of the policy. Secondly, it
is quicker to get a handful of quotes so that you can make an informed
decision about who you would like to insure your home. (Remember spending
the entire afternoon on the phone and only obtaining one quote?)
Many of the policies are direct with the insurance company, but we have
also included online brokers who will be able to quote from a huge range
of policies and often will come up with a very competitive home insurance
quote for you.
We advise you to shop around and take 3 or 4 quotes before you buy. Online
forms are a bit of a pain, especially the first one you fill out, but
dont worry, they just get easier and easier. We suggest to add the homepage
to your 'favorites'
in your browser, and return to it at your liesure before you make your
decision.
Non Standard Home Insurance
Online home insurance can really only quote you on a standard home. If
your home is what the industry call a non-standard house (thatched
roof, timber frame, very old, listed etc), then you may have to phone
for your quote instead. Both Quoteline
and Direct
Choice invite you to apply for a quote with them on your non-standard
home.
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Home Insurance Help
There are two basic types of home insurance that it
is advisable to take out to protect your property:
- Buildings
cover.
This protects the basic structure of your property. That is the walls,
windows, floors etc. Most policies will protect you against fire, storm,
flood and vandalism as standard, but dont forget to check!!!
- You can then add accidental damage
to your buildings policy which will protect you from accidents such
as putting your foot through the ceiling while in the loft). This may
be included as standard on some policies .
- Contents
cover.
Contents Insurance policies cover movable objects inside your home or
belongings and possessions that are not part of the fabric of your home
such as carpets, curtains, TV and computer. Some also cover freezer
contents (often as an extra option). The premium you will pay
for home buildings or contents insurance can vary widely depending on
how big your home is, what kind of cover you want, the value of your
possessions, and the location of the home. Most will cover contents
up to around £50k. That sounds like a lot but if you add up the replacement
cost of everything in your home, it will add up! Remember not to undervalue
your contents. If your home burned down to the ground, you would regret
it!!
- Most contents policies cover as standard:
- Theft and Vandalism
- Fire, Smoke, Explosions
- Severe Weather - Storms, Lightening, Floods
- Subsidence
- Burst Pipes
- Civil Commotion
- Earthquakes
- Water or Oil Leakage
- Impact from Vehicles or Falling Trees
-
Up to a certain amount (usually £50,000), your policy will cover
your possessions, either stated by you, or categorised by the insurance
company. The insurance policy might ask you to submit a contents list,
with individual items over a certain value specifically priced. This
varies with different insurance companies. There are two main types
of cover:Old-for-New - Items are replaced at their current market value
and Indemnity Cover - The Insurance
company will take into account general depreciation. Old-for-New is the better option, so don't forget to check which
type of cover the Insurance company is offering.
- If the value of your contents exceeds £50,000 you may have problems
finding an insurer! We recommend you try Direct
Choice or Quoteline
- Again, you can add accidental damage
to your contents policy an example of which would be the dog knocking
the TV off the table. This may be included as standard on some policies.
When the two are purchased together, you get one policy
called buildings and contents insurance (unsurprisingly).
You will often be given a discount if you take out both buildings and
contents insurance with the same insurer.
If you are studying away from home (e.g. at college/university), sometimes
your parents home insurance covers your possessions. But you can also
take out a student possessions policy with Endsleigh
Other options You may be able to choose:
Usually up to £300 or £500
Usually this means possessions outside the home, such as credit cards
and cash. This is nearly always an extra option
- legal cover. This generally will cover
legal disputes that relate to you personally, such as residence and
boundary disputes and personal injury (including medical negligence).
This is generally a cheap extra (around £12), a few insurers provide
it as standard.
Tips on choosing your home insurance
Read the terms and conditions carefully, make sure that you are happy
with the level of cover provided and make sure that you understand the
terms and conditions.
Choosing your home insurance is not a five minute job! Give yourself
time to make the right decision. Start about two weeks before your current
policy is due to expire and obtain a few quotes. Most of the providers
listed on this site give you an online, instant home insurance quote,
but some of them quote half an hour later by email and some ask you to
fill out the form, then phone them. (You then quote the unique reference
given to you on the website and they have all of your info to hand - beats
spelling out your sirname all of the time!)
If you take two quotes and there is a huge difference in price, there
is usually a reason. The more expensive one may include cover for risks
that you do not wish to pay for and conversely, the cheaper quote may
not cover something that you feel is vital.
Be honest!!! Be truthful about your home, there is no point putting
your future insurance claim in jeopardy!!
If you are getting an Old-for-New policy, make sure that you value
your contents at their replacement value, and not at their
actual value.
Don't fall into the trap of getting home contents insurance from a
mortgage provider - you are more likely to get a better deal elsewhere.
If you are studying away from home (e.g. at college/university), sometimes
your parents home insurance covers your possessions.
Other tips:
- Examine any limitations and upper limit pay-outs before buying the
insurance policy.
- Check to see if special valuables need to be insured separately.
- Check to see if you are covered for accidental damage.
- Don't give any false information when applying for your insurance.
This will make your policy invalid if you make a claim.
- Don't underestimate the value of your possessions. Evaluate their
value before shopping around.
- Check your policy frequently and update it if necessary.
- Check your Excess limitation, especially for money, single articles
and valuables.
- Always read the small print and documentation. Otherwise you are
leaving yourself open to the insurer's opt-out clauses.
- If you are moving home, check with the insurer to see if your contents
are covered, and inform them of exactly when you are moving.
Household Security tips:
- Security marking is a simple and inexpensive way of making your
possessions identifiable and will increase the chance of them being
returned if they are stolen. The recognised method is by using your
postcode, followed by your house number or the first two letters of
your house name.
- A house which looks occupied will be less likely to attract burglars.
Leaving lights switched on is one way to create the impression that
you're at home, but timing switches which turn lights on and off automatically
while you're out are even more effective. Other household electrical
appliances, such as radios, hi-fi systems and televisions, can also
be operated in the same way.
- Don't leave valuable property in a shed which is either unlocked
or so old and run down as to be no obstacle to a thief.
- Gardening tools and furniture are very saleable items for a burglar.
What's more, tools stolen from your shed can be used to burgle your
home as well! Don't make it easy to steal them.
- Many insurance companies insist that the installation of alarms
is carried out by companies registered with the National Approval
Council for Security Systems. The Association of British Insurers
recommends fitting outside doors with deadlocks which conform to BS3621.
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Flood advice
If your home is in an area which is prone to flooding or subsidence it
will probably effect the insurance costs. Unfortunately there isn't a
lot you can do about this, apart from moving home and taking appropraite
precautions once a flood warning has been issued. Information on high
risk areas is available at
www.environment-agency.gov.uk
National Flood Warning Centre - 01276 454 725
Or check up on the area
www.homecheck.co.uk
If you receive prior warning of flooding you may be able to
take the following action to minimise damage to your home and belongings,
but only if it is safe to do so and you have enough time!
- Protect external doors, with sandbags if you have them
- If possible, move furniture and electrical items upstairs
- If you are unable to leave your property, fill a vacuum flask with
a hot drink and take items such as a torch, warm clothing, a battery
operated radio (tuned to the local radio station for updates) and
a mobile telephone (if you have one) upstairs, until the danger has
passed, or help arrives
- If you have time, seal any delicate items in plastic bags to protect
them form water damage
- Ensure that your insurance documentation is at hand with helpline
numbers
- Pack a small selection of dry clothes and toiletry essentials, importantly
including any medicines and emergency phone numbers
If your home has been flooded, we advise that you take the following
action
- Turn off the electricity at the mains
- Lift any sodden carpets to allow the floor to dry. For an inexpensive
Cooling fan or ventilator fan try cooling-fan-electric-evaporative-portable-industrial.co.uk
- Use a low heat to gently dry things out - using a high heat can
cause further damage. Safety first - don't use electrical sources
of heat near flood water. For an inexpensive infrared heater in the
UK, try infrared-heater-radiant-electric-gas-kerosene.co.uk
- Once the flood water has gone, take professional advice before you
start redecorating. You may need to let brickwork dry out for some
months
- If you are drying out your building by the central heating system
alone, make sure the rooms are ventilated. For an inexpensive dehumidifier,
try dehumidifier-humidifier.com
- If you are using a dehumidifier, make sure doors and windows are
closed. For an inexpensive dehumidifier, try dehumidifier-humidifier.com
- Be patient-taking time to dry out your home properly now could save
a lot of time later on when it comes to redecorating
- If you property suffers severe flooding, you should not attempt
to get through flood water to leave - it will probably be safer to
move to an upper storey rather than risk wading through deep flood
water, where there is a danger you could be swept away by the current.
Top
It is worth looking around for the best online home insurance for
the United Kingdom ,
and you are free on the internet to shop around the different sites, and
compare. When you need the cheapest home insurance quote
in case of online home insurance
etc , our online company will assist you in your search so that you
can get the best online home insurance quickly
and easily. Remember to tell friends who need home insurance quote to
try going online, because their the cheapest home insurance quote can
be cheaper. For online home insurance for
your home insurance
in the United Kingdom ,
you can get the cheapest home insurance quote if
you compare online. Don't forget to return here to get your best cheap and
affordable online home insurance in
the UK .
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This site is for people in the UK seeking house or house contents insurance.
