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Search and compare cheap quotes from up to 50 UK buildings insurance providers, including

Home Insurance
Frontier
Polish Insurance
M&S Bank

What is home insurance?

Home insurance or house insurance is designed to protect your home and its contents. It can help with the cost of replacing or repairing damage or losses. Covered events will depend on your specific house insurance policy. But home insurance typically includes fires, storms, theft and floods. 

Coverage options include building insurance and contents insurance, which can be combined into one building and contents insurance policy.

Types of home insurance policy

There are two main types of home insurance. Homeowners can buy either separately, or choose a combined home insurance policy. Compare Quotezone home insurance quotes for each level of cover to find the right home insurance policy for your needs and budget.

Building insurance

Building insurance covers your home, its fixtures and fittings, and any outbuildings, pathways and boundaries like walls, fences or gates. It can also include underground services like water and sewage pipes, septic tanks and oil or gas tanks.

Contents insurance

Contents insurance covers any personal possessions the policy owner is legally responsible for in the house. This means furniture, electronics, clothes and valuables like paintings or jewellery.

This cover will usually pay out the market value of the items, so does make deductions based on wear and tear.

Combined buildings and contents insurance

Buildings and contents insurance combines the cover of both buildings and contents insurance policies into one package.

It can often be cheaper than buying the policies separately and can be easier to manage with only one premium and renewal date.

Do I need home insurance?

Home insurance is not necessary under UK law. However, lenders often require it as part of your loan agreement if you have a mortgage. You can tailor your insurance to meet your specific needs with the following policies.

Homeowners insurance

Being responsible for an entire property and its contents can be costly when things go wrong. An average home insurance pay-out was £4,300 in 2024. Comparing this to an average home insurance quote of £185, it’s clear that not insuring our home could be more expensive in the long run.

Landlord insurance

Landlords insurance, also known as buy to let or rental property insurance gives specialised cover for landlords. It lets you cover multiple properties on one policy while protecting your building and any furnishings that are rented along with the property.

Tenant insurance

As a tenant, you are not responsible for home insurance. However, you can still protect your valuable belongings like gadgets or jewellery from being stolen or damaged with renters insurance, or contents insurance for tenants.

Second home insurance

If you own a second home or holiday home, you can take out a second home insurance policy. Specialised coverage can also provide cover for letting out the property to others, or renting the property on Airbnb.

Students home insurance

This cover focuses on insuring your possessions while you live in halls or shared accommodation. You can insure all your belongings with general contents cover.


How much does home insurance cost?

Home insurance costs vary depending on where you live. This is because your location lets insurers know the risks to your home in your area. Things like local repair and labour costs, crime rates, flood risks, and the overall number of claims for your region all impact costs.

This is why the home insurance comparison experts at  Quotezone.co.uk have broken down the average price of home insurance by region for 2024.

Get all the latest home insurance data in your area, including annual cost increases, crime rates, council tax rises, and more.

How can I get a cheaper home insurance quote?

The average cost of home insurance in 2024 is just over £185. This price is up 33% from 2023 overall but increases vary depending on specific home insurance costs in your area. Understanding how your personal circumstances and other factors influence your home insurance quote is key to finding cheap home insurance policies.

Choose your property carefully

This is a huge decision that will impact your property insurance costs for the foreseeable future. The size, materials, and type of your home will all indicate the cost to repair it. Our research shows that detached homes cost 35% more to insurance than semi-detached homes.

Know the risks in your location

The location of your home lets insurers know a lot about its risk level. They will be able to find out the flood risks and crime rates in your area. This is why it is so important to do your research and know what red flags to look out for when you are viewing a home.

Choose your cover level

Any additional coverage you add to your home insurance policy can come at an additional price. So always choose only the coverage you really need when you compare home insurance. Estimate your rebuild cost accurately so you do not overinsure.

Increase your excess

You could also choose to increase the excess on your policy to reduce the premium. Just know that this will mean paying a little more out of pocket each time you make a claim.

Pay annually

Providers will usually charge less if you pay your home insurance premium annually rather than monthly. This is because you avoid the added interest that is applied when you pay monthly. By paying your home insurance monthly you are essentially entering into a credit agreement with your insurer.

Maintain your home

Continued home maintenance means you lower the risk of developing issues that result in claiming your home insurance. A good no-claims history can get you cheaper home insurance policies when you start to compare quotes.

Secure the property

Improving home security makes you less of a risk to insure, so could reduce the premiums on both home and contents policies. Insurers often reward measures like installing security lights, house alarms, and BSI (British Standards Association) approved locks like a 5 lever mortice deadlock.

Compare home insurance quotes

Although insurance providers consider similar factors when calculating your home insurance cost. Each uses its own pricing model that gives different importance to each factor. That’s why home insurance comparison is so important when you are looking for the cheapest home insurance quotes.

What is covered and excluded from home insurance?

What is covered by home insurance?

While home insurance policies can vary, most cover damage or loss caused by:

  • Fire damage
  • Storms and flooding
  • Subsidence, landslips, or heave
  • Falling trees and branches
  • Theft and malicious damage
  • Leaking water tanks and pipes
  • Oil leaks from heating systems
  • Impact from an aircraft, vehicle, or animal

What does home insurance coverage exclude?

Again, these can vary. Your home insurance policy details will always clearly outline exclusions. Common exclusions from home cover are:

  • General wear and tear over time
  • Damage resulting from lack of  maintenance
  • Damage from DIY or poor workmanship
  • Intentional damage caused by the policyholder
  • Damage from pests and pets
  • Unoccupied properties
  • Some insurers exclude fences, hedges or gates of a property

Optional extras for home insurance

Accidental damage cover

Covers unexpected and accidental damage caused to your home or its contents. This can include damages caused by you or your family like breaking windows or cracking floor tiles.

Home emergency cover

Offers fast help with the cost of repairing damages that put the occupant’s health or safety at risk. This could be a broken heating system or burst pipes.

Alternative accommodation cover

Provides temporary alternative accommodation if our home isn’t safe to stay in. Your policy documents will outline these events, which usually include flooding, fire, or storm damage.

Bicycle cover

Protects your bicycle against damage or theft while you store it at home. This option is available whether you keep your bike in a shed or hallway.

Legal costs cover

Covers the cost of getting legal help or advice for disputes related to your property. An example would be a boundary dispute or noise complaint.

Personal possessions cover

This gives you additional coverage that can include your mobile phone, laptop, and entertainment equipment. You can also insure these separately under gadget insurance.

What do I need to know to get a home insurance quote?


  1. Basics details about the home

    This includes the property type. For example, a semi-detached, three-bedroom house. The history of the home, including when it was built, the main building materials and if it is a listed building. It’s also helpful to know about the home’s security features like the alarm system and the type of locks on the main external door.

2. Rebuild costs and contents value

It’s important to get these right because the values you give will be the maximum amount you are paid out when making a claim. Our home insurance quote form can help give you an estimated value to rebuild the property based on the basic information you provide.

However, it is always best to do your research to get an accurate rebuild value and find out how much it would cost to replace the entire contents of your home.

3. The level of cover you want

You can choose between buildings insurance, contents insurance, or a combined buildings and contents policy. You can insure specific items worth over £1,000, or items you take outside your home. You can also choose extra coverage like accidental damage, and the excess you want on the policy.

We search up to 50 home insurance providers to save you hassle and money

Understanding the claims process


Home insurers will have different guidelines when it comes to claiming your home insurance. But each will follow the same general process.

1. Contact your insurer to notify them of the damage or loss as soon as you can.

2. The insurer will carry out an investigation which may require proof of ownership, receipts and estimates for any repairs.

3. The claim will be either rejected or settled fully or partially by the insurer.

4. The insurer might identify an at-fault party who is liable for the damages to recover their costs.

Home insurance FAQs

How much is home insurance in 2024?

Our Quotezone data shows the average cost of home insurance at £185.88 in 2024. This is based on research across 100,000 home insurance policies from Q1 2023 to Q1 2024. These costs are based on the average UK three-bedroom property.

Which is the best home insurance?

The best insurance for your home will be one that meets your needs and budget. Deciding what cover you need before you compare home insurance deals means you won’t overinsure. Using an insurance comparison site can help you find cheaper home coverage overall. At Quotezone.co.uk, 97% of our users recommended us for comparing insurance.

Why has home insurance gone up?

Home insurance costs have gone up because home insurance claims have increased. £573 million was claimed on home insurance in 2023. A lot of this is caused by more extreme weather and UK storms. But increased costs for materials and labour to repair and rebuild after damages have also played a part. So insurers have had to raise premiums to cover these costs.

How soon can you claim on home insurance?

Unlike other types of insurance, you can usually claim as soon as your home insurance starts. Just be careful not to confuse the policy start date with the date you paid for your insurance, these can be different. Your insurer will tell you if there is an exclusion period on your home insurance policy. Read the full guide for more details.

Can I claim for a leaking roof on my home insurance?

This depends on what caused the leak. It could be excluded if the leak is caused by poor upkeep or general wear and tear of the house. Otherwise, leaks will generally be protected under your buildings cover because they are part of the permanent physical structure of your home.

Are drains and sewers covered by my home insurance policy?

Yes, as long as they are considered your legal responsibility. This is usually when the underground pipes lie within your property boundary and serve your home alone. There are exceptions for when your home insurance won’t cover drains and sewage pipes, but these will generally be covered for accidental damage.

What is water supply pipe insurance?

The water supply pipe is an external pipe that connects your home to the main water supply. Insurers will usually cover these for accidental damage if the supply pipes are your legal responsibility. However, water pipe insurance is also available as an add-on for home insurance.

What is home emergency cover on home insurance?

Home emergency insurance means you get help fast when you need emergency repairs in your home. It can cover your heating system, electric and water supply, pest infestation and roof leaks. It is a common add-on for home insurance policies and is also available as a separate home emergency cover.

Do you need home insurance when renting in the UK?

Not legally, no. Having building insurance for the home is the owner’s or landlord’s responsibility. However, this policy won’t protect any of your furniture, electronics or other possessions in the home. Insurance for tenants can cover your personal belongings while you rent.

What other types of home insurance can you find on Quotezone?

Finding the right house insurance policy is made simple with Quotezone. Whether you’re looking for coverage for a period property or more specialised choices like over-50s or over-60s insurance, Quotezone allows you to compare rates from up to 50 leading insurers.

Policies covering major incidents like burglary protection can also be found, while insurance for self-builds, bedsits, and probate are available for more specialist purposes. Landlords can also search for tenant coverage, while homeowners can search for new-build, garage and apartment insurance deals.

By comparing offers from several brokers and insurers, you can select the ideal coverage for your requirements.

Page reviewed on 18th September 2024 by Greg Wilson.

Meet Our Expert

Greg Wilson, CEO and trusted insurance expert, launched the pioneering insurance comparison platform Quotezone.co.uk in 2005 – quickly becoming one of the UK’s leading price comparison websites for the car insurance market. Greg and his team use over 20 years of experience to save millions of drivers vital funds every year with their easy-to-use comparison technology – now across a vast range of products such as car, van as well as home insurance. Trusted by national and local media throughout the UK for his expert financial commentary – Greg is an authoritative figure on home insurance.

Greg Wilson

Founder of Quotezone.co.uk

What people have to say about us

Really helpful and saved me a fortune on my house insurance

Elaine

Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

My home insurance had double in one year. I had been with this insurance company for over 20 years, and never claimed. Yet I was given no good reason for the increase, but that the cost of things were going up. I managed to get a better cover for a lot less then 50% of my new quote.

Parveez

United Kingdom

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