Contents insurance

• It's a policy designed to secure your belongings against theft, loss and damage.
• Typically it insures items like your electrical goods, furniture and clothes.
• Some policies could also extend this cover to include the contents of your garden shed.
• If you're a tenant renting a house or flat it could cover your personal possessions or any furniture that you may own.

Want to cover expensive items? If you've a valuable family heirloom, high-powered gadget or an antique that you want to cover, you may need to list them separately as single, high-value items. Some insurers could also offer a more specialist high value contents insurance policy for items of significant worth.

Most policies usually fall into one of two types - new for old and indemnity.

• The date your house was built - this question is usually pre-filled based on your address.
• The date your house was bought or when you moved in.
• Which locks and alarms are fitted - we provide useful lock pictures to help you out.
• Details and cost of any claims you've made in the last five years - this should be in your renewal documents. Alternatively contact your current insurer.
• The total cost of your personal belongings - our contents calculator can help you work this out.
• Details of any items you wish to insure that are worth over £1,000 for example engagement rings, antiques or expensive computer equipment.

It’s important to get the right amount of cover for your belongings. Should your home be burgled or damaged by fire or flooding, you could have to fork out to cover the costs if you're not properly insured. 

The average UK home is filled with thousands of pounds worth of possessions, so it's important that you get the right level of cover. Remember to take every room in your home into consideration.

Away-from-home cover

When comparing home contents policies, you'll be given the option to cover your possessions away from home. This means you could be covered against loss and theft for the things you carry with you everyday, including jewellery, watches, handbags, laptops and mobile phones.

Accidental damage

Accidental damage cover may also be worth considering. This covers you for one-off accidents such as spilling something on your sofa, smashing a television set or dropping an antique vase. 

Need extra cover?

You may also be able to upgrade your contents insurance policy by adding home emergency and legal cover. But some insurers may include them as standard.