Contents insurance helps cover the furniture, personal possessions and valuables that you keep in your home. It does not include damage sustained to the bricks and mortar of the building or any permanent fixtures and fittings in your home.
All providers and polices are different so it's a good idea to compare contents insurance, but generally speaking the following items are included or excluded from a standard contents insurance policy. Always check with your provider as you may need to specify particular items to make sure they're fully covered.
What’s covered?
• Household furniture, furnishings, carpets and curtains on a new-for-old basis
• Personal possessions in your home, garage, shed or other outbuilding
• Home office equipment, such as computers or laptops, if you work from home
• Loss, damage or destruction to portable items and adornments such as jewellery and watches, cameras, sports and camping equipment, laptop computers and cash.
What’s not covered?
• Destruction or breakage caused by mechanical or electrical failure.
• Loss or damage caused by theft or attempted theft while your home is let, part-let or lent to anyone, unless there is obvious forced entry.
• Damage or destruction caused by theft, vandalism or malicious acts and leakages of oil or water if your home is unoccupied for an extended period and you failed to notify your insurer
• Loss of computer data due to accident, deletion or virus.
• Damage to personal possessions due to wear and tear.
Optional Cover
Think about the extras available that might apply to you. Bicycle cover, legal assistance, home emergency cover and protected no claims bonus are all available at extra cost although some providers include these options as standard – check with your provider.
Tailored Policies
If you’re a tenant, landlord, student or looking for cover for your holiday home, a standard home policy might not be sufficient so you may need to speak to a specialist provider.
Read our home insurance articles and guides for more great topics or get a home insurance quote.