Compare home insurance quotes

The average cost in the UK varies depending on your location, type and size of house or flat.

How much your policy costs also depends on the value of your possessions. but generally speaking, the average cost of home contents insurance is around £67 a year, while buildings insurance premiums are an average of £208. The average price for combined buildings and contents insurance is £230.*

_{*Based on Confused.com data, September - November 2024}

It's worth looking out for exclusions – these are events or occurrences that your insurance will not cover. For example, if you live near a river, you may not be able to get insurance cover for flood damage.

Your costs will also be affected by the value of your home or the contents within it, the location, the cost of rebuild, and whether you have had any previous claims.

Some insurance companies offer a discount if you buy buildings and contents insurance together, but it's also worth getting separate quotes as this may work out cheaper.

You may need to think about getting buildings insurance when you're in the process of buying a new house. It's worth looking into buying home insurance from the point at which you exchange contracts.

In some cases you can transfer your policy from your old to your new home. But you might be able to save money by cancelling your old policy and shopping around for new cover. It's likely that you may incur a fee if you cancel your policy so it's worth checking your policy documents before you do this.

Every insurance policy has an excess. This is the amount of you will need to pay towards any claim you make. The total excess is made up of a compulsory excess and a voluntary excess.

The compulsory excess is an amount set by the insurer, whereas the voluntary excess is an amount chosen by you.

Choosing a higher voluntary excess can lead to cheaper premiums. But you must make sure this is an amount that you can afford. As you will need to pay it along with the compulsory excess if you make a claim.

If you need to make a claim, call your insurance company as soon as possible – but call the police first if you have been burgled. Have your policy details to hand, as well as information about the claim.

Take pictures of any damage, and don’t dispose of any damaged items until they have been assessed by the insurance company. Make a note, with the time and date, of who you have spoken to at your insurance company as well as any witnesses or police officers.

Make sure you speak to your insurer before you get any repair or rebuilding work carried out.

Insurers might check your credit file when you apply for cover to confirm your identity. But your credit score shouldn’t affect your house insurance costs if you pay for your premium annually up front. However, if you choose to pay monthly by direct debit, this involves entering into a credit agreement, and your credit score could affect how much you pay.