Home insurance: contents & building cover

Home insurance, including building and contents insurance, financially protects your house and belongings against unforeseen circumstances. Home insurance is an important part of the home buying and owning process, as it provides you and your mortgage provider with security and protection.

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What is home insurance?

Home insurance is a type of insurance designed to protect you financially if your property or possessions are damaged by unexpected events such as fire, theft, flooding, or accidental damage. It typically includes two key types of cover:

  • Buildings insurance – protects the structure of your home, including walls, roof, and permanent fixtures.

  • Contents insurance – covers your personal possessions inside the property.

While buildings insurance is often required by mortgage lenders, contents insurance is optional but highly recommended. Together, they ensure that if something goes wrong, you won’t face the full financial burden or added stress of repairing or replacing your home or possessions alone.

Is home insurance mandatory?

With all the associated costs of moving home, you may be asking yourself, “Do you have to have home insurance?”. Most mortgage providers require you to have home insurance cover before granting your mortgage application. So, it’s important to arrange insurance as soon as you can. It's also a great way to feel secure and protected with your home purchase, even before you've moved in.

Although home insurance isn’t technically a legal requirement for homeowners, a lot of mortgage offers will only be approved if you have it in place. It’s also a sensible decision to financially protect yourself and your home if something unexpected happens.

What are the different types of home insurance?

Standard home insurance consists of two types of cover: buildings insurance and contents insurance. When you buy a house, you’ll most likely want your insurance to cover both of these, so you can usually get combined buildings and contents insurance from one home insurance provider.

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Buildings insurance

Buildings insurance protects the structure of a property (e.g. walls and roof), as well as permanent fixtures and fittings (e.g. kitchen and bathroom), in the event of an unforeseen circumstance. When buying a house, you need to get buildings insurance cover in place, as it’s one of the house insurance requirements upon exchange of contracts, as you become legally responsible for the property. Not only is it a requirement for most mortgage lenders, it also gives you peace of mind that the structure of your new home will be financially protected.

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Contents insurance

Home contents insurance protects you financially against damage to your personal belongings, often resulting from fire, theft, and similar risks. Depending on the level of insurance you get, this can cover your belongings either just at home, or when out and about too.

Household contents insurance covers the possessions of everyone in the household, including children, except temporary guests. Contents insurance for electrical items such as laptops, TVs, white goods appliances, and expensive games consoles is vital in the event of loss, damage, or theft. A contents insurance claim in the event of disaster can help you get back on track.

What does home insurance cover?

Although home insurance providers will include different benefits and offerings in their home insurance policies, it is generally standard to expect to be covered against:

  • Water damage

  • Fire or smoke damage

  • Flooding * check with your provider

  • Storms damage, e.g. damage from fallen trees and branches

  • Theft and vandalism

What does home insurance not cover?

  • General wear and tear

  • Damage from negligence

  • Function issues with old appliances

  • Pet damage or pest infestations

What other types of property and home insurance are available?

Landlord insurance:

Landlords are responsible for insuring the property that they own and rent out. Landlord insurance generally covers everything that building insurance does; however, it can also cover you against landlord-specific requirements, such as loss of rent.

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Renters insurance:

If you rent, your landlord will be responsible for insuring the property; however, you may want to consider getting renters' contents insurance to protect your belongings against damage or theft.

Holiday home/ Host insurance:

If you own a holiday home, you will need to get holiday home insurance, so you’re still covered if your property is left unoccupied for 30 days or more. Additionally, if you rent your holiday home out, you’ll need to get Holiday let, or Host insurance, to cover you against potential damages made by, or needing fixing for, your guests.

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Home buyers' protection insurance:

If you’re buying a property, home buyers’ insurance can protect you in the case of the sale falling through. Although not mandatory, home buyers’ insurance can come in handy to claim back fees such as valuation and conveyancing fees, should the sale fall through.

Deposit protection insurance:

If you’re buying a new build property off-plan, deposit protection insurance can help safeguard your deposit. This type of cover is designed to help recover your deposit if the sale falls through for reasons beyond your control, such as the developer going bust or significant build delays. Find out more about the new build conveyancing process.

Home Insurance FAQs

There are many questions people have regarding home insurance that may not have been covered above, read our frequently asked questions below to learn more.

  • The average cost of home insurance in the UK is around £20–£30 per month for combined buildings and contents cover, however this can vary depending on factors such as your property type, number of bedrooms, location, level of cover, and any optional extras you add to your policy.