Home insurance policy

A home insurance policy sounds simple but, with a range of add-ons available to improve your cover, it can get complicated. 

Before looking at the optional extras on offer, it is worth establishing what is covered by standard home insurance.  Policy types can be divided into two categories – buildings and contents.  Buildings insurance protects you against damage to the structure of your home together with its fixtures and fittings, while contents insurance protects you against damage or loss of the possessions that you would normally take with you if you moved.  Both policies cover you against a stated list of perils, for example, fire, subsidence, theft, flood and storm.

So, what can you add to your home insurance?  Policy additions include accidental damage cover.  For an extra premium, you can enhance your home insurance policy to include cover for accidental damage.  On buildings insurance this could be an accident like drilling into a pipe or cable, or putting your foot through the loft floor.  On contents insurance, it could mean breaking a vase or spilling paint on your favourite carpet.

Another optional extra that can be added to your home insurance policy is personal possessions cover.  This covers items designed to be worn or carried (such as jewellery, cameras, sports equipment and money) for accidental loss, damage or theft when outside the home.

If you own a bicycle you may also want to enhance your home insurance policy by adding pedal cycle cover.  This covers you for accidental loss, damage or theft anywhere in the UK, and for up to 60 days elsewhere in the world.

Finally, you can add family legal protection to your home insurance policy, giving you access to a 24 hour advice line and up to £100,000 for legal costs for pursuing claims, including contractual, employment and property disputes, and personal injury.

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