Best home insurance

If you have a mortgage, you usually need buildings insurance as a condition of the loan. If you own your home outright, it's not a legal requirement. But it's highly recommended as you'll be protected from the cost of repairing or rebuilding after events like fire, flood or storms. If you rent your home, your landlord is responsible for buildings insurance but you'll be responsible for buying the contents insurance.

Home insurance typically covers two things: the structure of the building (buildings insurance) and the contents inside it (contents insurance). Most home insurance policies cover events like flooding, fire, storms, theft and vandalism. Accidental damage cover is often available as an optional add-on. You can buy buildings and contents insurance separately or as a combined home insurance policy.

No, home insurance isn't the same as building insurance. Home insurance provides protection for your home's structure and contents, building insurance only covers the structure. A landlord might buy building insurance for a property they rent out, while their tenants are responsible for buying contents insurance to protect their personal belongings and appliances.

The cost of home insurance varies depending on the value of your property, the value of your contents, where you live, the level of cover you choose and your claims history. On average, combined buildings and contents insurance costs between £150 and £300 per year for a typical UK home, though premiums can be higher for high-value properties or areas at greater flood or crime risk.

Yes, comparing home insurance online is the quickest way to find the best deal. Our rankings above are based on real customer reviews, showing you which home insurance companies are rated most highly for claims handling, customer service and value. For price comparison, you can also use a comparison site to see quotes from multiple providers side by side.