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Direct Line: Home insurance reviews

Name: Home insurance
Rating: 3.79 (136 reviews)

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3.75

Based on 136 reviews, last reviewed 28th Sep 2025

100% increase in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

100% increase in 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

50%

21%

19%

Latest highest rating:

5

Efficient service We phoned them about a problem, they then handled everything very quickly and efficiently. I was very inpressed. Reviewed on: 24th September 2025

Latest lowest rating:

1

Home emergency reported Friday lunchtime. Home emergency reported Friday lunchtime. Text confirming heating engineer would be with us Sat 27/09/2025 between 9.00 and 12.30. Blue Badge holder, ... Read more Reviewed on: 28th September 2025

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About this product

Direct Line have two home insurance products to choose from.

The Home Insurance option is a standard policy. Direct Line’s Home Insurance Plus policy includes all the features of the Home Insurance cover but with extras included, such as personal possessions, accidental damage and home emergency protection.

Direct Line home insurance reviews help you find out what it’s really like to be a customer. If you’ve used Direct Line before, you can also leave a review and share your experience.

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Direct Line Home insurance reviews (136)

The most appalling service I've ever had (and I'm 69)

I’ve been with Direct Line for car insurance for many years. I never had to make a claim, but they were always prompt on renewals etc, and given that they were cheaper on home insurance than my existing ones thought I’d make the switch (and their advertising was impressive, plumber turns up to fix the leaking tap while they’re still on the phone to the insurers etc). So they’re prompt at signing you on, but in our experience when it comes to making a claim the reality is utterly different. Their customer service has been the worst I’ve ever experienced (and I’m 69). We had a fire in our bedroom on June 20th – a mirror on the windowsill had reflected sunlight onto the curtains (very thick drape, like to have the room dark at night, not flimsy things) and set them alight. The fire spread up into the ceiling. Fortunately, and unusually, we were in the house at the time, and put it out, within minutes. As the fire had spread to the ceiling, we called the Fire Brigade, who said it would have taken hold in a few minutes and burned the place down, and we should really have just exited rather than trying to stop it. So there is still some damage. New curtains needed, new curtain rail, new carpet, replastering the ceiling, replacing an armchair and cushions, replacing panes of glass that cracked in the heat etc… Haven’t had a single response from Direct Line in nearly the two months of sending the claim in. Have spent hours on the phone with them (waiting for them to pick it up) and online with their virtual assistant. On two occasions when I managed to get through they said someone would be in touch within a couple of days, and nothing happened. On the third occasion, I got through on the phone after an hour waiting, got a claim reference, and was transferred to their loss adjuster, Sedgewick, who picked up the phone after another hour, and said somebody would definitely be in touch that day. That was a week ago. The bedroom is not uninhabitable for us. I realise it’s not a big issue, in that sense, in terms of house fires. Though I do miss sleeping without curtains. And there’s still the stink of charred furnishings – what are we meant to do with that, take them to the dump? Clear out the evidence of the fire? It just seems like if they never reply, most claimants are likely to give up. That’s their business philosophy. Because actually dealing with the claim would take vastly less time, all-round. Reviewed on: 19th July 2022

Most appalling service I've ever had (and I'm 69).

I've been insured with Direct Line on my car for many years, never had to make a claim. They always processed renewals etc efficiently, so thought I'd switch the home insurance to them as well, as they were cheaper. They process your application efficiently, of course, but then it recently came to the point of having to actually make a claim. We had a fire in our bedroom, a mirror had reflected sunlight onto our "thick drape) curtains, which caught fire. Fortunately, we were in the house, and able to put it out in minutes with buckets of water. The Fire Brigade said that if we hadn't, the whole place would have burned down (it had started to get through the ceiling). Sent through a claim to Direct Line the same day (June 20th), with photos of the damage etc. Curtains, carpet need to be replaced, some furniture, ceiling replastered etc. Have never had an acknowledgement of the claim. Over the following weeks tried contacting online, by virtual assistant, and by phone. Eventually got through to someone,who said someone would be responding in a couple of days. Zilch. Last week I tried again, and they eventually gave me a claim reference number and transferred me to the loss adjusters they use for this (Sedgewick), which took about two hours on the phone. The Sedgewick guy assured me that someone would be back to me later that day. Zilch. Trouble is, there are details that need sorting - like - the bedroom is not uninhabitable, but do we go ahead with getting new curtains before having the claim approved? - I struggle to sleep in sunlight. The charred stuff in the bedroom - do we just chuck it out, or do we have to keep it there as evidence? They are utterly useless, in my experience, a complete rip-off, relying on people just to give up on pursuing their claims, and I post this review in the hope that I can avoid you going through the same agony, or to encourage them to change their policies and take their jobs seriously. Reviewed on: 19th July 2022

Reasonably priced

Easy process, good price - what else can you ask for ? Reviewed on: 18th July 2022

good value

price for the cover provide very good Reviewed on: 18th July 2022

Home emergency cover

Absolutely useless, they pass the buck to Direct Line and vice versa. Seems DL contract with shoddy companies who fob you off using any excuse. If you have water leaking from bathroom to ceiling you would think it is covered, but not they. If you have another bathroom, even if it cannot be used because of physical issues they would try to weasel out of their obligation. Also, if you try to do some self help and isolate the fault whilst waiting for them sometimes taking hours to attend, that would stop it being classed as emergency and they would try to get out of their obligation. Reviewed on: 23rd June 2022

home emergency cover is awful

I have direct line home insurance plus home emergency cover. The plumbing engineer they sent out was useless. I had a leak and he didn't do a thing, until I made suggestion how to stop the leak. He kept trying to tele to use a particular private company to do a powderflush which in my opinion was fishy and had nothing to do with the leak. On a second occasion, my central heating failed in mid winter and he blamed everything on my not doing the private powder flush he was banging on about and blamed everything on me and did nothing to help. The manager at home emergency blamed me and left me freezing without help, when it was impossible to empty a private plumber as they were all busy for weeks. I TOTALLY WILL NOT BUY DIRECTLINE HOME INSURANCE AND CERTAINLY DO NOT RECOMMEND ANYONE BUYING THEIR HOME EMERGENCY package. its a waste of money and waste of time. DO NOT BUY HOME EMERGENCY COVER FROM DIRCTLINE. Reviewed on: 13th January 2022

Awful

Had a loft flood- and called home emergency- no one came - all day! And getting any one to fix or help with the damage is almost a sporting joke!!!! A total waste of money and time Reviewed on: 25th November 2021

Useless

Blocked drains kept waiting 4 hours no toilets water then plumber arrived couldnt sort now 5pm firm from Manchester (80 miles) hadnt arrived by 8pm. No toilet or anything. Reviewed on: 6th November 2021

Appalling

2 months ago I made a claim. they accepted it and said they would organise the repair. Nothing has happened. I reach out to them each day asking for status on the builder. Nobody responds. I am in contact with the Group CEO (Penny James) but she simply passes to someone else. The company is a shambles. So different from the advertisements. Appalling customer service. Avoid Reviewed on: 13th September 2021

Beware of price walking

We all know it - loyalty is not rewarded. The first time I decided to question the unrelenting upward march of the premiums was 7 years ago. I picked up the phone and without much discussion, Direct Line slashed the premium in half. Without changing the policy... Soon, slowly but surely, the upward march resumed and today, 7 years later, I thought it was time to try the same trick again. This time, they were willing to drop 25%. Not bad, but nowhere near the 50% it would have taken to be competitive with equally respectable providers. Today, Direct Line lost one loyal customer. Reviewed on: 10th September 2021

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