It’s often said that an Englishman’s home is his castle, so it comes as no surprise that we take our home insurance pretty seriously.
With so may options for home insurance out there at the moment, we’ve taken a look at which home insurance companies really rock your boat…and also settle claims promptly! Here’s what our Smart Money People have told us through the hundreds of home insurance reviews they’ve written.
Who's top of the home insurance table?
Direct Line are out in front when it comes to overall customer satisfaction, with a near-perfect 4.9/5 score, and those happy reviewers also rated Direct Line 5/5 for value for money – a hugely impressive achievement! Halifax has the most recommended home insurance – as well as the best customer service – but interestingly, falls to last place when value for money is considered, so well worth looking around for a few quotes.
How clear are your policy documents?
When it comes to insurance policies, understanding the terms and conditions is vital. A whooping 97% of our home insurance reviewers told us that they understood the product details.
Defaqto research has also awarded 5 stars to all Direct Line Home Insurance policies and a mixture of 5 and 4 stars to Halifax Home Insurance depending on the specific policy held.
What affects the cost of your premiums?
With home insurance there are a number of factors that can affect how much you’ll have to pay. Things such as the number of bathrooms you have, the material your house is built with, as well as the security you have on your home, can all influence how much you’ll be paying each year.
The area you live in also has an impact. If you’re in an area with a history of flooding, or a high crime rate then your premiums are likely to be higher as you’re statistically more likely to make a claim.
Will the cost of home insurance keep falling?
Home insurance premiums have been falling in recent years: since the third quarter of 2012 and the second quarter of 2015 premiums dropped by 9%, and the average annual cost for a combined buildings and contents insurance policy stood at £288.
The annual cost of insuring your home has fallen due to burglary rates declining across the country over the past few years, and this year’s prices have continued the trend as the fairly mild winter of 2014-15 resulted in fewer claims for flooding and storm damage.
Although average premiums have been dropping, as of the 1 st November 2015 the Insurance Premium Tax increased from 6% to 9.5% - this means that any policy which starts after that date will be subject to a little more tax, and so premiums should therefore creep up a bit.
The lucky people of Norwich and Salisbury!
If you live in either Norwich or Salisbury you benefit from the cheapest home insurance premiums in the country, with the average cost being as low as £100.70 as of Spring 2015.
Is your home insurance provider not featured in this article?
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