Home insurance

Buildings and contents insurance Your home and belongings are probably one of the biggest personal investments you ever make. We think that protecting them deserves the best of care and attention.

We can help you choose from an extensive range of insurance policies from the leading home insurers. Whether you are a first time buyer, own a stately home or require cover for a property abroad, our expert staff will be able to advise you. We also advise professional landlords on buy to let insurances. We will explain the different types of cover on offer, help you understand the policy and security conditions and help you to take advantage of any deals and discounts available from a constantly changing insurance market.

Slick promises and clever marketing are never enough when you actually need help and advice to solve a problem or assistance with a difficult claim. When you need someone to make sure your insurer meets their obligations, that is when you will find out just how good we are.

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More information on home insurance >

Home insurance logos

More information on Home Insurance

Home sweet home; there are few things more valuable in life than our own personal space or the home we make for our families. Our place to live is often the most valuable commodity in our lives and the contents within are frequently not just expensive, but of great personal value.

At James Ryan Thornhill we recognise the need to protect your home, which is why our advisers compare home insurance quotes (also known as 'house insurance'or 'household insurance') from more than 20 different home insurance companies to get you the best home insurance price available. However, it is vital to know exactly what you are looking for and what you need from your policy. Use this guide to home insurance to point you in the right direction.

Why is home insurance necessary?
It's easy to think that bad things happen to other people and not ourselves, but the facts suggest that isn't a risk we can afford to take. In the UK, one in three of us will get burgled at some point in our lives yet about a quarter of households are not protected by any form of home insurance. With other unfortunate occurrences such as flood/storm damage, fire and more, threatening our homes and their contents, by not having insurance we are leaving ourselves open to serious financial loss.

Home insurance can now offer something for everyone with insurance for homeowners, tenants and landlords. Increasingly, mortgage lenders will insist that you have buildings insurance to obtain a mortgage.

Insurers will need a lot of information including the construction date and materials for the building, and different insurers might not insure unusual properties such as prefabricated buildings and thatched cottages. Insurers also need to know about the local lie of the land to assess the flood-risk.

Buildings Insurance
Buildings insurance is of vital importance - for example, if your house burnt down, do you have the money to cover your losses? Mortgage providers insist that you have building insurance so that in the event of a disaster it can be repaired or rebuilt, as lenders don't want to be left without security for their loan.

A policy should cover funds to rebuild your home in the event of it being totally destroyed or damaged to the point that complete rebuilding is necessary. Some policies only cover market value, so be sure to check. The policy could also cover against damage caused by events beyond your control including:

Storm and flood damage
Burst pipes and other incidents of water leakage
Fire, smoke and explosions
Subsidence
Vandalism or third party damage

The policy could also provide you with alternative accommodation if your home is uninhabitable. Be sure to not simply opt for the cheapest building insurance quote available and think about your needs.

As well as the structure, buildings insurance also covers permanent fixtures and fittings including baths, toilets and fitted kitchens, bedroom cupboards and interior decorations. The test is whether or not the fixture can be removed and taken to a new home, for example fitted cabinets. Policies will also usually cover outbuildings such as garages, greenhouses and garden sheds but might not cover boundary walls, fences, gates, paths, drives and swimming pools.

For landlords, building insurance is crucial, as it is for all homeowners. For tenants, building insurance is usually covered by the landlord and only contents insurance needs to be considered.

Contents Insurance
Contents insurance gives protection to anything that is not a fixed part of your home, for example your appliances, electronic goods, furniture and clothing. Most home contents insurance policies will even cover the contents of your fridge and freezer. Policies are advisable for homeowners and tenants while landlord contents insurance can be limited if the property is let unfurnished or part furnished.

The cheapest contents insurance available is indemnity insurance, which will replace, for example, a five-year-old carpet with one of the same age. A more expensive option is the 'new for old' policy that replaces the old carpet with a brand new one.

Your home contents insurance could also include cover for some items you take away from the home such as bicycles or prams and even the contents of your handbag. Clothing items, watches and mobile phones can also be covered along with sports equipment - though this is not usually covered when it is in use. The key is to check your policy and never assume that items are covered.

Garden plants are increasingly covered in contents insurance policies - treat your garden as another room and add up the costs of replacements. High value items, such as those more than £1,000 in value, will generally have to be considered separately from your contents policy.

Similarly to building insurance, contents insurance offers protection against various perils including:

Fires
Storms/flooding
Explosions
Theft and vandalism

Policies can also include cover in the event of an injury in your home. Furthermore, some contents insurance policies would also cover you for legal liability if someone were injured in your home due to your negligence or lack of upkeep of the property.

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