Home Insurance Advice

ShootersHillGuru

It’s coming up to that time of year for me and I’m looking for buildings and contents insurance. Suspect I paid over the odds last time and not looking to get caught again this year. I’ve done the Confused.com and Comparethemeerkat searches and wondered if I should be looking at other search engines or other companies ? Any tips and or advice would be very much appreciated.

bobmunro

ShootersHillGuru said:

It’s coming up to that time of year for me and I’m looking for buildings and contents insurance. Suspect I paid over the odds last time and not looking to get caught again this year. I’ve done the Confused.com and Comparethemeerkat searches and wondered if I should be looking at other search engines or other companies ? Any tips and or advice would be very much appreciated.

Certainly look at Direct Line (not on search engines). 

valleynick66

My tip (sadly) would be reconcile yourself to the fact they will charge you more in all likelihood this year. Its not getting any cheaper in my experience.

Had to switch from LV to AXA to get a similar price (but more) AND agree a higher excess level should I ever need to claim.

charlton4ever

I just got an amazing deal with Aviva as a new customer - give them a call for a quote. Nothing lost in trying them for a quick quote.

charltonkeston

I use Direct line for building and contents. I always query the quote and they always lower the cost to something I am happier to pay. 
I've never made an insurance claim since I was burgled back in the 80's so I suppose I'm considered a safe bet by them.

cafcfan

Explore the possibility of adding some all risks cover to include stuff like watches, mobile phones, laptops, jewellery, etc while these items are outside the home. When you are on holiday for example. (Some items have to be listed individually if they are of high value, say, £2k. Otherwise just get a price for maybe £10k cover.)

Should be much cheaper than getting separate insurance for a mobile phone for example.  This is normally very profitable for the insurance companies and therefore a rip-off for the consumer.  Look carefully, though, at how much the excess is.

Addicktion_to_red

I’m with Tesco. My premium halved when I moved to them three years ago, and I’m still paying roughly the same price as I did then. Cover seems to compare well with others as well. I was with Direct Line a few years ago, cheap first year and then clobber you thereafter…and I experienced the same with LV and Aviva. 

ShootersHillGuru

Thanks one and all. I’ve sorted it out now. Went with Ageas through comparethematket. Cheaper than last year with the co-op. Bizarrely when I phoned the co-op to see what their renewal was, it’s only three weeks from lapsing they couldn’t give me a new quote yet.  Money saving expert suggests that the cheapest online quotes are three weeks from renewal. Anyway. I’ve changed cover. 

Off_it

ShootersHillGuru said:

Thanks one and all. I’ve sorted it out now. Went with Ageas through comparethematket. Cheaper than last year with the co-op. Bizarrely when I phoned the co-op to see what their renewal was, it’s only three weeks from lapsing they couldn’t give me a new quote yet.  Money saving expert suggests that the cheapest online quotes are three weeks from renewal. Anyway. I’ve changed cover. 

Only just seen this - my tip was going to be to NOT go with Ageas.

Only kidding. ;-)

Actually, what I was going to suggest was to play around with the "excess" amount as often this is set pretty low (say £100), but if you upped it then the quote comes down. It's a question of what you're prepared to lose before you would consider claiming. Upping the excess to something like £300 can knock a big chunk off the premium, as long as you're happy with that level of risk.

carly burn

What's the deal if you've got an ongoing claim running and your renewals up? Im guessing you have to stay put?

ShootersHillGuru

Off_it said:

ShootersHillGuru said:

Thanks one and all. I’ve sorted it out now. Went with Ageas through comparethematket. Cheaper than last year with the co-op. Bizarrely when I phoned the co-op to see what their renewal was, it’s only three weeks from lapsing they couldn’t give me a new quote yet.  Money saving expert suggests that the cheapest online quotes are three weeks from renewal. Anyway. I’ve changed cover. 

Only just seen this - my tip was going to be to NOT go with Ageas.

Only kidding. ;-)

Actually, what I was going to suggest was to play around with the "excess" amount as often this is set pretty low (say £100), but if you upped it then the quote comes down. It's a question of what you're prepared to lose before you would consider claiming. Upping the excess to something like £300 can knock a big chunk off the premium, as long as you're happy with that level of risk.

The online search results seemed to default to £100 compulsory excess and I opted to a £200 voluntary excess on both buildings and contents.