What should a home insurance checklist for beginners in the UK include?

By FastBuySale Newsroom · 5 Nov 2026 · 13m ago

Checklist step 1: Which type of home insurance do you need?

A home insurance checklist for beginners in the UK should cover five things: which type of cover you need (buildings, contents or both), how much cover you need, what the policy includes and excludes, how much excess you will pay, and how to compare quotes and renew. MoneyHelper, the free government-backed money guidance service, says the idea of home insurance is to pay you enough money to repair or replace items if things go wrong.

According to MoneyHelper, that could include replacing stolen items after a burglary, repairs due to storm damage, and rebuild costs following a fire or flood. To get the money you make a claim to your insurer, which checks whether you are covered and works out how much it will pay.

Tick: I know the difference between buildings and contents insurance. MoneyHelper explains that buildings insurance covers the structure, fixtures and fittings, like the roof, bathroom and windows. Contents insurance covers your belongings, which it describes as everything that would fall out if you tipped your home upside down. You can get both on one policy, buy them separately, or just buy the one you need.

Tick: I have checked what my situation requires. MoneyHelper says homeowners usually need both. If you have a mortgage, you are normally required to have buildings insurance, but contents insurance is always optional. It adds that both are a good idea even with no mortgage, because without cover you would have to find the money yourself if something went wrong, which could be many thousands of pounds.

Tick: I know who insures the building if I am a leaseholder. If you own a leasehold home, often a flat or maisonette, MoneyHelper says you would arrange contents insurance yourself. If someone else owns the freehold, buildings insurance is likely paid as part of your service charge. If you own the freehold with others in the building, you are jointly responsible for taking out buildings insurance, and your solicitor can advise. You can ask the broker or insurer for a breakdown of what they charge for your property and compare it with a standalone quote.

Tick: I know what renters and landlords need. MoneyHelper says buildings insurance is the landlord's responsibility, so renters would only need contents insurance for their belongings. Landlords usually want buildings cover, which is normally a requirement with a mortgage; if they provide furniture, MoneyHelper says it is sensible to have both, and landlord's insurance usually also covers rental income and damage or injury to tenants.

Checklist step 2: How much cover, and what's included?

Tick: I have estimated my rebuild cost. When you get a quote, MoneyHelper says you are usually asked how much it would cost to rebuild your home and to replace its entire contents. This sets the cover limit, the maximum an insurer would pay out. MoneyHelper points to free rebuild calculators such as the one from the Association of British Insurers, and notes that a survey from when you bought your home might also show a rebuild figure.

Tick: I have estimated the value of my contents. Walk room by room and total up what it would cost to replace everything. MoneyHelper notes that unlimited cover policies exist but are usually more expensive, and you could pay for cover you don't need.

Tick: I have listed high-value items. Many contents policies have a single item limit, which MoneyHelper says is often around £1,500. If you want full cover for anything worth more, such as jewellery, you would usually have to list the item on the policy.

Tick: I know the core cover and the add-ons. MoneyHelper says the exact cover varies, but most policies include theft, fire, flood and loss. You can usually pay extra for items lost or stolen outside the home, emergency repairs like a boiler breakdown or burst pipe, an extended high value item limit, and comprehensive accidental damage cover.

Tick: I know the exclusions. MoneyHelper is clear that no policy will cover deliberate damage or something that breaks due to normal wear and tear.

Checklist step 3: Excess, price and quotes

Tick: I have chosen an excess I can afford. MoneyHelper says you will usually pay a bit of any claim yourself, known as the excess, which is often between £50 and £250, and can be higher for subsidence claims. You decide the amount when you take out the policy.

A simple illustrative example: if you claim £1,200 for a damaged sofa and carpet and your excess is £250, the insurer would pay up to £950, assuming the claim is covered. Choosing a £100 excess would mean a larger payout but, as MoneyHelper notes, increasing the excess is one way to get a cheaper quote, so you trade a lower premium for paying more when you claim.

Tick: I have collected several quotes. MoneyHelper says insurers can charge completely different prices, so aim to get as many quotes as possible: from comparison sites, from insurers directly (not all appear on comparison sites), from your local authority or housing association, which might offer a cheaper deal, and from insurance brokers for advice or a tailor-made policy.

Tick: I have tried the money-saving tips. MoneyHelper suggests buying buildings and contents on one policy if you need both, paying annually if you can because monthly normally costs more, increasing the excess if you are happy to, and improving security with BSI-approved locks, burglar and smoke alarms, or joining a neighbourhood watch scheme. It also suggests checking cover you already have, as some packaged current accounts include basic home emergency or lost key cover.

To see what an annual premium adds up to against other household costs, try our and our to compare prices across years.

Checklist step 4: Buying, renewing and cancelling

Tick: I have answered every question honestly. MoneyHelper warns that deliberate errors or missed information could mean a future claim isn't paid. You are required to act in good faith: answer questions honestly and accurately, understand what is and isn't covered before signing up, and tell your insurer if anything changes, such as building work, a change in personal details, or needing to increase the cover limit.

Tick: I will compare prices at renewal. MoneyHelper says insurers must charge new and existing customers the same on a like-for-like basis, but you should always check whether you can save by switching, and never just auto-renew.

Tick: I understand my no-claims discount. If you don't claim during a policy year, MoneyHelper says you will earn a no-claims bonus, which normally means a discount the next year up to a maximum set by the insurer.

Tick: I know the rules on cancelling. You can ask your insurer to cancel at any time, but MoneyHelper notes that your lender usually requires buildings cover if you have a mortgage, you won't earn the current year's no-claims bonus if you cancel midway, and you will usually pay a cancellation charge unless you are at renewal. If you paid upfront and haven't claimed, you will receive a refund for the remaining months minus any fees.

Tick: I know where to turn if money is tight. MoneyHelper says not to cancel insurance you need or miss a payment, but to contact your insurer. Insurers must support customers in financial difficulty and could set up an alternative repayment plan or adjust your cover to lower the cost. If debts are building up, see and for mortgage costs try our More tools are at and guides at

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