Home insurance minefield

golden_eagle

I need some advice. We are coming up to our renewal. We are with Budget and the cover we have includes accidental cover (contents and building) at a very reasonable price. I have checked the small print and it seems to cover everything we need yet when I try to get a quote for the same cover from a "more reputable" provider - eg. Halifax, Direct Line, AXA they charge £100 more for what I can se is the same cover. One difference I have spotted was that unlike Budget offering "legal assistance" they offer "legal protection." Are there any other suttle differences in description that I should be aware of? I just need to know what I should be looking out for. there are a lot of comments posted on this forum in line with "you get what you pay for" when it comes to insurance policies. So we are happy to pay more but only if it is justified. Can anyone give me any pointers? Thanks

huckster

You really need to study the policies carefully. You can only do this by reading the policy wordings side by side. The schedule of Insurance may show similar cover, but it is the terms/conditions that relate to the cover that are key.

Budget Insurance don't have a very good reputation if you search for online comment/review. They can be difficult to deal with, if you had reason to make a claim or complaint.

At the moment Tesco Home Insurance appears to be offering very competitive quotes. Their policy is underwritten by UKI Insurance, part of RBS Insurance, as are Direct Line. NatWest also underwritten by UKI Insurance, also have a current offer, if you bank with them.

Also very worthwhile is checking with a decent local broker(not Swintons) as they can often obtain very competitive rates, plus you often get good advice about comparsions in cover.

golden_eagle

We have a cat insurance with axa. It's more expansive but really good cover and reputation. Checked its home cover last night and seems good and reasonable anyone has experience with axa home insurance?

david39

If you change providers, don't forget to look at Quidco and the other referral sites - there have been some big cashback offers on those for home insurance - with the big names, too.

When I renewed earlier this year, More Th>n ended up cheapest via Quidco because of a big cashback. Their initial quote was higher than many - you need to look at how to reduce that by special offers. The cover is as good as most.

There is a write up on the subject at :
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/home-insurance?dd

*Scarlett

Some policies offer a legal assitance helpline included in the cover but you are not covered for and fees if you were to proceed with a claim.

The legal protection is normally an extra protection that you would usually pay extra for (although premium policies may include it in their price). It would cover you for solicitors advice and fees for a set amount depending on the policy.

This type of policy usually covers contract, employment, personal injury and property protection disputes but you would need to check the policy. They normally have a minimum claim value and a certain percentage chance of success before they will take on a claim.