Home insurance

redrockeye

My home contents insurance is about to expire, I'm looking for suggestions for cheap but reliable alternatives

Thank you to everyone for your help, particularly Inside Insurance, your information has been most useful.
Thanks too leseul - I have found their website it's Scarlet-protect but I'll give them a ring first. Are you after a cheeky referral fee, anyway if their quote is good enough I'll mention you if you pass on your details.
Apologies to all the technical people on here if I am putting answers in the wrong place, but I did explain that I am SAGA age!

redrockeye

I would welcome any suggestions soon, I know I could use price comparison sites, but I'm not keen on them after my car insurance

Thanks for all the suggestions, but since I am relatively new to this site, I'm not sure if my replies are going to the right people. So, in order.
Thanks to Inside Insurance - I'm assuming the high single item limit means that multi higher value items cannot be included.
Thanks to Little Mo 70: I reckon I'm in the Saga age range - does that mean I'm likely to get a better deal?
Thanks to leseul: I've never heard of Scarlett Protect, do they have a website?

InsideInsurance

There really isnt any suggestion beyond that and trying those that dont go on the aggregators.

Given the complexity of home insurance the words "cheap" and "reliable" are not generally good bedfellows and the lower the price often the more limited the cover.

Axa always do well for me but then I like their high single item limit and need to be able to include a few high value items - with them they dont even need to be named, with someone like Churchill they wouldnt cover them even as named items.

Little_Mo_70

redrockeye wrote: »

I would welcome any suggestions soon, I know I could use price comparison sites, but I'm not keen on them after my car insurance

Don't know if it's buildings or contents, both or tenants that you are looking for.

You may be fortunate enough to get loads of replies recommending lots of different companies but you need to remember that every insurance quotation is different and tailored to suit individual needs. Big house/little house, in all day/out all day, locks, dogs, etc. etc.

I googled home insurance and on the first page found Tesco
are offering new customers with 5 years no claims, 50% discount. Didn't research any further or what commitments signing up may have but perhaps between recommendations on here and googling yourself you hopefully will find something suitable.

I'm with Saga with good cover at an affordable price (which hasn't gone up much in last couple of years) but no doubt when renewal time comes up, it may increase dramatically - so like you, perhaps time to change?

The only thing I would add is, don't be taken in by very cheap quotes from unknowns - you get what you pay for and quite often your existing companies will agree to price match providing the cover you have found with a rival is the same.

leseul

Little_Mo_70 wrote: »

...
You may be fortunate enough to get loads of replies recommending lots of different companies but you need to remember that every insurance quotation is different and tailored to suit individual needs. Big house/little house, in all day/out all day, locks, dogs, etc. etc.
...

This is very true, your best bet is to shop around and get a few quotes.

That said, I'm with Paymentshield who are quite highly rated and do a pretty modular policy. I got it through Scarlett Protect (who I had never heard of before) who did me a free quote and 2 months free.

ACG

I cant really recommend this company as such but i chose to go single tie with them for buildings and contents - select & protect. Basically i was happy with the company, their set up, the support i received etc and was happy to only ever use them for my clients.

They on deal with brokers, theyre not the cheapest (although not massively out on price) but i use them for my insurance.

redrockeye

InsideInsurance wrote: »

There really isnt any suggestion beyond that and trying those that dont go on the aggregators.

Given the complexity of home insurance the words "cheap" and "reliable" are not generally good bedfellows and the lower the price often the more limited the cover.

Axa always do well for me but then I like their high single item limit and need to be able to include a few high value items - with them they dont even need to be named, with someone like Churchill they wouldnt cover them even as named items.

Thanks for the information, the high value item limit is for single items only then?

redrockeye

Little_Mo_70 wrote: »

Don't know if it's buildings or contents, both or tenants that you are looking for.

I'm with Saga with good cover at an affordable price (which hasn't gone up much in last couple of years) but no doubt when renewal time comes up, it may increase dramatically - so like you, perhaps time to change?

The only thing I would add is, don't be taken in by very cheap quotes from unknowns - you get what you pay for and quite often your existing companies will agree to price match providing the cover you have found with a rival is the same.

Thanks Little Mo 70. I reckon I'm in the Saga age category, does that mean I'm likely to get a better deal?

redrockeye

leseul wrote: »

This is very true, your best bet is to shop around and get a few quotes.

That said, I'm with Paymentshield who are quite highly rated and do a pretty modular policy. I got it through Scarlett Protect (who I had never heard of before) who did me a free quote and 2 months free.

Thanks leseul. I've not heard of Scarlett Protect either - do they have a website?

InsideInsurance

redrockeye wrote: »

Thanks for the information, the high value item limit is for single items only then?

There is a high risk/ valuables limit - the exact definition can very a lot between insurers but is typically things like jewellery, electronics etc. This is for the TOTAL of all the items that fall within the definition.

There is also a single item/ set limit which is the maximum value an unspecified item/ set can be. Unpublicised there is also a maximum value for a specified item/ set. For example, the last time I looked at the Direct Line standard policy they would insure unnamed items up to £2,000 and the maximum value for named items was £3,500. So anything valued between £2,000 and £3,500 had to be explicitly named on the policy. Anything over £3,500 couldn't be insured by that policy.

Axa on the other hand insure unspecified items up to a single item limit of £10,000 and I've not had the need to find their maximum specified item

leseul

redrockeye wrote: »

... do they have a website?

I'm not sure about a website, I've been dealing with them over the phone, their quotes line is freephone 0800 009 6234.

(Don't forget to mention I sent you :A )