Are there any 'decent' home insurance providers

TomsMom

My home and contents insurance is due for renewal next week. My current provider has hiked the price so much that I am looking elsewhere (no claims have been made).

I've done all the comparisons, got quotes ranging from around £140 upwards, found a few that look OK then googled for reviews.

I can't find a decent review for any of them when it comes to actually dealing with a claim

Does anyone have a recommendation for a decent company with reasonable prices?

dunstonh

Are there any 'decent' home insurance providers

Of course there are.

I've done all the comparisons, got quotes ranging from around £140 upwards, found a few that look OK then googled for reviews.

Internet reviews are generally going to be more negative than positive as people tend to only post when there is an issue. So, that is rarely a good guide.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a decent company with reasonable prices?

That may in part be your problem (and of those that gave the reviews). Are you looking for quality or budget. You rarely get both.

Hiscox and NFU are very well regarded but you wont find them top of the comparison sites. Most mainstream providers will do a fine enough job for most people.

paddyandstumpy

Look at the Defaqto ratings for each of the top providers, that'll give you a comparison as to the level of cover each offers. 5* is the best in this respect.

As to claims service; the mid net worth providers like Hiscox and Chubb will offer the least exclusions, but will charge the most.

The only one I'd say to avoid would be Swinton. If the policy is a Broker policy (if you name names I can tell you if it's a broker or direct writer); then you need to see who the Underwriter is. Some will have a better reputation than others (I've most recently seen LV= recommended on here).

TomsMom

paddyandstumpy wrote: »

Look at the Defaqto ratings for each of the top providers, that'll give you a comparison as to the level of cover each offers. 5* is the best in this respect.

As to claims service; the mid net worth providers like Hiscox and Chubb will offer the least exclusions, but will charge the most.

The only one I'd say to avoid would be Swinton. If the policy is a Broker policy (if you name names I can tell you if it's a broker or direct writer); then you need to see who the Underwriter is. Some will have a better reputation than others (I've most recently seen LV= recommended on here).

I was veering towards M & S (AXA), John Lewis (RSA but I'm not RSA's biggest fan due to a problem with pet insurance previously). I've had a quote for LV which is actually quite good, I can go back and look through the details again so thanks for that .

I shall go and check out Defaqto ratings and have a look at some of those companies. Many thanks for mentioning that .

dunstonh

I was veering towards M & S (AXA), John Lewis (RSA but I'm not RSA's biggest fan due to a problem with pet insurance previously).

White labelled products are not normally quality. Just a rebadged for marketing reasons with the retailer earning out of them.

TomsMom

dunstonh wrote: »

White labelled products are not normally quality. Just a rebadged for marketing reasons with the retailer earning out of them.

Yes, I thought of that, but I did a quote with Axa, the policy was virtually the same but more expensive than the M & S product.

dunstonh

TomsMom wrote: »

Yes, I thought of that, but I did a quote with Axa, the policy was virtually the same but more expensive than the M & S product.

Sometimes white label policies can be cheaper as the retailer may actually sell more than the original insurer sells themselves. So, economies of scale can reduce the price. Also, the retailer may give up some of their commission which the original insurer is not willing to do on their own ones.

My main point was though not to think of M&S or John Lewis policies as being better even though they are regarded as higher quality retailers.

TomsMom

dunstonh wrote: »

Sometimes white label policies can be cheaper as the retailer may actually sell more than the original insurer sells themselves. So, economies of scale can reduce the price. Also, the retailer may give up some of their commission which the original insurer is not willing to do on their own ones.

My main point was though not to think of M&S or John Lewis policies as being better even though they are regarded as higher quality retailers.

Thank you for all your help. I'm sorted now. I checked the Defaqto website and got a very good quote from LV direct which is half the price of my current provider and the cover just as good. Very happy

kingstreet

Is "trace & access" included?

It used to be part of all home insurance contracts, but in the scramble to the bottom prompted by the aggregators, some firms have removed it.

TomsMom

kingstreet wrote: »

Is "trace & access" included?

It used to be part of all home insurance contracts, but in the scramble to the bottom prompted by the aggregators, some firms have removed it.

Yes, I checked the policy document before I purchased and it says

Trace and access.
We will pay up to £5,000 for the cost of removing and replacing any part of the buildings to find and repair the source of a water or oil leak from any fixed tank, appliance or pipe forming part of your home.
But not:
damage to the tank, appliance or pipe itself;
more than £2,500 for a water or oil leak outside your home.

lettucekl

TomsMom wrote: »

I shall go and check out Defaqto ratings and have a look at some of those companies. Many thanks for mentioning that .

Whats the url for the comparison page for housing insurance companies please