Looked at your House and Contents Insurance lately?

Powerful_Pierre

Have you reviewed your building and contents insurance lately? I was paying Norwich Union and Direct Line just under £600 pa for this. Following research I have cancelled both of these and insure both with More Than for £232 and with a £65 cash back means £167 for the first year! I said yes to all the extras with More Than, accidental cover etc and listed some high value items as well. This is about £400 cheaper - it feels like a mistake! Post Office were £236. Have you checked your lately?

dunstonh

A £400 difference suggests you are not comparing like for like. Especially when you consider that NU and Direct line are not badly priced normally.

Powerful_Pierre

I did actually do a like for like comparison. Direct Line's building cover is for £1 million - More Than is for £500K which is enough for my requirements. Contents now £75K - previously £70.5K Freezer food, locks, personal money slightly less but adequate again for my requirements. I have also included pedal cycles which were not previously covered. It is my opinion and borne out by other postings on this site that insurance companies rely and prey on our apathy. Like many others I have in the past just renewed automatically as it is easier but the web has now changed all this.

dunstonh

What about accidental damage and personal possessions cover? They are the two areas where most people switching leave off without realising it.

Powerful_Pierre

I purposely ticked accidental cover on the buildings cover (foot through ceiling etc.), accidental cover on contents and also listed three specific items above £1.5k for what is effectively all risks. This did not add a significant amount. The quote started at £168 and when I put all the extras on it came to £232. What I do not know is the level of service that will be provided should I need to make a claim but I do not know what the service of my previous insurers would have been either as fortunately I have not had to make a claim. Like you I was looking for weaknesses.

msmicawber

I switched last year and found that quite a few policies over-insured me, then charged a high premium, so found a few where I could adjust the level of cover to something more realistic, bringing the premium down and selected from between them. As with OP, it made a considerable saving and I got cashback. There's no point me buying contents cover for hundreds of thousands of pounds when the value of my possessions doesn't add up to that much, even if replaced with brand new items.

dunstonh

There's no point me buying contents cover for hundreds of thousands of pounds when the value of my possessions doesn't add up to that much, even if replaced with brand new items.

There are generally two types of policy available.

1 - you specify the sum assureds (old way of doing it but still useful if you dont fall within the limits of a bedroom rated policy).
2 - bedroom rated - automatic cover with a high ceiling

Number 2 is usually the cheapest despite the high limits set.

tattycath

I have just changed our contents insurance and we now have more cover, and have saved over £70.00 plus I should have £100 cash back coming!!! just got to find out when buildings cover runs out.