Home Insurance Cost Cutting System/MoneySavingExpert.com Discussion

hoopstars

Hi
We bought our house as a 6 bedroom house but only use 4 as bedrooms, does anyone know if I have to tell insurance companies that it is 6 bedrooms (they usually ask how many) or can I tell them it's 4 as that's all I use? Obviously I need to do this properly as should I need to claim everything has to have been done honestly. I have noticed a difference in quotes for 6 and 4 beds but my insurance company tell me it doesn't make any difference to the quote! Does anyone out there know the answer? Also my buildings ins is due for renewal and I have used Martins advice and got a "best" quote from Masterquote/Equity Red Star, Has anyone had dealings with this company? Are they ok?
Many thanks, any advice is appreciated as I am new to all this!

avoniel

Just read article and used confuse to obtain best price. Saved over £120 on my renewal thats over 33%. Thanks MSE and Martin

portrona

I recently received my renewal quote from Tesco which came in at £4 less than my previous year's quote.

I then went back to their site and put my details into their get a quote area exactly as I had them in my renewal and saved another £35.

Obviously worth checking against renewal costs even with the same provider

WalesMartyn

All I can say is thank you. Having started reading, and acting on, the tips on this website I have already saved over £1000 per year on bills and insurance etc - in just one week and the biggest saving has been on my house insurance!

In less than 30 minutes I have been able to reduce my home and contents insurance by £520 a year. Since buying my house I have been with the same insurer and have lazily just accepted the constant year on year creep that has occured with my premium. So yesterday I read Martin's 4 step plan and inspired imediately had a look at what I could be paying using the screenscrapers suggested. Wow, the savings were huge and in the end the best for me seemed to be the Halifax. So I went on using the 4 step plan and looked at playing around with different criteria directly with the Halifax application website. Anyway, in the end my monthly insurance went down from an initial £54 a month to £11 which I have paid in one go for the whole year having imediately phoned my existing provider and cancelled my current policy - they did try but they said that they couldn't match it. Oh, and for those wondering my new cover is actually generally higher than I had - both contents and buildings in now unlimited and valuable items and personal belongings has been improved - I ahve got rid of accidental cover but having not used it in five years I'ld rather have the money in the bank.

Now, I know that i was lazy in the first place, but that has to be the easiest £500 I've ever made.

stressedoutmum

Have just had my renewal quote from Barclays which has gone up by £25 this year - although no claim has been made. Looking to try and save and take advantage of Barclays £50 cash back. New quote is £207.99 insured 3 bedroom end terrace built 1945 bldgs £500,000 contents £50,000 - accidental cover on both - excess £75. Have tried Direct Line who want about £300, Halifax £278 and Norwich Union £338 - Any other offers out there please?

canny_yorkshireman_2

there is a lot of us on here who advocate not taking home insurance and paying the premiums into a good paying intrest account after all you have just paid out the last years premiums with no claim and that would be now in a account earning you money Also worth considering that house burglarys are in the decline due to low cost electrical goods which were always the prime targets of thieves so the risk is declining
hth

mrsw

I recently tried to get Barclays to match my car insurance renewal. Esure quoted me £320, Barclays quoted me £580. Because the difference was more than £200 (the maximum reduction they offer for car ins), they refused to offer me any kind of reduction! Their CS agents have no idea how to do business.

barrymoney

canny_yorkshireman wrote:

there is a lot of us on here who advocate not taking home insurance and paying the premiums into a good paying intrest account

Yup, I rented for many years without contents insurance. Didnt concern me. Of course, you have to make some judgement whether your area/building is low risk and your possessions arent extremely valuable...
If you claim, your next policy will be more expensive anyway.

I'm now buying my first place, and buildings insurance is of course a slightly different matter Even now though, when I get the quote from the website I un-tick every superfluous 'extra' they fire at me, and up my excess. My quote from Tesco dropped by 100 quid after some careful ticking. Sure, its risky if I have a claim, but some of these prices are getting silly.

barry

mcarthural

Having spoken to Barclays who inform me that even though I had the required no of no claims, I had not been with current insurer for more than six months so they couldn't offer me any money back! What a crock.
Does anyone use https://www.greasypalm.co.uk - they offer £27.50 for going through them to Barclays, plus the £50 off barclays when they can't match your quote so you make nearly an extra £30!!They do lots of other stuff that you get money for - Ive made £40 just by buying stuff as normal but going through their website.

sirboz

I have got £75 cashback by taking out barclays home insurance through quidco, and barclays were the cheapest quote I could find !