There's no point in paying more for something than you have to - this includes insuring your home.
The good news is that there are ways to help you find affordable home insurance that gives you the protection you need.
Like all insurance, home insurance can be a little complicated, but you need to understand the basics to see how savings could be made.
Home insurance typically divides into three categories

• Contents
• Building
• Ancillary (outdoor areas and buildings or contents used elsewhere).
  

The contents insurance usually covers articles and possessions in the home.
This may include cover against accidents, fire, damage and theft.
Some policies may carry exclusions such as very high value items (e.
g.
technology or jewellery) that need to be declared separately and which will only be covered if a small additional amount is paid.
Some types of accidental damage may also be excluded as some commercial or business items may be stored temporarily in the home (e.
g.
sales stock or office computers etc).
This should all be stated clearly on the policy documents.
The building cover usually relates to the risks associated with the property owned.
This may provide cover against fire, external damages (e.
g.
tree falls that hit the house), storm damage and so on.
Once again there are certain types of damage that may be excluded (or that carry limitations) these could include: subsidence, heave, damage due to deterioration by age and so on.
The ancillary area typically covers things that are on the margins - examples may include outbuildings, garden furniture, or personal possessions that are used and lost/stolen/damaged outside of the home.
Sometimes these components may be sold as separate policies, or they may be included in a single policy under the description 'home insurance'.
Usually, the things that have the biggest effect on the cost of home insurance policies, and therefore make affordable home insurance harder or easier to find, are as follows:

1. The value and type of cover required by the owner
2. The location of the property as some areas are deemed to be riskier than others
3. Sometimes the type and age of the property
4. Who is resident at the property (e.
   g.
   is it shared).
   
5. What level of security the property has.
   

In the case of numbers 2-4 above, in reality the owner may not be able to change much.
It isn't usually possible to move a house from one area to another! This doesn't mean that costs can't be reduced.
In the case of number '1' above, if the absolute value of the cover and the claim circumstances covered are reduced then this may subsequently reduce the cost of the cover.
As an example, offering to waive cover for personal effects outside of the property may reduce the costs.
It would normally be advisable to consider this option very carefully before doing so to ensure that the risks are well understood.
In the case of number '5', insurance companies may offer discounts if the property is declared as having security alarms and certain types of locks and bolts secured to doors and windows.
With many insurance policies, it's often possible to reduce the cost by offering to accept higher excesses on the policy.
The excess is the amount the policyholder would have to pay personally in the event of a claim.
The higher the excess, usually the lower the insurance costs will be.
In summary, affordable house insurance could be found by assessing your insurance needs and shopping around for the policies that meet your requirements.
A home insurance comparison website could help give a realistic assessment of policy features and the best deals available.