What House Contents Insurance is and How You Get It
Unless someone has adequate protection in place they could stand to lose virtually everything they own if their home is broken into or damaged by a fire or flood, for example.
From the richest to the less well off, everyone has something which is worth stealing or which could easily be destroyed in a catastrophe.
House contents insurance is the main way in which most people guard against the chances of being stolen from or having their property wrecked.
In exchange for a premium, paid in one go or in instalments, an insurance company will pay out towards the replacement of belongings which are lost due to a series of eventualities.
House contents insurance is different to buildings insurance, and in other aspects of home insurance, in that it only protects the general belongings inside the house, as opposed to the structure itself.
A good example of thinking about what contents insurance covers is to imagine what someone would take with them if they were moving house.
House contents insurance will cover the likes of furniture including beds, movable wardrobes, sofas and other furniture, as well as items like CDs, DVDs, jewellery, books, clothing, and kitchen cutlery and utensils, plus valuable electrical items.
It may also cover loose cash up to a certain limit and might also cover carpets - although if you are unsure about what you are getting for your premium it is always worth checking with the provider.
Getting a policy in place normally involves contacting an insurance company and telling them a bit about your home and its security.
Normally the better your home security is the cheaper your policy might be.
Installing something like a burglar alarm and multi point deadlocks can reduce the cost.
Essentially, the harder you make it for someone to break in and steal things, the cheaper your insurance company is likely to provide your cover for.
Things which might up your premium include being in a flood risk area, something which many insurers will ask about and which you must provide an honest answer to.
Besides flood, fire and theft, a contents insurance policy may also protect your property if you're taking it out the house, and this may apply to things like your wallet, mp3 player or laptop.
This may come as standard or you may have to pay a fee as an extra but it could well be worth it in the long run as having a purse or wallet stolen is at best an inconvenience and at worst a total nightmare if you lose a considerable amount of money.
House contents insurance may also include protection for damage caused by things like an earthquake, vandalism, perhaps perpetrated during a burglary and even accidental damage which will apply to dropping a valuable ornament on a hard surface on breaking it.
If you have specialist belongings such as an extensive jewellery collection or valuable autographs, you may need additional cover.
In such circumstances you would again be expected to provide the insurance company with a value and again, under or overestimating can lead to inappropriate cover.
From the richest to the less well off, everyone has something which is worth stealing or which could easily be destroyed in a catastrophe.
House contents insurance is the main way in which most people guard against the chances of being stolen from or having their property wrecked.
In exchange for a premium, paid in one go or in instalments, an insurance company will pay out towards the replacement of belongings which are lost due to a series of eventualities.
House contents insurance is different to buildings insurance, and in other aspects of home insurance, in that it only protects the general belongings inside the house, as opposed to the structure itself.
A good example of thinking about what contents insurance covers is to imagine what someone would take with them if they were moving house.
House contents insurance will cover the likes of furniture including beds, movable wardrobes, sofas and other furniture, as well as items like CDs, DVDs, jewellery, books, clothing, and kitchen cutlery and utensils, plus valuable electrical items.
It may also cover loose cash up to a certain limit and might also cover carpets - although if you are unsure about what you are getting for your premium it is always worth checking with the provider.
Getting a policy in place normally involves contacting an insurance company and telling them a bit about your home and its security.
Normally the better your home security is the cheaper your policy might be.
Installing something like a burglar alarm and multi point deadlocks can reduce the cost.
Essentially, the harder you make it for someone to break in and steal things, the cheaper your insurance company is likely to provide your cover for.
Things which might up your premium include being in a flood risk area, something which many insurers will ask about and which you must provide an honest answer to.
Besides flood, fire and theft, a contents insurance policy may also protect your property if you're taking it out the house, and this may apply to things like your wallet, mp3 player or laptop.
This may come as standard or you may have to pay a fee as an extra but it could well be worth it in the long run as having a purse or wallet stolen is at best an inconvenience and at worst a total nightmare if you lose a considerable amount of money.
House contents insurance may also include protection for damage caused by things like an earthquake, vandalism, perhaps perpetrated during a burglary and even accidental damage which will apply to dropping a valuable ornament on a hard surface on breaking it.
If you have specialist belongings such as an extensive jewellery collection or valuable autographs, you may need additional cover.
In such circumstances you would again be expected to provide the insurance company with a value and again, under or overestimating can lead to inappropriate cover.
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