Home insurance




Taking on a mortgage means more than having a home to call your own; with freedom from renting comes the responsibility for your new abode and the contents within it.

Over half of first-time buyers opt to arrange their home insurance through their mortgage lender, but this is rarely the most cost-effective choice.

With a little extra research - and the help of info-packed websites like Northern Ireland Car Insurance - you're likely to end up getting better cover for a lower price.

So, whether you're a first-time buyer keen to get off to a money-saving start up the property ladder, or a veteran homeowner looking to renew your home and contents insurance, the following are some pointers to guide you in the bargain-bagging direction.

·         Level of cover offered: Although few policies provide cover against accidental loss and damage as standard, most cover events such as fire, explosion, theft, storm and flood damage

·         Area of cover: A "worldwide all-risks" policy may protect you comprehensively anywhere across the globe, but most generally define where your possessions are covered, e.g. "in the home" only and not outside of it

·         Security: Most policies will insist on a minimum standard of window and door locks, and some will require you to have an alarm installed

·         Valuations: Some insurers are known to ask for the specific value of items like jewellery, fine art, antiques and collections before agreeing to cover them under your home/contents insurance policy

·         Don't assume that a policy will cover theft from your car, shed or other outbuilding - for example bikes or garden equipment

·         The best home insurance policies will cover everything you would normally take with you when you move house, right down to your CD and DVD collections

Taking on a mortgage means more than having a home to call your own; with freedom from renting comes the responsibility for your new abode and the contents within it.

Over half of first-time buyers opt to arrange their home insurance through their mortgage lender, but this is rarely the most cost-effective choice.

With a little extra research - and the help of info-packed websites like Northern Ireland Car Insurance - you're likely to end up getting better cover for a lower price.

So, whether you're a first-time buyer keen to get off to a money-saving start up the property ladder, or a veteran homeowner looking to renew your home and contents insurance, the following are some pointers to guide you in the bargain-bagging direction.

* Level of cover offered: Although few policies provide cover against accidental loss and damage as standard, most cover events such as fire, explosion, theft, storm and flood damage

* Area of cover: A "worldwide all-risks" policy may protect you comprehensively anywhere across the globe, but most generally define where your possessions are covered, e.g. "in the home" only and not outside of it

* Security: Most policies will insist on a minimum standard of window and door locks, and some will require you to have an alarm installed
* Valuations: Some insurers are known to ask for the specific value of items like jewellery, fine art, antiques and collections before agreeing to cover them under your home/contents insurance policy
* Don't assume that a policy will cover theft from your car, shed or other outbuilding - for example bikes or garden equipment
*  The best home insurance policies will cover everything you would normally take with you when you move house, right down to your CD and DVD collections