To start with many people have found that getting hold of an insurance company directly is cheaper than taking a home insurance deal which is offered to them through somebody like a bank or building society which might be providing them with the cover at the same time as supplying a mortgage, for example. Of course there’s an element of convenience, as many mortgage lenders require that somebody has buildings insurance in place before actually supplying them with a loan, but you’re entitled to look elsewhere at other policies as well.

Home insurance in the UK involves two types, buildings cover, and contents cover. Buildings cover as the name suggests applies to the actual structure of the building, like the walls, plumbing, and permanent fixtures. Contents insurance applies to the actual general belongings in the home – the likes of furniture, electrical goods, jewellery, clothing and so on. To start with somebody who owns a building and rents it out may not actually need contents insurance, so somebody who has a policy with both types in this situation they may wish to contact their insurance company and find out if getting a new policy without contents cover is cheaper.

Likewise, those who rent a home do not typically need buildings insurance as this is the responsibility of the homeowner and so can follow other home insurance tips. It can be beneficial to check your home insurance policy if you are unsure – you may be paying for buildings insurance when you don’t really need it.

Although even the most basic of home cover deals protect against the loss or damage of property due to theft, fire, and floods, there will be some exceptions and those in what are known as ‘flood risk’ areas may have additional conditions put on their policy. Something else you might want to look out for is whether or not home improvements are covered by a buildings insurance policy. You may be required to take on a tradesman with specific qualifications if you are to be covered against any damage caused by trying to build an extension, for example.

In general home insurance can be made cheaper by upping security and other preventative measures. In general the harder you make it for somebody to break into your home, the cheaper your contents insurance might be. Likewise, fitting smoke alarms may also help to cut policy cost in some circumstances. Even basic things like fitting a burglar alarm and improving door and window locks can see your premium reduce with many companies.

These are just a few examples of some basic home insurance tips which can help you to get an effective deal which is also cost effective. When it comes to payment, companies either ask for a premium covering the whole year or will allow you to pay a set amount per month, so this is something else to consider if you would want to avoid one single outlay.