Insurance can be an absolute lifesaver, as phones, gadgets and home accessories become more advanced (and more expensive!), it can be reassuring to know should they go missing or get damaged, you won’t have to break the bank to get them replaced! With phone insurance or home insurance, it’s fairly self-explanatory what you’re covered for, but contents insurance can be a little more complex. In this article, we’ll cover:
- What is contents insurance?
- Frequently asked questions about contents insurance
- What does SO-SURE contents insurance cover?
- How much contents insurance do I need?
You should find everything you need to know about contents insurance, and it’ll give you peace of mind knowing exactly what you’re covered for in your home.
What is Contents Insurance?
Contents insurance is a type of home insurance, which covers you against theft or damage to your personal and home possessions, rather than the structure or building itself. Contents insurance is optional, but it’s a smart idea to have it because it gives you financial protection should anything be damaged or stolen. You can often add loss or accidental damage to your contents insurance policy if you want extra protection.
Frequently Asked Questions About Contents Insurance
It’s easier to know what you’re covered for with phone or home insurance, but because there are so many things we keep in our home and different ways they can get damaged; it can be hard to know exactly what you’re covered for with contents insurance. In this section, we will cover some of the most common questions asked about contents insurance policies.
Does Contents Insurance Cover Fixtures and Fittings?
Contents insurance covers items that can be removed from the property, unfortunately, it doesn’t cover fixtures and fittings.
Does Contents Insurance Cover Accidental Damage?
Typical contents insurance policies don’t include accidental damage, but you can add it as an addition. Adding accidental damage means you’ll be covered for repair or replacement should you accidentally damage or destroy an item by accident at home.
Does Contents Insurance Cover Boilers?
Home and contents insurance does not cover your boiler, like accidental damage though, you can often add home emergency cover as an optional extra to your policy. This would cover you for any damage to your boiler.
Does Contents Insurance Cover Fire Damage
Yes, your contents insurance policy should cover you for fire, flooding, storms, and theft.
Does Contents Insurance Cover My Garden?
Most contents insurance policies include items in your garden and shared areas. It’s worth double-checking this with your provider before taking out insurance if it’s a priority to you.
What Does SO-SURE Contents Insurance Cover?
You can protect the stuff you love at home with contents insurance from SO-SURE. If you want to know what SO-SURE contents insurance covers, our standard policy includes the following:
- Fire and smoke
- Theft and vandalism
- Storms and floods
- Tenants liability
- Public and personal liability
- Alternative accommodation
- Items in gardens and shared areas
- Freezer goods
- Household leaks
You can also add the following optional cover:
- Accidental damage
- Out of home
- Pet insurance
- Business equipment
- Bicycles (coming soon)
This all comes at a great price, and unlike many insurers, we have no hidden fees.
How Much Contents Insurance Do I Need?
When taking out contents insurance, you must provide a good estimate for your contents to make sure you have enough cover if you need to make a claim. Being accurate with the potential total value of your belongings will mean, if they were all lost in a fire, your contents insurance would cover the cost of all the replacements. Underestimating the costs could mean your insurer doesn’t pay out all your claims and overestimating could mean you end up paying too much for your insurance.
The best way to work out ‘how much contents insurance do I need?’ is with a contents calculator. This means going room to room and drawing up a list of all your contents, including everything that isn’t a permanent fixture. It might also help to take photos of the rooms and any valuables to confirm what they are with the insurer. Store these images securely because they could be the difference between a successful and unsuccessful claim.
To help you with this, we have put together a list of items you should include in your list from each room:
Living Room
- Furniture (sofas, armchairs, bookcases)
- Electronics (TVs, games consoles, iPads)
- TV stands
- Soft furnishings (carpets, rugs, throws, cushions, curtains, and blinds)
- Bluetooth devices
- Speakers
- Cables and chargers
- Mirrors, pictures, and ornaments
- Lamps and lampshades
It’s worth checking in drawers and the sideboard (if you have one), you don’t want to miss anything!
Dining Room
- Furniture (dining tables and chairs, side tables, display cabinets)
- Shelving
- Soft furnishings (carpets, curtains, blinds)
- Mirrors, pictures, and ornaments
- Drinks cabinets and any bottles
- Glassware and tableware
Kitchen
- Oven
- Cooker
- Fridge-freezer
- Washing machine
- Dishwasher
- Other apparatus (food processor, electric whisk, toasted sandwich maker)
- Other non-fitted units (blinds)
- Kitchenware (pots and pans, crockery, cutlery)
- Table-top appliances (kettles, toasters, microwaves)
- Frozen food
Bedrooms
- Beds
- Jewellery
- Heirlooms
- Artwork including frames
- Soft furnishings (carpet, curtains, blinds, blackout curtains, bed linen)
- IT equipment (computers, printers)
- Electronics (TVs, games consoles, iPads)
- Furniture (beds, wardrobes, chest of drawers)
- Clothes and shoes
- Toys
- Fitness equipment
It’s worth noting that some insurance policies don’t cover you for items over a certain figure. So, if you own expensive jewellery, it’s worth double-checking with your provider to see if you’ll need to take out additional cover.
Bathroom
- Bathroom cabinets
- Toiletries
- Towels
- Electric toothbrush chargers
Loft and Storage
- Luggage
- Christmas decorations
- Heirlooms
- Vacuum cleaner
- Sewing boxes
- Ironing board and iron
Garden
- Garden pots and ornaments
- Animals (Koi Carp if you have a pond)
- Gardening equipment (lawnmowers, hedge trimmers, BBQs)
- Bikes
- Tools
Not every policy covers all your items in your garden, again, it’s worth double-checking if you want to make sure you’re financially protected.
This article details everything you need to know about contents insurance and how to get the best deal for you and your family. Ready to buy a policy or want to work out how much is going to cost you? Click here and get a quote.