One of the easiest ways of getting a good deal on your buildings and / or contents cover is to compare home insurance online. By using a home insurance comparison website, such as the Tesco Compare service, you can compare policy features and benefits as well as that all important price too, and all from the comfort of your own home.




First of all, before you even start comparing home insurance policies, it's important that you understand the cover available in order to get the right deal for you.




There are two types of home insurance you need to consider - buildings insurance and contents insurance. Buildings insurance is often obligatory as mortgage lenders usually insist on you taking this form of protection.




Buildings insurance covers the outer shell of the home as well as any fixtures and fittings that are classed as non-removable. This could include bathroom ware and a fitted kitchen. However, it would not cover your personal belongings. The insurance typically protects against any loss or damage sustained by fire or other disaster. If for example, your home burns down to the ground, then the insurance policy will usually pay for all the rebuilding costs. The majority of buildings insurance would include protection against occurrences such as fire, flooding, subsidence and damage caused by vandalism.




It's down to the homeowner as to whether they take out home contents insurance to protect their belongings. It's not compulsory to take out contents insurance, but it is worth considering the massive impact that losing or damaging your possessions would have. The cover protects your personal belongings within the home from furniture to CDs, clothing to saucepans and even the wallpaper! You can also pay an additional fee to cover some items away from the home (such as cash or laptops).




The home contents insurance can protect against the financial ramifications of loss or damage caused by fire, flood or theft and other events. You also take out additional cover in the form of accidental damage insurance.




What to consider when comparing home insurance online




Making sure that you have adequate protection is essential. So when you compare home insurance online you need to have clear figures in your head as to what your buildings and / or contents are worth. For home contents insurance, make an estimate of the value all your possessions within the home. One of the easiest ways to do this is to go through your home and jot down everything you own. When doing so take into account all the items that are hidden away in cupboards and drawers. Also remember items that are stored in your loft and wardrobe as it can be surprising how much even the smallest things add up to when combined together.




For buildings insurance, many insurers offer unlimited cover (up to a ceiling limit), but do check with them to ensure that your home will be fully protected.




Buy both policies together




If you want to take out contents insurance and buildings cover then you could save a great deal on the cost if you take these out together from the same provider. You could get a discount by buying the cover this way, so do check out what deals are available.




Finally, another way to get lower premiums when comparing home insurance on the net is by altering the amount of excess you would pay in the event of a claim. The excess is the amount you would have to pay before the provider would step in and pay the rest. There's always a minimum amount you have to agree to pay when taking out cover, but you could opt to pay a higher excess to keep down the cost of the policy.

Author: Liz Willder

About the author:
Liz Willder is from Tescocompare.com, the insurance comparison site where you can compare car insurance policy features and prices.

Article source: Free Insurance Articles.