A guide to contents insurance

Protect

6th July 2021

Your home may be your most valuable asset, so protecting it should be a priority.

Here we answer your questions about home insurance, to look after your four walls - and the things you love inside it.

We are buying our first house, a three bedroom semi, for £329,000, but our buildings insurance quote covers a cost of up to £225,000. Do we need to take out a higher level of cover?

Pritesh, Birmingham

Buildings insurance will pay for your home to be completely rebuilt if necessary. The cost of rebuilding is different to the market value, as it does not have to cover the price of the land your home sits on.

You can check your rebuild cost using the Association of British Insurers' calculator here.

I have switched to working from home since the pandemic began - does my home insurance cover computer equipment supplied by my employer?

Monika, Bristol

This should be covered by your employers' business insurance - check this is the case as it is unlikely to be covered by your home insurance.

You may also need to tell your insurer you are working from home, if your circumstances have changed since you took out the policy.

There should be no extra cost if you are carrying out standard office and admin tasks, but you may need extra cover, such as public liability insurance, if you are meeting clients in your home.

Your policy may also exclude "items used for business purposes". Many insurers waived this exclusion during lockdown, but you should check your policy documents as workplaces return to pre-pandemic practices.

I'm renting my own flat for the first time. What insurance do I need?

Claire, Manchester

The building should be insured by your landlord, but they are unlikely to provide contents insurance to cover your possessions if they are lost, stolen or damaged.

Cover available varies widely - and so does the cost - so think carefully about the level of protection you actually need.

TSB's Pick and Protect home insurance policy is flexible so you can choose the cover you want.

Read policy documents carefully, so you know what is excluded, and what you may want to add, such as accidental damage or additional cover for items such as phones and laptops when you are away from home.

You may also need to tell your insurer about high value single items such as jewelry.

TSB's comprehensive guide to home insurance is here.

TSB Pick and Protect home insurance is brought to you by TSB Bank plc and underwritten by Aviva Insurance Limited. T&Cs apply. 18+ and UK resident only.

My daughter is going away to university. Are her possessions covered on my home insurance policy?

Geoff, Wakefield

Typically, she will need her own contents insurance to cover her possessions when she is at university.

However, some home insurance policies allow you to add cover for a child's possessions while they are studying away from home.

For example, TSB's Student Contents Extension covers items up to £5,000.