Following a 36% surge in home insurance premiums, new research has revealed that confusion around home insurance – including costs – generates more than 140,000 searches every year.
Being informed about home insurance is crucial for all property owners. Understanding the basics of home insurance, from policy types to coverage details, can save you money and prevent stress if you need to make a claim.
To help, the experts at Confused.com home insurance have answered the most searched questions about home insurance.
Most searched questions about home insurance:
| Ranking (1-10) | Search term | Topic | Annual UK searches |
| 1 | What is no claims discount? | No claims discount | 24,000 |
| 2 | What does buildings insurance cover? | Buildings insurance | 18,080 |
| 3 | What is accidental damage on home insurance? | Accidental damage | 17,900 |
| 4 | How much is buildings insurance? | Buildings insurance | 17,430 |
| 5 | What is home emergency cover? | Home emergency cover | 13,620 |
| 6 | How to work out rebuild cost? | Rebuild cost | 11,600 |
| 7 | What is insurance premium tax? | Insurance premium tax | 11,180 |
| 8 | How much is contents insurance? | Contents insurance | 11,130 |
| 9 | What does contents insurance cover? | Contents insurance | 9,680 |
| 10 | What is contents insurance? | Contents insurance | 8,330 |
1. What is no claims discount?
This is often associated with car insurance, but it also applies to home insurance. A no-claims discount is a reduction in insurance premiums awarded to policyholders who do not make any claims on their insurance over a certain period.
2. What does buildings insurance cover?
The specific coverage varies depending on the policy and provider, but buildings insurance generally covers the following:
- Structural damage
- Permanent fixtures and fittings
- External structures
- Damage from events like fire, floods, theft or vandalism
- Accidental damage
3. What is accidental damage on home insurance?
Accidental damage on home insurance refers to coverage for sudden damage due to an unexpected and non-deliberate action.
Examples of accidental damage:
- For buildings insurance: Accidental damage cover might include drilling into a water pipe while attempting DIY projects or accidentally breaking a window.
- For contents insurance: It could cover incidents like spilling wine on a carpet or knocking over a vase.
Matthew Harwood, home and lifestyle expert at Confused.com home insurance, comments:
“Home insurance can be a complicated topic. But if you understand the type of policy you need and what it covers, you can be sure you have the right level of cover:
With many options available and things to consider, from no-claims discounts to rebuild costs, protecting your home can feel confusing. But being more informed about home insurance makes navigating these choices easier. It gives you more peace of mind, and makes you less likely to get caught out by not having the right type or level of cover.”
