Protect the home you've worked for.

Buildings insurance covers the structure of the home: walls, roof, floors, fitted kitchens and bathrooms. Contents covers what you'd take with you if you moved — furniture, clothing, electronics, jewellery. If you own your home you'll usually need both; if you rent, buildings is your landlord's responsibility but you should still have contents.

Life insurance is rarely a legal requirement, but most lenders strongly recommend it and many will ask if you have it in place. The point is straightforward: if the worst happens during the mortgage term, your loved ones aren't left with the debt. Level term assurance and decreasing-term cover are both common, and the right one depends on the type of mortgage.

Income protection pays a regular monthly sum if you can't work because of illness or injury — usually until you recover, retire or the policy ends. Critical illness pays a single tax-free lump sum on diagnosis of a defined serious condition (heart attack, stroke, certain cancers etc.). Many people hold both — they cover different scenarios.

The moment you let your property out — even temporarily — you need landlord cover, not standard home insurance. It includes loss of rent, property owner's liability, and (optionally) legal expenses, malicious damage by tenants and accidental damage. Most mortgage lenders require it on buy-to-let properties.

Most contents policies have a single-item limit (often £1,500–£2,500) — anything above that needs to be specified separately. Engagement rings, watches, art and bicycles are the most commonly under-insured items. Tell us about anything notable when you apply and we'll specify it on the schedule.

Yes — buildings + contents combined is almost always cheaper than buying separately, and several insurers offer multi-policy discounts on top (e.g. life insurance taken alongside home cover). Our adviser will run the numbers across the panel and show you the cheapest combination for your situation.