Buildings insurance
Usually relevant to owners and often required by mortgage lenders.
PROTECT THE HOME
Compare home-insurance cover with fewer surprises
The cheapest premium is not automatically the cheapest outcome. Compare cover definitions, compulsory excesses, limits and exclusions on the same property information.
Decision routes
Start with the outcome, not the advert
Contents insurance
Useful for owners and renters with appropriate limits.
Combined cover
Compare convenience and total terms rather than assuming a bundle wins.
The CoolCompare check
Four things to compare before committing
Prepare to compare UK buildings and contents insurance by cover limits, excesses, exclusions and property details.
Buildings and contentsChoose the cover combination that matches ownership and possessions.
Rebuild valueBuildings cover is based on rebuilding, not market price.
ExcessesAdd compulsory and voluntary excesses before comparing claims cost.
Limits and exclusionsCheck valuables, bicycles, escape of water and unoccupancy terms.
Policy comparison desk
Compare cover levels—not invented premiums
Home-insurance pricing is personal to the property, occupants, claims history and cover choices. This table compares published cover structures before you request like-for-like quotes.
Usually the relevant starting route when the landlord or freeholder insures the building.
Compare both sections on identical limits, excesses and optional cover—not only one combined premium.
Potentially useful for higher contents limits or included extras, but only when those benefits match a real need.
Admiral tier
- Contents limit
- Up to £75,000
- Buildings sum insured
- Unlimited for eligible homes
- Trace & access
- Published core limit applies
- Accidental damage
- Optional
A core-cover quote to compare when optional extras can be selected deliberately rather than bundled automatically.
+ Pros
- Up to £75,000 contents
- Unlimited eligible rebuild cover
- Optional extras can be selected
− Cons
- Accidental damage is optional
- Lower limits than higher tiers
- Excesses still need quote-level comparison
! Complaints & watch-outs
- Common home-insurance disputes concern gradual damage, wear and tear, claim settlement and underinsurance.
- Compare the policy wording—not just the feature summary.
Gold tier
- Contents limit
- Up to £100,000
- Outbuilding theft
- £1,500 shown in tier comparison
- AV accidental damage
- Included
- Home emergency
- Included
Compare when the additional standard benefits replace extras you would otherwise buy separately.
+ Pros
- Up to £100,000 contents
- AV accidental damage included
- Home emergency included
− Cons
- Bundled benefits may be unused
- Limits apply within each benefit
- Higher premium can outweigh extras
! Complaints & watch-outs
- Home-emergency and water-damage complaints can turn on cause, maintenance and the exact insured event.
- Record compulsory and voluntary excesses separately.
Platinum tier
- Contents limit
- Up to £150,000
- Trace & access
- Up to £10,000
- Matching sets
- Included
- Home Emergency Extra
- Included
Makes sense only if the higher limits and bundled protections reflect the home and possessions being insured.
+ Pros
- Up to £150,000 contents
- Matching sets included
- Higher trace-and-access limit
− Cons
- Highest tier is not automatically best value
- Single-item limits still matter
- Eligibility and exclusions remain
! Complaints & watch-outs
- Matching-set, alternative-accommodation and repair-quality disputes depend on policy wording and claim evidence.
- List high-risk items individually where required.
Home Insurance
- Cover route
- Buildings and/or contents
- Core events
- Fire, storm, flood, theft and more
- Accommodation
- Published limits vary by section
- Policy check
- Current wording required
Use as a like-for-like alternative quote after fixing the same rebuild, contents, excess and optional-cover assumptions.
+ Pros
- Buildings and/or contents route
- Core insured events stated
- Alternative provider for like-for-like quote
− Cons
- Limits differ by cover section
- Optional cover can change comparison
- Price is property-specific
! Complaints & watch-outs
- Ombudsman themes include storm definition, gradual damage, subsidence, settlement delays and repair quality.
- Disclose claims and property details accurately and keep the statement of facts.
READ BEFORE SHORTLISTING
This is a cover-orientation tool, not an insurance recommendation. Read the current policy wording and Insurance Product Information Document; eligibility, exclusions and excesses apply.
Side-by-side
Compare the main routes
A quick orientation before you request prices or commit to a contract.
| Decision | Buildings | Contents | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protects | Structure and permanent fixtures | Household belongings | Both policy sections |
| Usually relevant | Owners and landlords | Owners and renters | Owners wanting one provider |
| Value basis | Rebuild cost | Replacement value and limits | Both calculations |
| Check | Escape of water and subsidence | Single-item and away-from-home limits | Separate excesses and exclusions |
Before you buy
Your quote and contract checklist
Save this list and use the same questions with every provider. Comparable inputs produce a more useful comparison.
- 01
Property factsConstruction, roof, occupancy, locks and claims history must be accurate.
- 02
Excess totalCompare compulsory and voluntary excess for important claim types.
- 03
Valuable itemsCheck single-item limits and whether possessions need listing.
- 04
ExclusionsReview unoccupancy, accidental damage, bicycles, business use and trace-and-access.
Start here
Essential home insurance guides
Three practical reads that frame the decision without sales pressure.
COVER01
Buildings vs contents insurance
Understand what each part protects and who normally needs it.
Read the key answers ↓EXCESS02
How to compare policy excesses
See the claim contribution hidden behind the premium.
Read the key answers ↓TERMS03
Home-insurance exclusions
A practical pre-purchase reading checklist.
Read the key answers ↓Plain-English answers
Frequently asked questions
General UK guidance. Product, property, tariff and policy details still need individual verification.
Is rebuild cost the same as market value?+
No. Buildings insurance generally uses the estimated cost of rebuilding the property, not its sale price.
Do renters need buildings insurance?+
The landlord normally handles the building. Renters may consider contents and liability-related cover appropriate to their circumstances.
What is a compulsory excess?+
It is an amount set by the insurer that you contribute to a claim, sometimes in addition to a voluntary excess.
Is the cheapest policy best?+
Not necessarily. Limits, excesses, exclusions, service and the accuracy of the declared risk all affect value.
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