The reviews are generally favourable, but there is the pointer that comes across that the less you pay for your home insurance, the less likely the support will be so strong in the event that you need to make a claim.

Here are the reviews:

• Barclays Home Insurance review
  
• Churchill Home Insurance review
  
• Columbus Direct Home Insurance review
  
• Direct Line Home Insurance review
  
• Hiscox Home Insurance review
  
• HSBC Home Insurance review
  
• Kwik Fit Home Insurance review
  
• LV Home Insurance review
  
• M&S Home Insurance review
  
• Aviva Home Insurance review
  

Perhaps surprisingly, the bigger companies tend to come off better in the reviews. The suggestion is that they have well developed support already built into their home insurance service.

However, an additional surprise is how some of the larger companies can be very competitive on a home insurance quote, especially compared to budget insurers.

This is not least as HSBC and Barclays especially come out favourably, especially by comparison to Direct Line and Churchill, who are budget market leaders.

Ultimately, you need to ensure that whichever insurance company that you go with, the home insurance policy covers you for your personal circumstances, and always check to ensure you do not fall foul of any exclusions.

Press Release

For those due to renew their home insurance soon or for those without it, National Home Security Week (19 October 2009 to 25 October 2009) is a good reminder of why no home should be without it.

These days, price comparison websites are used by some consumers to compare the costs of different insurance providers. When doing so, it’s possible for consumers to be engrossed in the cost, searching away for the cheapest deals and forgetting about other things that should be considered when taking out insurance. Consumers should check out which items or situations the insurance specifically covers and whether it offers the ability to pay in manageable instalments. This is worth noting because policy features can be just as important as cost.

Features and benefits are nicely underlined:

• No extra charge for paying monthly by Direct Debit;
• The cost of temporary accommodation if the home becomes uninhabitable due to insured damage;
• Unlimited buildings cover for eligible properties;
• Up to £1,000 cover for contents in the garden and up to £500 cover for plants in the garden;
• Cover for accidental damage to home entertainment equipment;
• Up to £500 cover for the spoiled contents of the fridge and freezer;
• Up to £1,000 cover for the cost of replacing downloaded information, lost due to an insured peril;
• Cover for students’ belongings while at university or college (up to sum insured).