Start with the rebuild cost, not the market price
The most common home-insurance mistake is insuring the sale price instead of the rebuild cost. Your insurer only ever rebuilds — so a £400,000 house on a £150,000 plot needs roughly £150,000 of buildings cover, not £400,000. Over-insuring wastes money; under-insuring triggers average clauses that shrink every payout.
We run a free rebuild valuation with every quote, using floor area, construction type and local build rates. It takes ten minutes and it is the single most valuable part of the conversation.
Photograph every room once a year and keep receipts for anything over £500. After a burglary or fire, that folder settles claims in days instead of months.
Contents: the room-by-room test
- Walk each room and list what replacing everything new would cost — most people underestimate by a third.
- Check single-item limits: jewellery, watches, bikes and art usually need separate listing.
- Add accidental damage — the claim you'll actually make (red wine, cracked screens, DIY mishaps).
- Confirm cover away from home for phones and laptops you carry daily.
Buying, remortgaging or letting? We issue exchange-day cover notes in minutes and align buildings, contents and landlord policies to a single renewal date.
Compliance Officer at Oakmere Mutual Advisors — keeping every policy clear, fair and enforceable.