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Be sure to check
theextent of the contents insurance cover you
are buying The
range of Contents insurance additional covers
Contents Insurance companies
are constantly changing the range of cover
offered by their standard packages, which
affects what is included in the price of the
basic premium. If the following are not ‘automatically
included’ in or ‘built-in’
to the standard package, and you may well
need them so select a policy which includes
them or buy the cover as an extension to the
standard policy – you usually pay extra
pay extra:
• Replacement keys and locks if your
keys are lost or stolen
• Accidental damage to televisions,
hi-fi equipment, computers and videos
• Accidental damage to mirrors, glass-top
tables and other furniture containing glass
• Theft of, or damage to, belongings
temporarily removed from your home (e.g. things
you take with you when visiting friends, or
items that your student children take to college)
• Theft of bicycles from your home
• Cover for office equipment (e.g. a
computer or fax machine) if you work from
home
• Theft of things you usually leave
out in the open, such as garden furniture
• Cover for the contents of your freezer
if made unfit for human consumption (e.g.
following a power cut) – you will not
necessarily be covered if you switch the freezer
off by accident
• The cost of temporary accommodation
if disaster strikes and you are unable to
live in your home (which may duplicate cover
included in your buildings policy)
• A cash payment if an adult member
of your household dies as a result of fire
or burglary at your home – not really
worth having if all the adult members of your
household are covered by life insurance
• Compensation for metered oil and water
(e.g. if a pipe was damaged and large amounts
of metered water escaped, you would have to
pay the water company for the loss)
• Loss or damage to possessions in storage
while you move house (if you are not planning
to move, this kind of cover is an unnecessary
frill and it may duplicate insurance you take
out when using a professional removal firm)
• Cover for legal expenses if you are
involved in a lawsuit; this may also include
access to a legal advice helpline.
• Note most of the above are included
in the packages offered by our panel of contents
insurance companies, however you should check
each level and limit of cover for each quote
you get as cover limits are mostly responsible
for the variation in premium prices. So when
you shop around make sure you are comparing
like for like. Many online home insurance
comparison websites will just
Plants and gardens
As part of your possessions, house plants
and their pots should be covered by a contents
policy. However, it is very unlikely that
plants growing in the garden, unsecured window
boxes and other plant life outside the house
will be covered by a standard policy. If you
want to insure things left out in the open
– including expensive terracotta pots,
garden furniture and other garden ornaments
– check whether your insurance covers
you and ask your contents insurer to extend
your cover if necessary.
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