This covers the structure of the house such as:

• Walls, ceilings and the roof.
• Permanent fixtures and fittings within the house.
• Decoration within the house.
• Gates, fences and footpaths that all lie within the boundaries of your property.
• Pipes and cables.

This covers the contents you would take if you moved such as:

• Household goods such as cookers and fridges.
• Furniture and furnishings such as beds, sofas and carpets.
• Valuable such as jewellery and works of art.
• Personal belongings such as clothes and shoes.
• Contents policies may include some cover for replacement of keys and locks, contents of outbuildings, money, freezer contents, loss of metered water, cost of alternative accommodation, replacement glass, television aerials and satellite dishes.

Standard policies will usually cover loss or damage from:

• Fire, aircraft, lighting, explosion or earthquake.
• Theft (or attempted theft).
• Riots or vandalism.
• Storms or flooding.
• Subsidence, heave and landslip.
• Falling trees.
• Impact for example a car runs into your house.
• Escaping or leaking water or oil.
• Your liability as occupier of the house.

Some polices may include these options as standard:

Accidental Damage

• Under buildings insurance this would cover damage you do to the house for example during DIY.
• Under contents insurance this would cover damage you do to the contents of the house for example if you dropped a hot iron on the carpet.

Personal Possessions Cover

Under your contents insurance this covers your possessions away from your home and may include temporary cover abroad for items such as cameras, iPods and the like.

Home Emergency

This will provide you with a tradesman that you can call out on a 24-hour basis for emergency work such as a burst pipe. A cost limit on call out charge, materials and labour may apply.

Legal Expenses

This will provide cover for the cost of legal proceedings if you need to bring action or defend a claim in respect of personal injury, consumer or property disputes, as well as for any award of the other party’s legal costs.