A Helping Hand With Home Insurance

By Author: Deshawn Chillo
Total Articles: 8
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When it comes to purchasing insurance for your student pad, knowing what kind of policy you need can often be very confusing. Complex clauses and tricky small print can leave the average person feeling totally baffled, and everyone seems to have some scare story of insurance companies who are unwilling to pay out.

The best starting point is to familiarise yourself with the types of house insurance that you need, rather than spending on unnecessary cover. There are two main kinds of insurance that come under the broader term of ''house insurance''. The first is buildings insurance which protects against damage to the actual bricks and mortar of a property. This takes into account everything you can''t literally take with you, so for most students should be the concern of the landlord.

The second type of insurance available is contents insurance. This will protect everything within your home that is not considered a permanent fixture, from valuable personal possessions such as jewellery and heirlooms, to electronic equipment and even garden plants! This is not mandatory when purchasing a property, but it is highly ...
... advisable in the event of unforeseen circumstances.

Your contents insurance should cover you against other misfortunes beyond your control such as third party damage and fires. As always though, it''s crucial that you check the details of your policy, as many student insurers may not cover destruction or damage to items caused by burst pipes or natural disasters.

When deciding to students insurance, make sure you shop around for the best deal on the cover that you need. There are many insurance companies that cater specifically for students, offering the most suitable policy for the lowest price. Be careful to scan the fine print though, as due to the specifics of ''student'' insurance, you will probably have to meet the company''s age limits and security requirements.

In terms of the policy you purchase, you may have more than one option to choose from. You can opt for cover for specific items such as computers or bikes, or for full contents cover. Bear in mind that some of your items may be already covered under your parents policy, so check to save duplication.

For contents cover, the cheapest kind is undoubtedly indemnity cover, which will protect you against the cost of replacing damaged or stolen items, but doesn''t replace ''new for old''. To do this pricier, but means the value of your items doesn''t depreciate at least.

One final word of advice is to always ensure you calculate the value of your contents correctly. Many students run into problems with insurers due to under-estimating the correct value of their possessions or by trying to scam what they believe their contents to be worth. Deshawn Chillo is a keen writer about car insurance and home insurance products.