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Home insurance typically protects your home’s structure, your belongings and your liability if someone is injured on your property. Policies commonly cover risks such as fire, storm damage, theft, and issues like leaks or burst pipes, and many also include alternative accommodation if your home cannot be lived in after an insured event. Cover varies between insurers, and some risks, such as flooding in high-risk areas or accidental damage, may only be included if specified in your policy, so it’s important to check your policy details carefully.

Contents insurance covers the belongings inside your home, meaning the items you would take with you if you moved. This usually includes furniture, clothes, electronics, appliances, and personal items, and may also extend to belongings stored in places like a shed or garage. Policies usually protect against fire, theft, storm damage and leaks, and you can often add extras like accidental damage or cover for items outside the home. Always check your policy to see exactly what’s included.

No, home insurance is not legally required in Ireland. However, if you have a mortgage, your lender will insist on buildings insurance before you draw down the loan. Even if you own your home outright, insurance is strongly recommended to protect against major costs such as fire, storm or flood damage.

You should insure your home for its full rebuilding cost, not its market value. This is the cost to rebuild the property from scratch, including materials and labour. As a starting point, the SCSI House Rebuild Calculator can help you estimate an amount based on your home's size, type and location.

However, for a more precise assessment, particularly if your home is a one-off build, has unique features, or has been significantly extended, it's worth engaging a Chartered Quantity Surveyor. They can provide an accurate rebuild cost figure tailored to your specific property, helping to ensure you're neither underinsured nor paying more than you need to.

You should insure your contents for the amount it would cost to replace everything in your home with new items if they were lost or damaged. A good approach is to think room by room and include everyday items like clothes, bedding, kitchenware and electronics, as these add up quickly. Our Home Contents Calculator can help you estimate the total value and make sure you choose a level of cover that properly protects what you own.

You may be able to lower your premium by improving your home security with alarms or approved locks and by making sure your rebuild and contents values are accurate so you’re not over-insured. Paying annually instead of monthly can also reduce the cost, and reviewing your cover each year helps ensure it still matches your needs.

An excess is the amount you pay towards a claim before your insurer covers the rest. For example, if your excess is €250 and you make a claim for €1,000, the insurer would typically pay €750. The excess varies depending on the policy and insurer, and the standard excess for each quote is shown in the results table when you compare policies.

Underinsurance happens when your home or contents are insured for less than the true cost to rebuild or replace them. This often occurs if your rebuild cost hasn’t been updated, you’ve renovated your home or construction prices have risen. If you make a claim while underinsured, your insurer may reduce the payout in proportion to the shortfall, meaning you could have to cover part of the repair or rebuild yourself. Reviewing your cover regularly and using tools like the SCSI rebuild calculator can help you avoid this.

Accidental damage cover protects against sudden and unexpected damage to your home or belongings caused by everyday mishaps. For example, spilling paint on a carpet, knocking over a TV, or putting a foot through the attic floor. This type of cover is not always included as standard and may need to be added to your policy, so it’s important to check your policy documents to see if it applies.

Home emergency assistance provides help if an urgent problem occurs in your home, such as a burst pipe, electrical failure or a broken window. It usually involves arranging a tradesperson to carry out a temporary repair to make your home safe and prevent further damage. Limits may apply, so it’s worth checking your policy details.

Yes, you can add specific high-value items to your home insurance policy so they are insured individually for their full value. This is often used for items such as jewellery, laptops, bicycles or musical instruments, especially if they are regularly taken outside the home. Some insurers may require a valuation for higher-value items, and an additional premium may apply.