Help for First Time Buyers

Tick the Boxes for Home Insurance. April 2008

Many people take their time when it comes to making certain purchases. If they're buying something that is going to sting their wallet outside of their monthly budget, such as a new television or furniture, then they will have a good look around a number of shops and scan through various websites. Sadly, this doesn't seem to be the case when it comes to shopping for financial products, particularly insurance. Admittedly, your home insurance is not a particularly flashy product, and you won't have your friends wowing over your great new deal, but it's too often neglected. Many people could save hundreds of pounds a year if they simply chose the right insurer and got the cover best suited to them. Here's five ways that you can find the right home insurance deal.

Use the internet – While a lot of homes have computers these days, a lot of adults remain close to computer illiterate and allow the kids rule the roost when it comes to the PC. It's about time you got savvy and started shopping around on the internet – it's certainly much less physical work than walking about the high street, and you'll more than likely find a better deal quickly too. One of the best ways to find insurance quotes quickly is to use a comparison website like Moneysupermarket. You fill out an easy form giving your policy requirements, and then the quotes come up in a list. Basically, if you're reading this, then you've got enough ability to do use a price comparison website. A lot of supermarkets also offer insurance, which might have particular bonuses for loyalty schemes. ASDA Finance's home insurance is offered by a panel of insurers, and you can get in store benefits if you take it out.

Be Diligent – When you're taking a look at a comparison website you won't need to worry so much about this. Partners of such websites will have been thoroughly checked before agreeing to the partnership. However, with other dealerships, especially ones that you've never heard of before - be diligent. Think of the old saying, ‘If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is...' Any internet suppliers that appear in the top end of search engine results or comparison websites will have almost certainly been regulated by the FSA, and you can read the small print on their website as evidence. If you choose to shop outside of this, through an insurance broker for instance, make sure you check that you read the small print about how the insurer is regulated, and don't just take the broker's word for it.

Don't Give in to Apathy - While most insurance policies are taken out through well established companies, it would be a false assumption to assume that they always offer the best deals. In actual fact, a lot of these companies thrive off consumer loyalty and apathy – the notion that once they've got you, you'll give up searching for another because it's a hassle. If you've been with your insurer for a long time and your policy is coming to an end, then take a look around at other companies. You might be pleasantly surprised that they'll give you a better deal. If they do, why stay with your old insurer? Don't think that because you've been with an insurer for a long time you can trust them more than the next man.

Customer services – While you should primarily be concerned with getting the lowest quote possible for your needs, you might also want to consider customer service reputation. Getting a claim sorted out can be a hassle, particularly if your insurer isn't too worried about their customer services. Long waits on phone queues, foreign call centres, and contact assistants who don't know what they're talking about can all be seriously grating if you've just had your house robbed. You...just...want...things...to run smoothly .In last year's 2007 British Insurance Awards AMG came top, but this company deals with the business sector. AA Insurance was also nominated, and they're particularly notable for offering good travel insurance along with their home insurance.