Insurance is often overlooked and is one of the products that hopefully most of us will never need, unfortunately the unexpected often does happen and can have disastrous, often life changing consequences!

There are a few different types of home insurance, it is important that you have the correct type of insurance-

• Buildings insurance - This covers the building only, so if the building is damaged you can claim on this policy.
• Contents insurance - This covers the items in your home but not the building itself, it can be confusing know which items are covered by which policy as for example if a carpet was damaged by fire and needed replacing it may be covered by the buildings insurance if the carpet was fully fitted.
• Landlords insurance - This is often taken out by landlords who rent out properties to tenants, often this insurance only covers the building so it's a good idea for the tenant to take out their own contents insurance to cover the contents.
• Combined buildings and contents insurance - this is often a good idea as both the building and the contents are insured in the same policy.

The attitude of "It'll never happen to me" can haunt you for the rest of your life.

when insuring your home it is best to deal with reputable, well known companies. Most insurance companies are massive and underwrite billions of pounds of insurance.

Do not underestimate the reinstatement value of your own home ( this is the amount it would cost to re-build your home should the unfortunate happen), It is advisable to get an accurate figure from a specialist, your insurance company can advise in most cases.

Discounts are often available for alarms on service contracts and for insurance rated dead locks.

It really pays to shop around when buying insurance and it is now very easy to get insurance quotes over the Internet, which means you do not have to telephone anyone or call in the office to get covered.

If you are a tradesman and rely on your tools for your living it is well worth considering tool insurance that will cover you if tools are ever stolen from a locked van or a locked premises, ensure you shop around and also ask your van insurer for a quote as it is often cheaper if it is combined with your annual van insurance.

Insurance should be your last line of defence, securing your home in the first place is the best option!