Switching your home insurance is easier than you might think. It’s wise to shop around, whether it’s your renewal date or not. Not only could you make savings, but you might also get a better standard of customer service and a policy that better suits your needs.
Head of Commercial at John Lewis Insurance John Brady looks at what to consider if you’re thinking of switching.
“If you’re thinking of switching your Home Insurance, there’s no need to wait for your renewal date. The price is important, of course, but shop around as it might be worth paying a little more for extra peace of mind.”
John Brady, Head of Commercial at John Lewis Insurance.
Q & A with John Brady
Q. What’s your background and what experience do you have in providing advice about Home Insurance?
A. I've worked in financial services for 20 years, including banking, credit cards and insurance. The last five have been spent at the John Lewis Partnership, where I’ve helped to launch and develop John Lewis Insurance, including our personal insurance cover for cars, weddings, pets, homes, events and travel.
Q. Which features should I look for in a home insurance policy?
A. Firstly, think about whether you need both buildings and contents, or just one. John Lewis Home Insurance offers a wide range of cover, with flexible options to help you get the right cover.
Every provider and policy is different, so do check the small print and the things it doesn’t include before you buy. Getting the best policy for your money is important, so shop around as it might be worth paying a little more for extra peace of mind.
Expert tips: What you should consider when you’re deciding whether or not to switch your home insurance?
- Check you won’t be underinsured
Some home insurance providers will ask you to calculate the value of everything in your home for contents insurance and the cost of rebuilding it for buildings insurance. John Lewis Home Insurance makes things easy by offering Unlimited Buildings and Contents Cover*, so you’ll always feel confident that your home is covered and you’re never underinsured.
- Think about Accidental Damage Cover
Accidental Damage Cover protects you in the event of a one-off mishap, such as a DIY disaster or Shiraz spilled on your carpet. Some policies offer this as an optional extra which you’ll have to pay for, but John Lewis Home Insurance’s Classic policy includes it as standard.
- What happens if your home’s damaged and you can’t live in it?
Many home insurance policies will cover you for damage caused by events like floods, but John Lewis Home Insurance goes one step further. If your home becomes uninhabitable following loss or damage covered by the policy and you have to stay elsewhere while repairs are carried out, our Alternative Accommodation Cover means we’ll find you, your family and even your pets somewhere suitable to live.
- Look at details that show your insurer goes the extra mile
A good quality home insurance policy will give you extras as standard. Many policies will cover you for a damaged sofa, but John Lewis Home Insurance also offers Matching Sets Cover. If, for example, your sofa is damaged and we can’t find a matching replacement we’ll replace the whole set.
- Will your insurer help you with a home emergency?
It’s reassuring to know that if something does go wrong you can call for help day or night. Home Emergency Cover is often the kind of policy you have to take out separately, for example through your utilities supplier, but John Lewis Home Insurance offers a 24 Hour Home Emergency Service as an optional extra. Whether you’ve got a burst pipe or a broken window, you can call a trained advisor who’ll tell you what to do and can even organise a qualified tradesperson to repair it.
- Make sure your belongings are safe outside the home
Many Home Insurance policies offer cover for this, but do check the limits as some can be quite low. John Lewis Home Insurance gives you the option of Worldwide Personal Possessions Cover of up to £25,000.
- Switch wisely
If you’ve decided you want to switch, here are some tips on how to do it:
- Switching should be free, and John Lewis Home Insurance certainly won’t charge you to do it. Shop around for another provider, and take into account not just the low prices offered to lure you in, but what the premiums will be in your second year. Sometimes your existing insurer will try to charge a fee for you to switch, but some insurers will help towards that as an incentive to switch.
- Price comparison websites might be worth a look, but remember it’s not always the cheapest deal that’s the best.
- John Lewis Home Insurance makes the switch quick and easy. Why not get a quote now? Just answer a series of simple questions, and we’ll guide you through the easy process.
We offer a 10% discount if you buy Buildings and Contents Insurance together**, and if you have a John Lewis Partnership Card you can earn one point for every £1 spent when you buy John Lewis Insurance on the Card.
Read more
John Lewis Home Insurance offers a great standard of service and good value for money. See how our policy compares on accidental damage cover and more.