Valuing your contents
Walk through each room and estimate what it would cost to replace everything new today. Don’t forget clothes, shoes, bedding, kitchen equipment, tools, garden furniture and things in the loft. Photograph valuable items and keep receipts or valuations; they make claims faster.
Many people under-estimate contents by thousands. If your sum insured is too low, an average clause can reduce what you’re paid.
Single-item and valuables limits
Most UK policies cap any single item (for example jewellery, watches, art or a high-end bike) at a set amount unless you list it. They may also cap the total value of “valuables”. If one item is worth more than the single-item limit, specify it on the policy. US policies have similar “sub-limits” for categories such as jewellery and firearms; a scheduled personal property endorsement raises them.
Cover away from home
Standard contents cover is for items inside your home. To cover a phone, laptop, camera, bike or jewellery when you’re out, add personal possessions cover (sometimes called “all risks”). Check whether it covers you abroad and for how long, and whether bikes need a specific lock standard.
Students, sharers and lodgers
Students in halls may already be covered by a block policy arranged by the university or accommodation provider; check before buying. In shared houses, look for policies that cover individual rooms and allow theft claims without forced entry. Some parents’ home policies extend limited cover to students’ belongings at university.
Last updated: 15 October 2026
