Home & Contents Insurance

There are usually two things that you might want to protect – the structure of your building, and the things that you own inside it. Although separately these are often known as a buildings policy and a contents policy, when taken together they are usually known as home insurance.

A building insurance policy is one that protects you against damage to the fabric of your property – such as the roof or the walls.

So if your property is damaged by flooding or a burst pipe or by third party actions, for example, your insurance will cover the cost of repairs and also pay for you to stay somewhere else, if required, while your home is being returned to its former immaculate condition.

Your Emerald building insurance also provides cover to protect you against those everyday disasters such as losing your keys and requiring a locksmith to change the locks.

If you live in a flat, where there are other flats in the building, or you rent your home, then it is more usual for the buildings insurance to be taken out by the owner of the while building (sometimes, the freeholder), as the owner has the obligation to protect the building itself. However, the costs of that insurance will usually be passed through to the owners of the flats as part of the service charge.

Contents insurance is a policy that covers the belongings and possessions in your home from damage or loss.

Your building cover should be set at an amount that would technically be required to rebuild your home in the event it was destroyed. You must determine what this amount should be, as we are not able to give you a recommendation. You may be able to find a rebuild value from your mortgage provider, or there is a calculator that you can use from the Association of British Insurers (http://abi.bcis.co.uk).

The level of your contents insurance will depend on the value of your possessions and what it would cost to replace them all in total. Please remember that this is not just valuables and portable items, but would also include beds, bed linen, clothing (not just the designer stuff), tables, chairs, sofas, kitchenware and kitchen equipment etc. We would recommend that you list your contents and then estimate a replacement cost, and it is this total that should be the amount of cover that you need. Many people materially underestimate the level of contents required, and if you buy a level of contents cover that is materially less than the actual value of contents, then we may not pay out the full amount of a claim.

Yes you can, if you need just contents cover. If you live in a flat in a larger building, or rent your home from a landlord, you only need contents insurance as building insurance is provided by the company who manages the property.

If you own your home and you also need to take out buildings insurance in order to protect the fabric of the building, then there are advantages in buying buildings and contents together, particularly when you need to make a claim as then there is only one insurer that you will need to deal with.

The level of your contents insurance will depend on the value of your possessions and what it would cost to replace them all in total. Please remember that this is not just valuables and portable items, but would also include beds, bed linen, clothing (not just the designer stuff), tables, chairs, sofas, kitchenware and kitchen equipment etc. We would recommend that you list your contents and then estimate a replacement cost, and it is this total that should be the amount of cover that you need. Many people materially underestimate the level of contents required, and if you buy a level of contents cover that is materially less than the actual value of contents, then we may not pay out the full amount of a claim.

Emerald’s building insurance covers your home including domestic outbuildings, garages, domestic fixed fuel oil tanks, drives, patios and terraces, walls, gates and fences, swimming pools and tennis courts. Essentially, everything that makes up the property that you have insured with us.

As a rule of thumb if you would leave it behind when you move house then it is covered under buildings insurance

Our basic product has an upper limit of £750,000 of rebuild cover while our medium net worth product can provide much more rebuild cover, but we may need to speak to our underwriters.

Our home insurance protects you against a wide range of eventualities including damage or loss caused by fire, floods, storms, freezing temperatures, escape of water or oil caused by leaking pipes, and as a result of your home being burgled or attacked.

Emerald building insurance also protects you for damage or loss caused by homophobic or hate crime. 

Our home insurance protects you against a wide range of eventualities including damage or loss caused by fire, floods, storms, freezing temperatures, escape of water or oil caused by leaking pipes, and as a result of your home being burgled or attacked.

Emerald building insurance also protects you for damage or loss caused by homophobic or hate crime. 

We offer worldwide cover for losses if you select and pay for that option.

There is some cover - you are covered for damage by fire, lightning, explosion, earthquake, theft or attempted theft while your contents are being moved to your new home.

Yes, Emerald’s home and contents policy covers you while you are away and your home is unoccupied – subject to the limitations in the policy.

Yes, whilst in your home your bicycles are covered the same as your other contents and subject to the same limits, excesses and exclusions.  We automatically cover bikes up to £500 but you will need to declare bikes above that.

We cover up to £2500 for items in sheds or outbuildings, and up to £1000 for garden furniture.  However, those limits can be increased upon request.

You can cancel your policy at any time by calling 0330 113 7109.

Please tell us about your change of circumstances and your new address to ensure your cover is transferred to your new home. Your premiums may change as a result. 

Yes, you can add your partner at any stage of your policy.