Home insurance protects your property, belongings and financial security if something unexpected happens, such as fire, flood, theft or accidental damage. The right policy combines buildings insurance, contents cover and carefully chosen optional extras that reflect how you live.
Insurance is one of those things most people know they should understand better, but rarely have the time or appetite to fully unpick. Buildings insurance, contents cover, optional extras, excesses and exclusions can all feel overwhelming at first glance.
At Gordon Anthony Mortgages, we believe insurance should be straightforward, practical and genuinely reassuring. As home insurance experts and building insurance specialists, we help homeowners across the North West make sense of insurance policies, so they can make informed decisions with confidence.
What does home insurance actually cover?
Home insurance is usually made up of two main elements, buildings insurance and contents insurance. Each plays a different role in protecting your home and should be reviewed carefully.
Understanding what each policy covers, and just as importantly what it doesn’t, is the foundation of good insurance planning.
What is buildings insurance?
Buildings insurance covers the structure of your property, including walls, roof, floors and permanent fixtures such as kitchens and bathrooms. It is designed to protect against major events like fire, flood, storm damage, subsidence and escape of water.
In most cases, this cover will also extend to garages, outbuildings, fences and driveways, although this can vary depending on the policy. Buildings insurance is usually a requirement of mortgage lenders, ensuring the property is protected against serious damage.
However, even if you own your home outright, the cost of rebuilding after a major incident can be substantial. Buildings insurance is based on the rebuild cost, not the market value of your home, and getting this right is crucial to avoiding underinsurance.
What is contents insurance?
Contents insurance protects the belongings inside your home, from furniture and electronics to clothing, carpets and personal items. While not mandatory, it can be invaluable if you experience theft, fire, flooding or accidental damage.
A common issue we see is underestimating the true replacement cost of contents. Many people focus on individual items rather than the total cost of replacing everything at once. Ensuring the sum insured accurately reflects what it would cost to replace your belongings new for old is key to avoiding shortfalls in the event of a claim.
This is where clear, local insurance advice in the North West can make a real difference.
Understanding insurance jargon, and why it matters
Insurance policies often include unfamiliar terminology, but understanding a few key terms can help you avoid unexpected gaps in cover or disappointment at claim stage.
For example:
- Accidental damage covers sudden, unexpected damage to your home or belongings
- Excess is the amount you agree to pay towards a claim, made up of compulsory and voluntary elements
- Exclusions are events or situations your policy won’t cover
- Escape of water refers to damage caused by leaking pipes, appliances or tanks
Knowing what these terms mean, and how they apply to your policy, can significantly affect how successful a future claim might be. For example, accidental damage is often an optional extra rather than standard cover, despite being one of the most common types of claim. Our role is to explain these clearly, without jargon or pressure, so you know exactly where you stand. If you want to delve deeper and would like a full Jargon Buster on insurance, ask a member of our team and we can send a helpful guide to you.
Optional extras, how to tailor your policy to real life
Standard insurance policies are rarely one-size-fits-all. Optional extras allow you to shape your cover around your lifestyle, your home and your personal risks.
Popular options include full accidental damage cover, personal belongings away from home, bicycle cover, legal expenses and home emergency cover. Personal belongings cover can be particularly valuable if you regularly carry items such as phones, laptops or jewellery outside the home, while bicycle cover ensures protection both at home and when you’re out and about.
Home emergency cover is another commonly added extra, providing help with urgent situations such as burst pipes, boiler breakdowns or electrical faults, and in some cases covering temporary accommodation if your home becomes uninhabitable.
Some households may also benefit from student cover, which extends protection to a child’s belongings while living in university accommodation, or key care cover, which helps with the cost of replacing lost or stolen keys.
The right extras can add meaningful peace of mind, but only when they are appropriate. That’s why our trusted insurance advice in Rawtenstall, Burnley, Accrington and surrounding areas is always based on your needs, not a tick-box approach.
Common insurance pitfalls to avoid
Many rejected or reduced claims come down to avoidable issues. Underinsurance is one of the most common, where the sum insured is simply too low to cover the full cost of a claim.
Another frequent misunderstanding is wear and tear. Home insurance is designed for sudden, unforeseen events, not gradual deterioration over time. Damage caused by long-term neglect or natural ageing of a property is unlikely to be covered.
Failing to disclose important information, even unintentionally, can also invalidate cover. Changes such as purchasing high-value items, home improvements or periods where the property is unoccupied should always be discussed with your insurer.
Regular reviews help ensure your policy still reflects your home, belongings and circumstances.
“We speak to a lot of people who assume their insurance is ‘fine’ because they’ve had it in place for years. In reality, homes change, lives change, and policies don’t always keep up. Our job is to make sure clients truly understand what they’re covered for, what they’re not, and that there are no surprises if they ever need to claim.”
Jack Cunningham
Business Principal, Mortgage & Protection Advisor
How Gordon Anthony Mortgages helps with home insurance
We see insurance as part of the bigger picture. It sits alongside our mortgage advice in the North West, supporting clients whether they are buying their first home, moving locally, remortgaging or reviewing long-standing arrangements.
Our mortgage services in Rawtenstall, Burnley, Accrington and surrounding areas are built on clear communication, honest guidance and a genuinely personal approach, and that same ethos applies to our insurance advice.
As building insurance specialists, we work with carefully selected insurers to recommend suitable cover, explain exclusions clearly and help clients avoid underinsurance. We also take care of the detail behind the scenes, so clients can feel confident that their policy reflects their needs today, not just when it was first arranged.
The aim is simple, no confusion, no surprises, and cover that genuinely works when it’s needed.
If you’d like clear, straightforward insurance advice in the North West from people who take the time to get it right, we’re here to help.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. You may have to pay an early repayment charge to your existing lender if you remortgage. As with all insurance policies, conditions and exclusions will apply.
It is important to take professional advice before making any decision relating to your personal finances. Information within this document is based on our current understanding and can be subject to change without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced in any manner without prior permission.