Paying the right price for your house insurance is all a matter of weighing up cost verses need.

There are countless companies that will promise you the cheapest house insurance on the market, but going with the cheapest option may be a false economy. Taking advantage of special offers on ‘one size fits all’ policies could save you money in the short term and if you’re lucky enough never to have to claim you will find yourself quids in. However, this approach is at best a bit of a gamble; at worst you could be mortgaging your family’s future.

Right doesn’t have to mean expensive

Don’t panic; getting appropriate cover does not necessarily mean paying the earth, it simply means taking your time and being more selective. With a little time and effort you can find a policy that is comparable in the price department to that ‘special offer’ you were originally looking at, but that fits your particular circumstances much more closely.

Take your time

Whether you are moving to a new home or simply renewing your policy, you will have a time period in which to shop around. The trick is to start early; if you know your house insurance policy needs to be updated next month don’t leave it until the week before to begin shopping around; start now. By doing this you maximise your chances of finding the right level of cover at a price that suits your budget.

A good place to start

If price is a major concern, as it is for most people, comparison web sites are a good place to start your search. By having a figure in mind and using these sites you can very quickly qualify which insurers are in your ballpark and which are simply too expensive. Once you have your shortlist you can begin to look at the particulars of each house insurance policy and pick out the one that best suits your circumstance.

Be flexible

Although you may be operating on a tight budget it’s important to remain flexible. If a particular policy is slightly out of your price range but offers exactly the cover you need it may be worth spending that bit extra. Doing this may save you a lot of headaches in the long run; taking out a substandard house insurance policy can make the trauma of a disaster even worse by adding the additional worry of not being adequately covered.