By clicking a retailer link you consent to third-party cookies that track your onward journey. This enables W? to receive an affiliate commission if you make a purchase, which supports our mission to be the UK's consumer champion.
Best home insurance 2025
We surveyed more than 2,800 home insurance customers and 35 providers to discover the best home insurance companies and policies in the UK
DS
Dean SobersSenior researcher & writer
Dean is an award winning personal finance writer who's spent over 15 years helping consumers navigate the tangled and fascinating world of insurance.
Compare home insurance deals
Check Which? insurance ratings and compare deals using the service provided by Confused.com
We asked 2,804 home insurance customers who made a claim within the past two years to score their insurer.
Expert analysis
We rated 134 elements of each policy, covering buildings, contents and admin points such as fees.
Best UK home insurance policies compared
Want the best policy or insurer? Use our tables below, then go to confused.com, another comparison site or direct to the insurer.
Want the cheapest policy or insurer? Follow the links to confused.com, or another comparison site, to get a list of policies. Then check what the policies scored by searching our tables.
Please note that this article is for information purposes only and doesn't constitute advice. Please refer to the particular terms and conditions of an insurer before committing to any financial products.
Yes - Compare the Market, Confused.com, Go.Compare, Money Supermarket
Table note: last updated in September 2025. Next update in September 2026. Customer survey: Based on an online survey of 2,804 adults (customer score) and 2,026 adults (claims score) - members of the Which? Connect Panel and members of the public - who had made a claim in the past two years. Survey conducted in June-July 2025. 'Customer score' reflects the general satisfaction of customers with their insurer and their likelihood of recommending it. 'Claims score' reflects how satisfied they were with how their most recent claim was handled and their likelihood of recommending the insurer for claims. A dash (-) means not enough responses to include a customer or claims score. You can read our full methodology below.
NFU Mutual doesn't charge admin fees for adjusting your policy, paying in monthly instalments or cancelling early. It will pay up to £1,000 for boiler repair.
Home InsuranceBuildings policy score: 78%; Contents policy score: 78%
1
of 17 home insurers with a customer score
Recommended Provider
Tesco Insurance
Tesco got five stars for overall customer service during claims and was among the most highly rated providers for affordability. It comes with limited accidental damage cover as standard and you can pay for more.
Adverse weather is taking an increasing toll on our homes, with storms, flooding and cold snaps leading to more than £500m of insurance claims in 2024.
The prominence of such claims was echoed in our research - with storm damage the second most common reason (after accidental damage) that our survey respondents gave for claiming. Unfortunately, these customers were also the most likely to have their claims rejected.
All policies that we looked at cover storms, but almost all also come with limitations.
One that can often be a basis of dispute is whether a reported 'storm' qualified as being stormy enough in the insurer's view. About three quarters of policies cite minimum wind speeds - ranging from 47mph to 55mph. The argument for these is that well-maintained homes should be sturdy enough to withstand reasonably windy conditions.
Some policies also might not consider a storm to qualify if high winds don't play a role (for example, a rainstorm or snowstorm), and policies won't necessarily extend storm cover to your whole property. Only two providers, for example, would consider covering damage to fences, gates and hedges - and with two of the more basic policies, storm cover was an optional add-on when it came to outbuildings (such as garages, sheds and greenhouses).
If you live in an exposed area that's particularly susceptible to stormy conditions, you'll probably have taken some measures to ensure your home is sturdy enough to protect you from the elements. But when buying new home insurance, be sure to also check the wording and definitions, as not all storm cover is alike.
Home insurance FAQs
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) reported that from April to June 2025, the average cost of a combined home insurance policy was £391 a year - up £1 on the year before.
This came after several quarters of much higher price rises
Begin by comparing prices from trusted comparison websites, including Confused.com, Compare the Market, GoCompare, and MoneySuperMarket. Don't overlook insurers such as Direct Line and NFU Mutual, which may offer competitive rates.
Start getting quotes at least a month before your policy renewal date, allowing sufficient time for negotiation. While cashback sites like Quidco and TopCashback can provide additional savings, ensure you're not compromising essential coverage for a cash reward.
Review your coverage to ensure it aligns with your actual needs, whether it's for building insurance, contents insurance, or a combined policy. Accurately assess the rebuild value of your property and the value of your contents to avoid overpayment. Set a reasonable excess level that balances affordability with potential claims costs. If feasible, select annual payments over monthly instalments to avoid high-interest charges.
Enhancing your home's security can also contribute to reduced insurance premiums. Consider installing high-quality locks and burglar alarms or investing in smart security systems to minimise risk in the eyes of insurers.
Lastly, don't hesitate to negotiate with your current insurer using competitive quotes as leverage, as haggling could result in big savings on your premium.
In the UK, home insurance typically covers the cost of repairing damage to the structure of your property (buildings insurance) and contents within the home (contents insurance).
This could include protection against events such as fire, theft, and damage. Liability coverage, alternative accommodation, and optional add-ons for personal possessions and legal expenses may also be included in comprehensive policies.
There are two main types of home insurance - buildings insurance and contents insurance. As their names suggest, buildings insurance covers your home’s physical structure, and contents insurance covers your possessions and items within your home.
Buildings insurance covers your windows, walls and roof, as well as permanent fixtures in your home such as fitted kitchens and bathrooms. Your policy will protect you against damage caused by fire, flood, fallen trees, vandalism, malicious damage, subsidence and vehicle or aircraft collisions.
Contents insurance covers the cost of replacing items in your home if they're destroyed, damaged or stolen. Insurers tend to consider your ‘contents’ as items that you would take with you if you moved home. This can include furniture, kitchenware, entertainment, soft furnishings, and jewellery, among other things.
It is recommended that you purchase contents and buildings insurance together but you can buy them individually. This is more popular for renters or people who pay service charges as they don't need to have a buildings insurance policy in place.
No, unlike car insurance, home insurance is not a legal requirement. You do not have to have a home insurance policy in order to own or rent a home in the UK.
That said, most mortgage lenders will require you to hold buildings insurance.
However, if you choose to skip taking out a home insurance policy you are putting your home - both the building and the contents - at risk. If something were to happen to your home such as subsidence or a break in, you would have to pay for the repairs and loss of possessions in full.
According to the Financial Conduct Authority, in 2023, 72% of claims on combined home insurance policies were accepted - with the average claim covering £4,530 worth of damage. Without home insurance cover, you would be left to pay that figure without any financial support.
The ABI reported that only 69% of adults have contents insurance. This means that 31% of consumers are leaving their personal possessions such as their laptops, TVs, and jewellery vulnerable to theft, loss or damage.
The chances are, your home is the most expensive thing you will ever buy. So making sure it is protected and cared for will be worth it in the long run. And while prices are continuing to creep up, your policy doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.
Home insurance typically covers damage caused by electrical faults - but usually only if this is the result of sudden damage by an external force. They usually won't cover issues related to wear-and-tear and faulty workmanship. Some policies offer extras like home emergency cover, which is designed to provide rapid assistance in urgent situations, separate from regular home insurance.
Home emergency cover can be useful for emergencies ranging from plumbing issues to problems with pests or vermin and electrical faults. The cover usually costs around £50 a year.
If your home experiences a blown consumer unit or loss of power due to an electrical failure, you could potentially claim on your home emergency cover to address the problem promptly. However, home emergency cover is unlikely to cover:
Temporary electrical wiring
Wiring outside your home
The electrical supply to your outbuildings and garages.
To ensure you have the right cover, it's worth having a precise idea of how much you need to insure.
Find out the rebuild price of your property (this will be lower than the value). The Association of British Insurers provides a free-to-use calculator to help you estimate this.
The same goes for the combined cost of your contents. Our contents calculator can help you tally up the value of your possessions.
Yes you can, and it can be very effective.
Negotiating a cheaper insurance price isn't a dark art - it can be as simple as calling your insurer and asking if they can do better than the renewal offer.
If you've shopped around, you'll be able to give examples of deals you've seen elsewhere.
New rules protecting renewing customers from being charged more than if they were new don't stop your insurer offering you a cheaper price if you haggle.
Don't just let your home insurance roll over each year.
Insurers used to be able to charge you more if you were renewing with them than they would if you were new. They can't do this anymore, but you still stand to lose out by not checking if you're being offered a good deal.
Whether you're thinking about switching or want to stay put, assume that the figure posted out to you in your renewal letter is up for debate.
Take 10 minutes to run a quote on a comparison site. This will give you an indication of what your insurer's rivals are prepared to offer.
In our latest Customer Satisfaction survey, NFU Mutual achieved the highest Customer Score of 81%. You can find out how this compared with the results of other providers in our tables above.
Not all of us live in 'typical' circumstances or conventional properties. If your home has a thatched roof, a history of subsidence or is of unusual construction, you may need to stray off the beaten track to find reasonably priced cover.
There are insurers and brokers that specialise in particular types of risk, so it's worth including them in your search. The British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA) has a 'Find Insurance' tool and a helpline (0370 950 1790) for this purpose.
If your home is going to be empty for more than 30 consecutive days, you'll likely need a specialist unoccupied home insurance policy.
Standard home insurance usually covers your property all year round, but it typically requires that your house isn't left unoccupied for longer than 30 days.
Some policies may give more time, sometimes up to 60 days, but it varies.
Unoccupied property insurance tends to be more expensive than regular home insurance because insurance companies see an empty house as a bigger risk.
If you're a landlord and your property is empty between tenants, landlord insurance might cover it for up to three months. But, depending on your insurer, you might need to add extra coverage for empty properties. It's a good idea to check with your insurer to make sure you're covered.
How we analyse home insurance
Customer scores
In June and July 2025, we surveyed 2,804 policyholders who had made a home insurance claim within the past two years. The customer score is based on claimants who have claimed with their current home insurance provider, and reflects their overall satisfaction and their likelihood of recommending it. The claims score specifically reflects claims handling - and is based on satisfaction and likelihood of recommending the insurer they last claimed with, based on how it handled that claim.
Providers must receive a minimum sample size of 30 to be included.
Customer score/Claims score sample sizes
1st Central (37/60), The AA (not applicable/33), Admiral (277/345), Ageas (na/64), Allianz (73/137), Aviva (424/516), Axa (147/190), Bank of Scotland (30/51), Churchill (58/82), Co-op Insurance (na/38), Direct Line (91/112), Halifax (80/109), Hastings Direct (na/36), HSBC (60/94), John Lewis (na/31), Lloyds Bank (71/108), LV (84/102), Nationwide Building Society (55/73), NatWest (37/54), NFU Mutual (70/74), Policy Expert (na/38), Saga (41/54), Santander (na/37), Tesco Insurance (50/58).
Why only talk to customers who have claimed?
We only survey customers who have recently claimed. This is because you'll only know how good an insurer's customer service really is when you have to make a claim. That's when good insurers will show their ability to deal with problems, quickly process your claim and arrange replacements or repairs as soon as possible.
Policy scores
In July 2025, we surveyed 35 insurance companies about the levels of cover in their policies. We rated 134 elements of each policy, including buildings cover, contents cover, and elements that applied to both - such as admin fees. The policy score reflects how well the policy did overall. The higher it is, the more comprehensive the cover.
Certain elements are weighted to have more or less of an impact on the policy score based on the general level of importance we think it has. Among the highest-weighted elements are accidental damage cover, claim limits for valuables and alternative accommodation cover.
Combined score
The combined score is the average of the policy's buildings and contents scores. We use this score to rank the policies in our main table.
How we pick Which? Recommended Providers
We rank providers based on our customer surveys and policy analysis. The top-scorers can be Which? Recommended Providers (WRPs) if they:
Are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
Are available to the public
Have received responses from 30 or more customers in our survey
Achieve high scores in our customer satisfaction survey
Achieve an average or above policy score.
A provider can't be a WRP if it has a poorer-than-average claims score.
We review a lot of policies, and our Best Buy badge recognises the individual products that stood out as being the most comprehensive in our analysis. It doesn't reflect customer service. However, we won't make a provider a Best Buy where there's evidence - either from our surveys or from Financial Conduct Authority data - of poor service or a poorer-than-average record of paying claims.
Policies named as Best Buys for buildings cover have a minimum policy score of 73%
Policies named as Best Buys for contents cover have a minimum policy score of 71%.
Additionally, we look at how consistently good the cover is in policies. To make the cut, a policy needs to have scored at least three out of five points in two thirds of the areas we've rated (see 'How we calculate the scores' for more).
Lastly, all Best Buy policies must have - or make available - the following levels of cover as a minimum:
Buildings
Flood, storm, subsidence and accidental damage cover; cover for burst or blocked pipes; trace and access cover (£5,000); alternative accommodation (£50,000) with no time limit; property owner liability (£1m); replacement of locks or keys for external doors (£500); home emergency cover (£500 and includes the central heating system)
Contents
Accidental damage cover; theft and damage of contents in the open; theft and damage of contents from outbuildings; business equipment; alternative accommodation (£15,000); money in the home (£500); valuables (unspecified single item limit - £2,000); personal possessions (unspecified single item limit - £1,000); replacement of locks or keys for external doors (£500).
Be more money savvy
free newsletter
Get a firmer grip on your finances with the expert tips in our Money newsletter – it's free weekly.
This newsletter delivers free money-related content, along with other information about Which? Group products and services. Unsubscribe whenever you want. Your data will be processed in accordance with our Privacy policy.
Compare home insurance
Find the right policy for your home using the service provided by Confused.com
