Does marriage affect your home insurance bill?

Marriage comes with plenty of financial perks, but cheaper home insurance may not be one of them. 

New research from Compare the Market suggests couples who say 'I do' pay £213 on average for their home insurance, compared to £162 for single homeowners.

But is marriage really pushing up the cost of cover? We looked more closely at the data and asked some of the UK's biggest insurers what role your marital status actually plays.

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How does marriage affect home cover costs?

Getting married could mean paying more to protect your home, new research from Compare the Market suggests. 

This table shows how your status can affect the cost of cover. Results are ordered by price:

As the table shows, married homeowners pay an average of £213 a year for home insurance. That's 31% more than single homeowners, who pay £162 on average. That £51 gap makes single homeowners the cheapest marital status group to insure.

Homeowners in civil partnerships and those living with a partner also pay noticeably less than married couples – £177 and £179 respectively.

The good news is premiums are heading in the right direction. Since 2024, average home insurance costs have fallen by 12% for married homeowners, with even bigger drops for those in civil partnerships (18%), cohabiting couples (17%) and single homeowners (18%).

Joint home insurance policies are a popular option for married couples looking to cut down on paperwork and avoid longer claims processes. But it isn't necessarily the cheapest option, especially if one policyholder has made previous claims or has a higher-risk job. 

At £208 on average, joint policies are still 19% more expensive than sole policies.

• Find out more: best home insurance.

Why might married couples pay more?

The figures don't necessarily mean marriage itself pushes up the cost of home insurance.

We searched for home insurance on comparison site Confused on 29 June 2026. Changing the applicant from married to single for a two-bed terraced house in south London changed the cheapest buildings and contents quote by less than £3 (£388.58 vs £385.66).

The higher cost for married homeowners is likely down to the homes they insure. Compare the Market says couples and families tend to live in larger properties with higher rebuild costs and own more valuable possessions.

We also asked four of the UK's biggest insurers – Admiral, Aviva, Direct Line and Hastings – whether they consider marital status a risk factor when calculating the cost of home insurance cover.

Aviva and Direct Line told us marital status is not taken under consideration when providing home insurance quotes.

Hastings and Admiral said it does, but stressed it's just one of many factors. A home's location, size, value, security features and contents all play a role.

Admiral said being married can actually reduce your premium slightly. It told Which? that married customers tend to make lower-cost theft claims. It stressed, however, that changing only your marital status from single to married or in a civil partnership would shave less than 1% off your quote.

• Find out more: how to find cheap home insurance. 

Why it pays to be honest  

It can be tempting to think tweaking your details might lower the cost of cover, but giving inaccurate information can have serious consequences

At best, you could see your claim rejected. At worst, your policy could be invalidated or – in some serious cases involving deliberate fraud – your case could be referred for criminal investigation. 

That's because dishonesty, when either applying for cover or making a claim, counts as fraud. 

As a result, you could also potentially have your name added to the Insurance Fraud Register. This is an industry-wide database of known fraudsters, used by insurers when making underwriting decisions and assessing claims. 

If you end up on the list, you could struggle with any future insurance applications, credit rating and mortgage applications.

4 ways to get cheaper cover

Here, we outline four ways to keep prices down without being dishonest.

1. Shop around

It's a cliché, but seeing what other deals are out there before renewing or buying a new policy is one of the most effective ways to secure lower premiums. 

Price comparison sites such as Compare the Market, Confused.com, GoCompare and MoneySuperMarket allow you to view multiple home insurance quotes at a glance. 

To get a clearer idea of how different home insurance policies compare, you could also see our guides to the best contents insurance and buildings insurance. We've rated policies from dozens of insurers to help you choose the right cover.

• Find out more: the cheapest day to buy home insurance.

2. Renew early

Renewing early could also save you hundreds of pounds. With home insurance, you'll often get a cheaper price if you buy your cover a few weeks (rather than a few days) in advance of the policy's start date.

Shopping around early also allows you to more widely research the market or negotiate your insurer's price to make sure you get the best deal.

Plus, never agree to the auto-renewal clause included in your 12-month home insurance agreement. This means that once your initial one-year contract lapses, you'll be automatically enrolled for another year.

• Find out more: what's happening to home insurance premiums? 

3. Choose annual cover

While paying for insurance in instalments can make the costs easier to manage, interest charged on the monthly payments increases the amount you pay overall. 

If you need to spread your payments, one alternative is to buy cover upfront with an interest-free credit card, and pay off a 12th of the card's balance each month.

• Find out more: best 0% credit cards.

4. Cheaper isn't always better

Opting for the very cheapest policy you find won't necessarily save you money in the long run.

If your policy comes with steep excesses or significant exclusions, you'll feel the pinch when it's time to claim. This means it's vital you check the policy details carefully before buying the cover.