Is your job title costing your home insurance more?

Claims history, location and even your front door lock can affect home insurance prices. But new GoCompare research suggests some people could be paying more depending on the job title they use on their application.  

The comparison site also found that one in four people lie about details, such as their occupation, to get a better deal when applying for financial products. But giving false information can backfire, leading to rejected claims or cancelled policies. 

We look at how your job affects home insurance costs and show honest ways to cut your premium.

How much could your job title cost you?

When you run a home insurance quote, you'll be asked a lot of questions about your property – from rebuild costs to security features – as well as personal details, including your job title. Your occupation may seem trivial, but getting it wrong could leave you out of pocket.

Comparison site GoCompare analysed data on combined buildings and contents home insurance policies purchased on its site between January 2024 and December 2025. It found that the occupation you select can make a big difference to how much you pay.

For example, annual cover for a warehouse packer costs a median average of £155, compared to £519 for an investment manager. A difference of £364. Of course, there are likely other factors at play here. Higher-paid workers may be able to afford a larger house, which is likely more expensive to insure.

However, the research also found differences between how much people doing similar work are charged for home insurance. Selecting the job title 'chartered engineer', for example, will see you forking out £297 for annual cover, but listing your job as an 'engineer' means you pay a lower £226. That's £71 less.

Home insurance costs are also shaped by factors like location, property type, age, claims history and contents value. These factors will have influenced the figures in GoCompare’s research alongside occupation.

• Find out more: best home insurance 2026

Should you lie to get cheaper cover?

GoCompare’s data covers 736 job titles, but the Office for National Statistics lists nearly 24,000 in its Standard Occupational Classification. It means most people are unlikely to find an exact match when applying for cover, and instead, they pick the closest option. 

But a significant number of customers are bending the truth to get a cheaper deal. A separate survey by the comparison site shows 24% of people have intentionally lied on a personal finance application. 

Among those who admitted dishonesty, 14% said they had lied about their profession or job title. For home insurance specifically, 6% of respondents admitted lying on their application. 

• Find out more: how to find cheap home insurance

What can happen if you get caught?

At best, lying to your insurer 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.

GoCompare also warns that customers running multiple quotes on a comparison site and changing their job title between attempts can ring alarm bells. Insurers that suspect you are lying are more likely to offer you higher rates, restrict access to the best quotes, or raise a formal fraud flag on the application.

4 honest ways to cut costs

Yes, prices are still high, but the risks of lying are simply not worth it. 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.

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.

Doing your 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 will be automatically enrolled for another year.

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 that you check the policy details carefully before buying the cover.