When you buy Home Insurance, it is important to pick the right level of cover for your needs. Our Home Insurance is designed for homes you live in yourself as your main residence, which make it unsuitable for landlords, student houses or shared accommodation.
You can choose from three main options:
- Buildings insurance
- Contents insurance
- Buildings and Contents insurance
This guide explains what each one covers and who it is usually suitable for.
Please note that this blog is general information only. It is important to always check your own Policy Schedule and Policy Booklet for full details of what is and is not covered.
Buildings insurance – cover for the structure of your home
What it covers
Buildings insurance protects the structure of your home – the parts you would not take with you if you moved. This includes the walls, roof, floors, windows and doors, fixtures and fittings like kitchen/bathroom units.
If an insured event such as fire, storm, flood or subsidence happens (and it is shown as covered on your Policy Schedule), buildings cover can help pay to repair or rebuild your home, up to the limits shown in your documents.
Who it is usually for
Buildings insurance is normally suitable if:
- You own your home and live in it (with or without a mortgage); or
- You are a leaseholder and are responsible for insuring your part of the building (check your lease).
If you rent your home, your landlord usually insures the building, so you would only need contents cover (check your rental agreement).
Contents insurance – cover for your contents
What it covers
Contents insurance protects the contents in your home – the items you would take with you if you moved, such as furniture, clothing, TVs, laptops, and other household items.
If they are damaged or stolen because of an insured event (for example, fire, theft or escape of water), contents cover can help with repair or replacement costs, up to the limit on your Policy Schedule.
Valuables such as jewellery, watches and electronics are usually covered under contents and may also be covered away from home if you have added Personal Belongings cover. However, limits apply, and any high‑value items worth more than £1,500 each must be listed separately on your Policy Schedule. Some items may need to be specified individually.
To include Personal Belongings cover on your policy, please contact our Customer Service team on 0330 331 0749, Monday to Friday between 09:00 – 17:30.
Who it is usually for
Contents insurance is normally suitable if:
- You own your home and want to protect what is inside it; or
- You rent your home and want to cover the contents in your home (your landlord’s insurance will not usually cover these).
Buildings and Contents – one policy for your home and belongings
What it covers
This cover brings both Buildings and Contents insurance together under one policy, so:
- Your home’s structure is covered; and
- Your contents are covered, with one insurer, one renewal date and one set of documents to manage.
Who it is usually for
Buildings and Contents is often the preferable option if you:
- Own and live in your home as your main residence; and want cover for both the building and everything inside it.
When Acorn Home Insurance is not right for you
To help you avoid buying a policy that will not meet your needs, it is important to be clear where our Home Insurance is not suitable:
- Landlords – Our Home Insurance only covers homes you live in yourself. It is not suitable for people who rent out a property they own.
- Student or shared accommodation – We do not cover student houses or shared / multi‑occupancy homes.
How to decide which level of cover you need
Here are some quick examples:
You own and live in a house
- At minimum, you will usually need Buildings cover.
- If you also want to protect your belongings, Buildings and Contents is often the best fit.
You own and live in a flat
- If the freeholder or management company insures the building, you may only need Contents cover.
- If you are responsible for your part of the building, you may need Buildings or Buildings and Contents cover – check your lease or ask us by calling us on 0330 331 0749, Monday to Friday between 09:00 – 17:30.
You rent your home
- Your landlord will insure the building.
- You would usually take out Contents cover for the items in your home.
If you are unsure, you can always contact our UK‑based Customer Service team and we will talk through your options.
Conclusion: Key things to check in your documents
Regardless of the level of cover you choose, it is important to make sure it is set up correctly for you and your home.
- Check your values are high enough
- Your Buildings cover should reflect the full cost of rebuilding your home, not its market value.
- Your Contents value should be enough to replace all your items as new.
- If you underestimate these amounts, any claim payment may be reduced or not paid at all if the amounts exceed our limits, because you would be underinsured.
- Review valuables and high‑risk items
- Check the limits that apply to jewellery, watches and other high‑risk items.
- Make sure any high‑value items worth more than £1,500 each, and that need to be specified, are listed correctly on your Policy Schedule.
More guidance: where to look in your Policy Booklet
For more detail and examples, please see the following sections in your Policy Booklet:
- “Making sure You have the right cover” – guidance on choosing the right values and how index linking works
- Section B – Your Buildings cover – what is covered and key exclusions for the structure of your home
- Section C – Your Household Contents cover – what is covered and key exclusions for your belongings
- Section I – Policy Exclusions – important information on what is not covered under the policy
Checking these sections, alongside your Policy Schedule, will help you understand your cover and make sure it is right for your needs.