Home & Contents Insurance
There is no place like home. Our experts will ensure your policy will cover the risks you need.
Quick Summary
- What is covered: Buildings and contents insurance covers your home against fire, flood, theft, storm damage, and escape of water, with new-for-old replacement as standard
- Buildings cover: Standard household policies typically include buildings cover up to £1m as a blanket sum insured, removing the need for a formal rebuild cost assessment in most cases
- Contents and valuables: Contents are covered on a new-for-old basis; personal items such as jewellery and watches are included up to the policy’s single-article limit, with individual specification available for higher-value items
- Optional extensions: Accidental damage, all-risks cover for portable items away from the home, and family legal expenses can all be added to a standard policy
Your home is likely your most valuable asset. At Daines Kapp Insurance Brokers, we have been arranging specialist home and contents insurance for private clients across the UK for over 35 years. Whether you own a period property, a modern high-value home, or a residence with significant contents — fine art, jewellery, or collections — we structure coverage that standard high-street policies simply cannot match. Working with more than 15 specialist insurers — including Lloyd’s of London syndicates, Hiscox, and Chubb — our private client team builds individually tailored programmes that reflect the true value of your home and everything inside it.
Home Insurance Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All
No two homes are identical, and no two home insurance policies are either. The difference between a policy that fully protects you and one that leaves gaps often comes down to wording rather than price — a cheaper policy may technically be valid but carry sub-limits, exclusions, or conditions that only become apparent at claim time. Key variables include whether accidental damage is included or excluded as standard, the single-item limit for valuables (which varies significantly between insurers), whether contents cover extends to personal possessions away from the home, and whether the policy settles claims on a new-for-old basis or applies indemnity deductions for age and wear. Daines Kapp reviews these variables with every client. We place home insurance across more than 15 specialist insurers, and our advice is focused on making sure the policy you take out genuinely covers what you need it to — not just on finding the lowest headline premium.
What Your Home & Contents Policy Can Cover
| Cover Section | What It Includes | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Buildings Insurance | Rebuild cost cover for the structure including listed buildings, thatched or unusual construction, outbuildings, garages, and boundary walls | Standard household policies typically include buildings cover up to £1m as a blanket sum insured, making it straightforward for most homes. Ensuring your property is correctly described and any unusual features are disclosed helps maintain the validity of your cover. |
| Contents Insurance | New-for-old replacement for furniture, electronics, clothing, and household goods; accidental damage included as standard; cover for possessions away from home worldwide | New-for-old replacement terms mean you receive a like-for-like replacement rather than a depreciated payout when you claim. Accidental damage cover can be added to protect against everyday mishaps, and all-risks extensions provide cover for portable items away from the home. |
| Valuables & Jewellery | Personal items such as rings, watches, and necklaces covered up to the single-article limit on your policy; higher-value items can be individually specified with a supporting valuation; cover can include worldwide protection during travel. | Per-item limits on standard policies rarely exceed £2,500; specialist cover is based on actual replacement cost with no depreciation, agreed at inception to prevent disputes at claim time |
| Fine Art & Collections | Paintings, sculptures, antiques, wine cellars, classic watches, and collectables on an agreed value basis; loss, damage, accidental breakage, and mysterious disappearance covered | Standard policies exclude or severely limit art and collections; specialist insurers offer inflation-indexed agreed values updated by qualified appraisers to maintain full replacement cover |
| Personal & Employer’s Liability | Up to £10 million personal and occupiers’ liability; employer’s liability for domestic staff including housekeepers, gardeners, and nannies; worldwide personal liability available | High-value properties and domestic employees create liability exposures well beyond standard £1–2 million limits; adequate cover protects personal and investment assets from litigation |
| Alternative Accommodation | Temporary housing costs while your home is being repaired following a major insured loss such as fire, flood, or structural damage; cover at a standard proportionate to your property | If your home is uninhabitable following an insured event, this cover pays for temporary housing and reasonable additional living expenses while repairs are carried out. Limits vary by insurer, and it is worth ensuring the amount is sufficient for your household’s needs. |
Who We Help
Our home and contents clients are typically homeowners looking for well-arranged, clearly structured cover for their property and belongings. We help people insuring homes with rebuild costs below £1m, households with contents valued up to £100,000, and clients with modest jewellery or other valuables within standard single-article limits. We also arrange cover for landlords of residential properties, and for clients who want a properly structured policy rather than a generic price-comparison quote. If your property has a rebuild cost above £1m, your contents exceed £100,000 in value, or you hold significant collections of jewellery, art, or other high-value items, our mid to high net worth insurance programme may be more appropriate for your needs.
Why Choose Daines Kapp for Home Insurance
Daines Kapp has been a specialist personal lines and commercial insurance broker for over 35 years. Our private client team works with a carefully selected panel of more than 15 specialist insurers — including Lloyd’s of London syndicates, Hiscox, and Chubb — who provide genuinely bespoke coverage rather than adapted standard policies. Our dedicated claims team manages the process from notification to settlement, working directly with loss adjusters on complex or high-value claims to protect client interests.
For clients requiring broader private client coverage including travel, classic vehicles, and personal accident, we also arrange comprehensive private client insurance programmes tailored to lifestyle and asset profile.
Get a Home Insurance Quote
To arrange a review of your existing home insurance or to obtain a tailored quotation for your property and contents, contact our private client team today. Get a Home Insurance Quote →
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between standard household insurance and mid or high net worth home insurance?
Standard household insurance covers the needs of most UK homeowners: buildings up to £1m, contents on a new-for-old basis, and personal valuables within the policy’s single-article limit — typically around £2,000 to £5,000 per item without individual specification. Mid to high net worth home insurance is designed for clients with more complex requirements. It accommodates individually specified items of significant value, such as jewellery or artwork worth tens of thousands of pounds, and provides broader away-from-home cover for portable valuables. Specialist policies also tend to include supplemental covers — such as family legal expenses, accidental damage across all contents, and personal liability — as standard within a single package, and can cover multiple dwellings under one programme. As a guide, if you have individual items worth more than £25,000, contents substantially exceeding £100,000, or a property with a rebuild cost above £1m, a mid to high net worth policy is likely to be more suitable.
Do I need to have my jewellery professionally valued to insure it?
Yes, for individual items above a certain threshold — which varies significantly by insurer — a professional valuation from a qualified jeweller or gemologist is required to establish an agreed value. This agreed value is then fixed at inception, meaning there is no dispute over replacement cost if an item is lost or stolen. Valuations should be updated every three to five years, or following significant changes in precious metal or gemstone prices, to ensure the agreed value remains adequate for replacement.
How is the rebuild cost for my home calculated?
The rebuild cost — the amount it would cost to demolish and fully reinstate your property — is not the same as its market value. Standard household insurance policies typically provide buildings cover on a blanket basis up to £1m, which is sufficient for the vast majority of UK homes and removes the need for a formal reinstatement cost assessment in most cases. However, if your property is particularly large, has been significantly extended, or features unusual construction materials or architectural details, the £1m limit may not be adequate. In those circumstances, a mid to high net worth policy — which allows for an individually agreed buildings sum insured based on a professional assessment — may be more suitable. You can find out more on our mid to high net worth insurance page.
What alternative accommodation cover do I need if my home is uninhabitable?
Alternative accommodation cover pays for temporary housing while your property is repaired or reinstated following an insured event such as a fire, flood, or escape of water. Most standard household policies include a limit for alternative accommodation, though the amount varies between insurers. When reviewing your policy, it is worth checking that the limit is sufficient for your household — particularly if you have a larger family or are in an area where rental costs are higher. Your policy will typically also cover reasonable additional living expenses incurred while you are unable to return home.
