How Much Contents Insurance Do I Need?

Accurately estimating the value of your possessions is vital for ensuring that everything’s covered by your contents insurance.

Your house is made up of bricks and mortar, but it’s the things inside that make it your home. From your furniture and your appliances to your clothes, jewellery and family heirlooms, everything has a value. And if the worst were to happen, you want to make sure you can replace it all.

Contents insurance is there to protect the things you love against loss, theft or damage, and it’s important that you value your possessions as accurately as you can and apply for the right level of cover. If you were to underestimate the value of your home’s contents, you might not be able to claim for everything if your home was burgled or damaged by a flood or fire.

How much contents insurance should I get?

How much insurance you get should be based on the value of your possessions. It might be tempting to hazard a guess at how much your home’s contents are worth, but you could end up with insufficient cover. For peace of mind, it’s far better to spend a bit of time accurately valuing your possessions.

Use our contents calculator to work out what you need.

Calculate your contents

What should I include in my contents cover?

You should include everything you would take with you if you were to move home. This includes valuables, furniture, gadgets and freestanding appliances.

Permanent fixtures and fittings, including fitted wardrobes and kitchen units, should be covered by your buildings insurance (although fitted carpets come under the contents side of things).

How do I work out the value of my contents?

The best thing to do is go room to room, making a list of all your possessions and their values so that you can add them up and work out the overall value of your home’s contents. For insurance purposes, the value of an item is usually the amount of money it would cost to replace the item today, rather than how much you paid for it originally.

It’s also a good idea to take photos of each room and of specific valuables so that you have proof of ownership if you need to make a claim.

Here’s an example of what might be included in each room:

Kitchen

Food stored in your fridge, freezer and cupboards
Pots and pans
Crockery and cutlery
Microwave, kettle and toaster
Freestanding appliances such as your oven and hob, fridge-freezer, washing machine and dishwasher

Living room

Sofa, armchairs and footstools
Coffee tables, bookcases, cabinets and sideboards
Cushions, blankets, rugs, carpets, curtains and blinds
Artwork, mirrors, lamps and ornaments
TV, games consoles, sound systems, speakers, cables and chargers
Books, video games, DVDs and records

Dining room

Dining table, chairs and any other furniture
Carpets, rugs, curtains and blinds
Artwork, mirrors, lamps and ornaments
Tableware like serving plates and placemats
Drinks cabinet and all the bottles and glassware in it

Bedroom

Beds, wardrobes, chests of drawers, bedside tables and bookshelves
Artwork, mirrors, lamps and ornaments
Children’s toys
Bed linen, cushions, blankets and towels
Rugs, carpets, curtains and blinds
Clothes, shoes, jewellery and accessories

Bathroom

Bathroom cabinets and mirrors
Towels and bath mats
Toiletries, cosmetics, perfumes and aftershave

Loft, utility room or storage cupboards

Vacuum cleaner, iron and ironing board
Art and craft materials
Luggage
Heirlooms and collectibles
Fitness equipment and musical instruments

Garden

Garden furniture and ornaments
Lawn mowers, tools and gardening equipment
Bikes
Barbecues

Make a note of any high-value items

Most contents insurance policies will have a single-item limit, which is the maximum amount it will pay out for any one item.

If you have any high value items – such as family heirlooms, jewellery and electrical items – that exceed this limit, you’ll need to let your insurer know and add these as named items on your policy.

It’s also a good idea to get an up-to-date valuation of valuable items before you get an insurance quote. Having regular valuations will allow you to get the right amount of contents cover for your possessions.

Do I need to update my contents cover if I buy something new?

It depends on the value of your new item. If it’s a small purchase, then there’s usually no need to let your insurer know. But if you buy something valuable, you’ll need to add it to your cover.

Do I need to have receipts for my valuables?

Your insurer may ask you to provide proof of purchase – either in the form of a receipt or a bank statement that shows the amount you paid for an item.

For items like jewellery or expensive artwork, you may also need to provide an up-to-date professional valuation certificate.

Once you’ve valued your possessions and worked out how much cover you need, get a quote to protect your home with Saga.

Who provides Saga Home Insurance?

Saga Home Insurance is arranged and administered by Ageas Retail Limited and underwritten by Ageas Insurance Limited.

How the contents calculator works

Enter the value of the contents for each room of your home
Discover how much it will cost to replace all your contents
Get a home insurance quote with Saga

Get Started

Top tip: enter the replacement value as if you were to buy your items again now, rather than what you paid previously.

Both Saga Select and Saga Plus Contents cover include Items replaced new for old as standard.

Let's go!

Living room contents

Please estimate the value of the contents in your living room that you need cover for.

Sofa(s)

Other furniture

TV and other electrical items

Carpets curtains and soft furnishings

Pictures and ornaments

Current contents value:

Continue Go back

Kitchen contents

Please estimate the value of the contents in your kitchen that you need cover for.

Fridge

Oven and cooker

Microwave, toaster and other electricals

Pots, pans and utensils

Crockery, cutlery and glassware

Washing machine and tumble dryer

Current contents value:

Continue Go back

Dining room contents

Please estimate the value of the contents in your dining room that you need cover for.

Table and chairs

Other furniture

Electricals

Carpets, curtains and soft furnishings

Pictures and ornaments

Silverware

Current contents value:

Continue Go back

Bedroom(s)

Please estimate the value of the contents in your bedroom(s).

Bed(s)

Other furniture

Shoes and clothes

Jewellery and watches

Bedding, carpets and curtains

TV and other electricals

Current contents value:

Continue Go back

Bathroom, garage and other contents

Please estimate the value of the contents in your bathroom, garage or anywhere else inside the home that you need cover for.

Cabinets, shelving and mirrors

Soft furnishings

Exercise equipment

Toys

Gadgets like tablets and laptops

Other electrical items and appliances

Anything else...

Current contents value:

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Shed and garden contents

Please estimate the value of the contents in your shed and garden that you need cover for.

Gardening equipment and lawnmowers

Tools

Garden furniture

Ornaments

Current contents value:

Continue Go back

Your required cover level:

Top tip: enter the replacement value as if you were to buy your items again now, rather than what you paid previously.

Both Saga Select and Saga Plus Contents cover include Items replaced new for old as standard.

Your required cover level:

This figure is based on the information you have provided.

If you go ahead and complete a full quote any of the information you've entered won't need to be given again.

Get a home insurance quote Go back

How much contents insurance do I need?

How much contents insurance should I get?

What should I include in my contents cover?