Make sure you have read your policy so that the cover meets your needs. Home insurance policies can vary, including if you are covered for accidental damage, or for damage to possessions away from your home.  

Most insurers have 24-hour emergency helplines, so you can get advice to get your claim moving as quickly as possible.  

If you can, call your insurer emergency helpline first for advice. Keep any receipts as these will form part of your claim.  

Unless they are a health hazard, (such as rotting food) as your insurer may want to inspect them. Your insurer can quickly advise you on this. If you do need to throw items away, take photos of them and a sample of the fabric/carpet.  

It is designed to cover a range of risks such as flood, storm damage, fire, theft as set out in the policy. It will not cover problems from wear and tear or poor maintenance. 

If you have a home insurance policy, or any other type of insurance, but you do not know the name of the company that issued it, there is no central policy database you can check. But there are other options:  

• speak to your insurance broker or financial adviser who may be able to help you to trace your policy 
• check your bank account / credit card statements for evidence of payments to an insurer 

If you have a home insurance policy, or any other type of insurance, and you know the name of the company you bought the policy from but cannot find the policy document: 

Contact your insurer who should be able to trace your policy using your personal information and your postcode 

Gadget insurance may be your best option. Gadget insurance provides cover for items such as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, etc. Most policies usually cover the cost of replacing the gadget, unauthorised calls and accidental damage.

Yes, if you don’t let your insurer know about changes this could affect your cover. For example, if you have told your insurer that your roof is in good repair, they will base your premium on the known risk of storm damage happening to the average roof.  

But if, in fact, your guttering is already falling off, or your tiles are coming loose, then there’s a greater than average risk of damage happening during a storm – something your insurer hasn’t covered against on your original premium.  

As the full risks weren’t disclosed, you’re effectively insuring higher risks at a cheaper price, which could invalidate your policy and leave you without a pay out in the event of a claim. 

The golden rule of voluntary excess is to make sure you know what you can afford to pay it if you have to make a claim.

The more you agree to pay towards a claim, the less cost there would be for your insurer, so they may reduce your premium accordingly.  

But be aware that setting an unreasonably high voluntary excess may save you a few pounds on your premium in the short term, but if ever you need to make a claim, you could find yourself with a large bill to settle before your insurer will pay out.