Please read our guide to home insurance claims where you will find hints and tips on the process and how some providers operate.

If you need to make a claim under your home insurance policy, the first thing to consider is advising your insurer who will inform you of the process and any measures you need to take. All insurance companies operate their own procedures and often instruct either their own claim inspectors or external loss adjusters to visit you to assess the damage or loss incurred if the size of the claim warrants this action.

Depending on the insurer it’s possible that very small claims may be settled over the phone or with the minimum of fuss, however, certain information could be requested such as a crime reference number if your home has been broken into or an estimate of the cost of repair or replacement of the items concerned.

Hopefully the situation never arises that a claim needs to be made, however, if it does, it pays to understand your home insurance policy cover, not least because free assistance and access to approved tradesman could save time and money. In an attempt to lower claims costs, many large home insurance companies contract plumbers, builders, electricians and other types of tradesman to work on their behalf. This has many advantages for the policyholder, for instance you will be given priority in an emergency and the work in or on your home is often guaranteed to a certain standard demanded by the insurer. Other insurance companies also work in partnership with wholesale distribution companies to automatically deliver and replace items.

For those home owners who have been the unfortunate victim of a burglary or break in and have lost expensive personal possessions such as jewellery or electronic items, it’s not unusual for claims departments to insist on receipts of other proof of ownership such as copies of bank/credit statements or guarantees pamphlets. Remember, the onus of proof is always on the insured and not on the insurance company.