Finding Insurance for a Self-built Home - Advertisement Feature

Building your own home can be a long, tiring but very rewarding experience. From the initial planning to the moment you can put your feet up and relax in your new living room, many are continuing to take the plunge and build their dream homes from scratch.

There are many aspects you need to keep track of before, during and after the build, and one of the most important of these is ensuring you have sorted out your home insurance. There are many policies on the market, so by taking the time to shop around you could save yourself some money on the total cost of the build.

Home insurance policies help to cover your property from damage from external sources – such as adverse weather conditions like floods. Buildings insurance helps to protect the outside of the property, whilst contents insurance helps to protect your possessions from elemental damage or theft.

When considering building your dream property you must also take some time to research and select an appropriate and affordable house insurance policy. Comparison sites can aid you in the process by doing the searching for you, leaving you to select the policy that’s right for you and your budget.

When considering the design of your house, it’s best to bear some things in mind in order to try and minimise your home insurance premiums:

• Location – before deciding where you’d like to build your dream home, a bit of background research into the area can help you determine any risk before you commit to the planning phase.
• Take time to explore the local area in order to find out about things like flood risks and crime levels, as these can have an effect on your premiums.
• Find out if the potential building spot is within a neighbourhood watch area, this can also go some way towards helping to reduce the cost of your insurance policy.
• Invest in some security to your property – including dead bolting your doors and fitting an alarm to help reduce the risk of burglary. By taking the time to consider such measures during the planning phase, these little steps can often lead to a discount on your home insurance policy. Be sure to let your insurer know of all steps taken to increase security on your property.
• Consider paying a little extra towards your excess if you can afford it, this will help to bring down the cost of your premium in the long term.

When it comes to finding the right policy for your property, it pays to shop around. Steve Sweeney, insurance expert at moneysupermarket.com, said: "While insurance is essential for financial security and peace of mind, it is important Brits only opt for a level of cover relevant to their needs, and at the best available price.” Get quotes from a range of companies and consider taking out separate policies for your buildings and contents insurance, this could ultimately save you some money in future.