The covers you will actually use
On paper, a home policy covers dozens of things: fire, explosion, weather events, electrical damage, glass... But the statistics are stubborn: the vast majority of claims are water damage, broken glass, electrical damage and home assistance (locksmith, plumber). When comparing policies, look first at how they handle those four — they are the ones you will use.
The foundation everything is built on is the buildings and contents sums insured; how to calculate them correctly so you neither overpay nor fall short is explained in our buildings and contents guide.
Water damage: the star claim
The policy covers the damage the water causes — the neighbour's ceiling, your parquet floor, the soaked furniture — plus locating and repairing the fault: opening the wall, finding the leak and leaving the pipe repaired. What it usually does not cover is upgrading the installation: if the whole pipe is old, the insurance repairs the broken section — it does not renew your plumbing.
An important nuance: slow leaks due to lack of maintenance (the degraded silicone seal, the damp patch that had been there for months) are usually excluded. Insurance covers the sudden and accidental, not the gradual deterioration nobody fixed.
Theft: at home and away
Theft at home covers what was stolen and the damage from the break-in (the forced door, the broken window), with specific limits for jewellery, cash and valuables — which must be expressly declared if they exceed certain amounts, or the payout will fall short on the day of the theft.
Many policies also include mugging away from home: the snatched handbag or the phone taken by force in the street, up to an annual limit. It is a cover many people have without knowing it.
Family civil liability: the hidden gem
It covers the damage you or your family cause to others in your private life — not just damage originating from the house. The flowerpot that falls on the car below, the child who breaks something at someone else's home, the dog that bites a neighbour, a collision on your bike: all of that is family liability, normally with limits of hundreds of thousands of euros included in any home policy.
In cost-to-protection terms, it is the best cover in the policy: a personal injury claim can be financially ruinous, and you carry this cover almost without noticing.
What it does NOT cover (and surprises people)
The exclusions that cause the most grief: lack of maintenance and gradual deterioration (old damp, unchecked roofs), damage the home causes while left unoccupied beyond the period the policy sets (often 30 or 90 days), undeclared valuables above the limits, and damage caused deliberately or through gross negligence.
It is also worth knowing that major extraordinary risks — flooding from overflowing rivers, earthquakes, cyclonic storms — are not paid by your insurer but by the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros, a public body funded by a small surcharge on your bill. To claim from the Consorcio you need a policy in force: one more reason never to leave your home uninsured.
How to get it
Bring us your current policy — or your home's details if you have none — and we review it for free: what you are really covered for, what you are overpaying for, what you are missing and how much you can save comparing across more than 20 insurers. No obligation, with an answer the same day.