How To Buy the Best Home Insurance Policy
1. Unlimited cover.
Most insurers will ask you to estimate the value of all your belongings and the cost of rebuilding your property. If you under-estimate this figure , the insurer will probably refuse to pay out the full cost of replacing any items or rebuilding the property – they will just pay a pro-rata amount based on the percentage of under insurance that they calculate.  So try and find  an insurance  policy that offers unlimited cover.

2. Emergency repairs cover.
Some insurers provide home emergency repairs cover.
3. Christmas cover increase.
You wont feel much like celebrating this Christmas if all your familys gifts were stolen and your insurer refused to replace them. So if you dont choose a policy
with unlimited cover, make sure you go with an insurer that will automatically increase your level of cover over the seasonal holidays.

4. No claims discount.
If you have a no claims history, look for an insurer that will offer you a no claims discount.

How To Cut Insurance quotes – Cheaper Prices

1. Make your property safer. According to Tesco Personal Finance,
fitting a burglar alarm will reduce your premium by around 7.5%,
linking the alarm up to the police network will shave off a
further 5% and fitting your windows and doors with high quality
locks will also cut your premiums by 5%.

2. Purchase both buildings and contents insurance from the same
provider. Some insurers  will discount your premium if you take out both cover types from them. Also, look out for discounts for holding several policies with the same insurer (for example, Quinn  will give you a discount if you take out health  insurance as well as home insurance).

3. Opt for a higher voluntary excess. This will reduce your yearly premiums, but do bear in mind however that you will have to pay out more should you have to make a claim.

4. Purchase your policy on the internet. Providers often discount their internet quotations as there are less administrative costs .

The irish Financial regulator did a survey of home insurance quotes in August 2007 . They only checked 7 of the major insurers – Allianz , AXA, Eagle Star, FBD, Hibernian, Quinn Direct and Royal Sun Alliance.
In  all the comparisons for properties occupied by the home owners  - Quinn Direct came up with the lowest quote. They used different profiles , ages, locations, house value etc – and in 5 out of 5 cases Quinn were the cheapest . In some cases the price difference was over 50% more from the other insurers.

Full Survey

A large number of householders in Ireland  have been affected by damage caused by water leaks at some time . The damage is usually caused by washing machines, showers, burst pipes, leaking baths, dishwashers and burst water tanks. It’s also be caused by human error, such as leaving water to overflow when filling up baths and sinks.

Tips to avoid water damage:

• Regularly check your pipes and appliances to find any potential weak spots.
  When switching off taps, avoid over-tightening which can weaken washers and cause leaks. (
  Ensure pipes are well insulated to protect them from frost damage. (
  Don’t leave your central heating off for long periods during winter. When you go on holiday, use a timer to make sure the heating is on during colder periods of the day.
• Always go with a reputable tradesman. 
  Similarly, don’t carry out plumbing jobs yourself unless you’re qualified plumber. (
  Don’t get the water damage fixed without approval from your insurer, or it probably won’t reimburse you.
• Your home insurance is not a maintenance contract. The insurer covers you for damage caused by escaping water. However, if, for example, a leak occurs because you failed to keep pipes or drains clean, or because you failed to have your boiler regularly serviced, those pipes, drains or boilers won’t be repaired by the insurer. Only the damage caused by the water is covered. So maintain your water fittings!
• To resolve emergencies, you can buy home emergency cover which will cover temporary repairs for some of these things. It’s important to read the exclusions though; for example, plumbing problems related to radiators are covered, but the radiators themselves aren’t, nor is the cost of replacing parts damaged due to wear and tear. And there are many more exclusions where that came from!
• Damage caused by water to the building is covered under buildings insurance and damage to contents under contents insurance, so make sure you have the insurances you need.