Key facts and details about home insurance add-ons and extras

Home insurance is a financial tool designed to help protect your property and belongings from theft, loss or natural disasters. While a standard policy usually covers a large portion of the things you own, it may not be adequate enough to cover everything, because home insurance is never a one-size-fits-all.

Which is where add-ons come in. Add-ons are typically optional covers to your policy, for things that the home insurance policy itself may not be covering. Not only that, they help further secure you and your belongings from risks.

Protecting your home is essential for your peace of mind and security. Whether it's through home insurance, security systems or other measures, taking steps to safeguard your home is a wise investment.

There are primarily 5 types of home insurance policies:

1. Home contents insurance
2. Building insurance
3. Buildings and contents insurance
4. Holiday home insurance
5. Unoccupied home insurance

Why should I get add-ons on top of my home insurance policy?

Opting for extras can help in a variety of ways such as:

• You have the freedom to cover everything based on your individual needs (instead of whatever is covered in the policy you've chosen).
• You can protect your pocket from unintentional damage.
• Gives you the ability to increase the excess on your home insurance policy.
• It can be cheaper than buying a bigger policy with higher premiums.

When should I consider add-ons on my home insurance policy?

Upon reading your policy carefully, you may find gaps in the cover that should be filled. You can do this by upgrading your home insurance cover with optional extras.

These add-ons can be added to your combined buildings and contents policy or single policies like holiday home or unoccupied home insurance.

What are the add-ons available for home insurance in Ireland?

You can add some extra protection to your home insurance policy (at an additional price) with these covers:

• Accidental damage cover - This is a way to cover unforeseen and unexpected damage to your building and its contents. It covers mishaps like dropping a laptop, or smashing the window with a football, but not damage done by pets or while carrying out DIY projects.
• Emergency home assistance - This cover helps you deal with emergencies by paying (sometimes even overnight) for an authorised repairer to sort out your problem. It comes in handy during emergencies like a blocked toilet or gas supply failure and also covers accidents that may affect the security of your home.
• Legal protection - This type of coverage pays for you and your family to pursue or defend a personal legal dispute. You will also get access to a confidential legal helpline for advice on a variety of subjects including consumer law, employment, and medical negligence.
• Personal belongings - While a standard contents policy covers your belongings at home, it may not provide coverage when you take them out. This cover insures you against loss, theft, or accidental damage wherever you take your belongings. You can insure items like jewellery, laptops, or mobile phones with this additional cover.
• No-claims protection - With this cover, you can get a no-claims discount on your home insurance policy if you don't make a claim for a while. This usually works for a five-year time period.

These are the most common types of add-ons you can get with your home insurance policies. However, there are several more that may benefit your unique needs. Some of these include:

• Audio and visual equipment cover
• New for old content cover
• Credit/Debit card cover
• Alternative accommodation cover
• Freezer contents cover
• Replacement locks and keys cover

It's important to understand that add-ons, along with a few other factors affect the premium of your home insurance policy and can majorly impact your choice of the best suited policy.

How to find the best home insurance policy deal in Ireland?

With Paddy Compare, you can do thorough research and understand your exact requirements before getting a policy that is most suited for you. It is always recommended to shop around before picking a policy. Get in touch with Paddy's local home insurance brokers today!

Simply follow these steps: