Ten home insurance myths

The amount of buildings cover you need should be based on how much it would cost to rebuild your home from scratch, not the price it could sell for on the market.

The cost of rebuilding is almost always lower than the market value because you don’t have to account for the value of the land. The exception is if you live in a property where non-standard materials may be needed to rebuild it.

If you have recently had a Homebuyer's Report carried out when you bought the property, you can usually find the rebuild cost in the report. Alternatively, you can use the ABI calculator.

Even if you have contents insurance, it doesn’t necessarily mean that every individual item will be covered. Most policies specify a maximum level of cover for a single item, for example £3,000 with our Bronze, Silver and Gold cover levels.

So, if you have something that’s worth more than the single article limit, such as an engagement ring or antique ornament, you’ll need to take out extra or specialist insurance to financially protect it.

Truth: When you take out an insurance policy, you will usually see the term ‘excess’ on the form. This is how much you’ll pay towards a claim before your insurer pays out. There are two types of excess:

• Compulsory is a fixed amount set by your insurer
• Voluntary is the amount you agree to contribute yourself. The higher it is, the lower your premium is likely to be.

Make sure you’re clear on how much excess you’d be required to pay if you need to make a claim so you’re not taken by surprise.

If you spill a pot of paint on the carpet or put your foot through the ceiling while doing DIY, you might assume you can claim for any damage caused on your home insurance.

While many policies provide a certain level of cover against accidental damage as standard, they will usually only cover things like breakages or damage to personal possessions such as musical instruments, sports equipment, watches or pushchairs. You can pay a bit extra to extend the accidental damage cover for most other things, although you may need cover under both buildings and contents policies.

If you carry valuable items around with you, such as laptops, musical instruments or sports equipment, you might find it reassuring to have them financially protected when you’re out and about.

However, you can’t assume that contents insurance will automatically cover your belongings against loss or damage outside the home. You may need to take out personal possessions cover as an optional extra.

To cover gadgets with John Lewis, such as laptops and headphones, you would need to take out our optional Gadget Cover add-on. This would cover your gadgets worth up to £2,500 anywhere in the world, and gadgets worth over £200 would need to be specified.

Many people, particularly first-time buyers, think they have to get home insurance from their mortgage lender.

While buildings insurance is a condition of your mortgage, it’s up to you who you buy it from. Your lender may recommend its own insurance scheme, but it is often advisable to shop around for a better deal. You will have to provide details of your insurance to your lender though.

If your home is in an area that is prone to flooding, the cost of insuring it can be very high. However, a joint scheme by the Government and the insurance industry called Flood Re is helping to bring down premiums for many people living in high risk areas.

The scheme was created to benefit households that had previously struggled to get insurance against flooding and to make this cover more affordable.

If you’re a pet owner, you’ll be all too aware how unpredictable animals can be at times. This can lead to all kinds of accidents, including breakages and damage to furniture.

While simple breakages are often covered, many insurance companies won’t pay out for damage caused by chewing, tearing, scratching or fouling by animals. They also are unlikely to provide cover for damage caused by insects and vermin.

No homeowner wants to hear they've got subsidence as it means the ground has shifted, which can cause foundations to sink. It's a problem typically caused by poor drainage, clay soil or trees absorbing water from the ground.

Most buildings insurance policies will not cover a property with a history of subsidence. However, some providers will cover you if you haven't made a claim for subsidence in the past. With Bronze, Silver or Gold Cover from John Lewis Home Insurance, you’re covered against subsidence or heave of the site on which your buildings stand, including land belonging to it, provided there is no history of this when you take out your policy.

Make sure you're aware of the excess as it may be considerably higher than the standard policy excess.

Damp and condensation can affect any home, particularly older properties that don't have a damp-proof course. It can damage walls and plasterwork, and cause wood to rot.

Most standard home insurance policies will not cover you for damage caused by damp and condensation because it typically falls under the general wear and tear exemption rule. This is especially true of rising damp, which tends to always be associated with a gradual decline in the condition of the building.