Hiscox Home Insurance Review and Quotes
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Discover the methodologyWould you like to protect your home against any damage or an unfortunate event such as a house fire or theft?
Are you wondering if Hiscox is the best home insurance company to protect your house?
You’ve come to the right place.
This ultimate and up-to-date review on Hiscox home insurance gathers all you need to know: consumers reviews, cover details, prices, claim process, contact numbers and much more. Let’s dive right into it.
Is Hiscox the best insurance company for you?
Getting the best home insurance deal is not just about the price. Indeed, focusing on just getting the cheapest deal might be a bad calculation when it comes to getting a good pay-out if your home is damaged as a result of an unfortunate event such as theft, fire or natural disaster.
At Safe, we’ve studied in detail Hiscox's home policy terms and conditions and given our own ratings based on different criteria for combined building and contents insurance policy.
4,0 Safe overall rating for Hiscox
| Safe rating | Our opinion | |
|---|---|---|
| Customer service & satisfaction and claims |
Dedicated claims helpline | |
| Cover provided for your home |
Accidental damage is included as a standard | |
| Value for money |
NCD available | |
| Financial strength | Hiscox Underwriting Ltd underwrites the policy on behalf of Hiscox Insurance Company Limited | |
| Technology |
Dedicated claims helpline |
Expert and customer satisfaction reviews for Hiscox home insurance
| Review organisation | Hiscox home insurance reviews |
|---|---|
Defaqto expert |  |
| TrustPilot | 3,6/5 based on 312 customer reviews |
| Feefo | 4,7/5 based on 129 reviews |
Our general opinion on Hiscox home insurance
Hiscox is known for predominantly for rich individual. It is popular among homeowners with valuable contents to protect, such as antiques, jewellery and art collections.
It provides home insurance for more than 60,000 UK households, along with cover for more than 150,000 businesses. Its policies are underwritten by Hiscox London Market, via the Lloyd’s insurance market, while its customer service model is built around providing a superior service in the event of a claim.
Hiscox offers unlimited for both its combined buildings and contents insurance.
Other features of Hiscox unlimited cover include an actual rebuild cost after damage to your home, which takes into account any increase in property value between taking out the policy and making a claim.
In addition, Hiscox customers can add further features, such as home emergencies cover.
This gives policyholders access to a 24-hour helpline in the event of home disasters such as blocked drains or burst water pipes. Hiscox will arrange emergency repair up to £1,000, without any excess to pay.
There is also the option to select further legal expenses protection, accidental damage and loss cover, and protect no claims discounts. Their services are recommended for people who are looking for high end home insurance with other special insurance like jewelry and antiques insurance.
What does Hiscox home insurance cover?
What is more important than protecting your home – the roof under which you sleep with your loved ones?
Applying for home insurance at Hiscox will allow you to protect the structure of your home (buildings insurance), what is inside (contents insurance) or both (combined buildings and contents insurance).
Without home insurance, your home is exposed to any kind of risk, from a minor water leak to a fire, and you are liable for any repairs – whatever the cost this represents.
Home insurance at Hiscox covers you for any damage made as a result of an unfortunate event such as theft, fire and natural disaster causing leaks, flooding, etc.
Hiscox buildings and contents insurance
Hiscox provides three main types of household insurance:
- Buildings insurance
- Contents and personal possessions insurance
- Combined policy
Buildings insurance covers the structural aspects of your home. It will cover any damage made to your walls, floors, ceiling, windows, outbuildings, garages, etc. You can also extend your buildings insurance to permanent fixtures such as bathrooms, etc. Buildings insurance is for homeowners.
Good to know
If you buy your property and get a mortgage for this, you will be asked to provide valid buildings insurance. Buildings insurance is not mandatory, though. However, you must know that an average claim for repairing a burst pipe for example is £25 000.
Contents insurance will cover any damage made to your belongings inside your home or in your garden (TV and other appliances, furniture, etc). In other words, it will cover anything which is not structural.
Good to know
House contents insurance is highly recommended (especially in case you get burgled or if you are renting a furnished flat) but is not mandatory.
In the event of a fire, for instance, buildings insurance will give you compensation for your home structure, your walls, roofing or other structural elements damaged during the fire, and contents insurance will cover any damage made to your household appliances, furniture, jewellery and so on.
You will find below policy details for building and contents insurance:
| Hiscox building insurance | Limits |
|---|---|
| Maximum sum insured | Unlimited |
| Owner liability | Not Stated |
| Alternative emergency accomodation | £150 000 |
| Period of home's unoccupancy cover | 60 days |
| Repairs guarantee period | 1 year |
| Trace and access | £15 000 |
| Burst pipe | As standard |
| Blockage of sewer pipe | Not covered |
| Gradual build-up of groundwater | Not covered |
| Subsidence | As standard |
| Underground services | As standard |
| Keys cover | Unlimited |
| Flood and storm damage (except for fences) | As standard |
Good to know
Limits mentioned above are part of the total sum you insured with your insurer when applying for home insurance (and not in addition to).
Let’s have a look now at Esure contents insurance limits:
| Contents insurance | Limits |
|---|---|
| Maximum sum insured | Unlimited |
| Owner liability | Not Stated |
| Alternative emergency accomodation | £15 000 |
| Period of home's unoccupancy cover | 60 days |
| Damage made by pets | Not covered |
| Contents kept in garden | Not Stated |
| Contents kept in outbuildings (garage included) | Not Stated |
| Thefts from outbuildings | £10 000 |
| Single item limit for valuables | Unlimited |
| Items temporarily removed from home | Not Stated |
| Money in and outside the home | Inside: £2 500 Outside: £2 500 |
| Credit cards in and outside the home | Inside: Not covered Outside: Not covered |
| Business equipment kept at home | £15 000 |
| Student equipment | Unlimited |
| Keys cover | Unlimited |
Hiscox home insurance additional cover
On top of your Hiscox buildings and contents insurance, you can find additional cover such as:
| Home insurance additional cover | |
|---|---|
| Accidental damage cover | Optional extra with some cover as standard |
| Home emergency |
|
| Boiler cover |
|
| Legal protection |
|
| Personal possessions |
|
| Mobile cover | Not Stated |
| Bicycle cover |
|
Hiscox home insurance excess
The deductible you'll have to pay in case of claims are as described below:
| For both building and contents insurance | |
|---|---|
| Excess for standard claims | £500 |
| Excess for escape water claims | Not stated |
| Excess for subsidence claims | Not stated |
| Excess for personal possessions | £500 |
| Excess for keys | £500 |
Hiscox home insurance fees and NCD
To manage your policy, renew, cancel or modify it, Hiscox fees are as follows:
| Fees applied to manage your Hiscoxhouse policy | |
|---|---|
| Interests on payment installments | Not stated |
| To renew my policy | £0 |
| To adjust my policy | £0 |
| To duplicate documents | £0 |
| To cancel my policy during cooling-off period | £0 |
| To cancel my policy outside cooling-off period | £0 |
| For payment default | £0 |
| To switch from one insurer to Hiscox | Not covered |
How much does Hiscox home insurance cost?
You will below indicative quotes for building and contents insurance at Hiscox:
| Building insurance | Contents insurance | |
|---|---|---|
| Excess | £500 | £500 |
| Home cover | Building: £250 000 Contents: £20 000 Personal items: £4 000 | Building: £500 000 Contents: £50 000 Personal items: £8 000 |
| Premium | £178,81 | £350,86 |
It is very difficult to give a precise range of how much exactly will your home insurance cost at Hiscox as it will mainly depend on:
- The insurance you apply for (building, contents, combined insurance, extras)
- Your address
- Your claim record
- The insured value of your home and of your personal belongings, etc.
Hiscox will establish a risk rate, taking into account all these elements, and offer you a price based on it.
The average cost of combined buildings and contents insurance in 2018 was £163, with contents insurance usually counting for a third of the premium (around £60) and building insurance for the rest (around £110). However, premium will be higher if you buy stand-alone building or contents insurance.
Do you want to compare the cheapest home insurance quotes? It couldn’t be easier. Just do a quick home insurance comparison using our comparison tool below. It takes only 15 seconds and is completely neutral and 100% anonymous.
Hiscox home insurance discounts available
No discount available.
How do I a claim on Hiscox home insurance?
Claims can either be made by calling the Claims helpline or emailing them.
You will be asked to provide your insurance policy number as well as details on claim circumstances such as date and time, pictures or other person involved.
| How to claim on Hiscox home insurance? | |
|---|---|
| Claim by email | [email protected] |
| Claim by phone | 0800 247 1902 |
Good to know
If you claim is related to a criminal incident (theft, fire etc), you must call the police upfront.
How can I cancel Hiscox house insurance?
To cancel your Hiscox house insurance, here is what you need to know:
| Cancelling your home insurance at Hiscox | |
|---|---|
| Cancellation notice if Hiscox cancel your policy | 15 days |
| Cancellation fees | Fees during cooling-off period: £0 Fees outside cooling-off period: £0 |
| Cancel by email |
How to contact Hiscox home insurance?
| Services | Phone numbers | Opening hours |
|---|---|---|
| Quotes | 0808 3018 306 | Mon - Fri, 8:30am to 5:30pm |
| Home Emergency Cover | 0800 042 0342 | 24/7 |
| Legal Expenses Cover | 0117 934 044 | 24/7 |
| Claims | 0800 247 1902 | Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5:30pm |
| Complaints | 0800 116 4627 | Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5:30pm |
Hiscox home insurance contact details
| Hiscox contact details | |
|---|---|
| Hiscox address | Hiscox Home Insurance |
| Customer service email | |
| Chatbot available | Not available |
How do I log in to Hiscox customer portal?
Not available
How do I get Hiscox home insurance quotes?
To get a quote online at Hiscox, it couldn’t be simpler.
You can go on our home insurance comparison tool here and compare the main home insurance deals on the market. If Hiscox is the company that best suits your needs, then you just click on the ‘Get quote’ button and follow the whole process explained online.
To get Hiscox home insurance quotes, you will need to provide:
- Your personal information: ID, age, phone number and job
- Your address and postcode
- Your homeowner record (claims included)
- Your home description (type of property, the date it was built, how many square metres inside and outside)
- Your property related status: do you own it, rent it, have a mortgage on it, etc.
- Extras you’d like to get on your home insurance, contents sum insured and the excess you’d like to pay.
The types of questions you will be asked are typically:
- Are you a first-time buyer?
- Has the property ever suffered from subsidence, cracking, subsidence or undergone any underpinning (or showed any signs)?
- Has the property ever been damaged by flood?
- Has anyone living permanently at the property made any home claim(s) for loss or damage in the past X years (usually 3) or had any claim(s) made against them? etc.
5 tips to reduce your Hiscox house insurance quote
- Always shop around on home insurance comparison sites. If you do not auto renew and instead apply for new home insurance, you will easily be able to lower your house insurance cost and benefit from new customer discounts.
- Increase the excess amount you are willing to pay in case you make a claim.
- Choose the level of cover that is right for you. Insure with the right sum for both your buildings and contents insurance. If you do not have high value items, consider an ‘indemnity’ contents insurance rather than a ‘new for old’ one.
- Opt for a policy offering No Claim Bonus to lower your premium if you've gone for a few years without making any claim.
- Consider index-linked cover for building insurance to follow prices of building materials.
