Do I need personal belongings cover?

Phones, jewellery, wallets and purses. We don’t always stop to think that some of our most valuable items are ones we wouldn’t leave the house without. So how can you help protect them when you’re out in the world?

When you’re on the go, personal belongings insurance can be a way to protect your portable items.

Personal belongings cover is add-on cover on your home insurance policy to help protect personal items you carry with you away from your home (it's sometimes called 'personal possessions cover').

It covers items worldwide if they're lost, accidentally damaged or stolen.

Here's a list of examples of personal belongings we cover outside of your home:

• cash or credit cards (usually up to a certain limit)
• laptops, mobile phones, and digital cameras
• jewellery and sunglasses
• hearing aids
• clothing and luggage
• handbags and wallets

How much cover will I need?

Now you know what you want to insure, the next step is to work out how much it’s worth. This might be easier for some items than others. You probably know what you paid for your laptop or can dig out the receipt. But a necklace or watch you’ve inherited or been given as a gift can be trickier. It’s worth getting items like this valued to make sure you’ve got enough cover in place to help protect them.

Sometimes, but not always. If your belongings are damaged while they’re in your home, your home or contents insurance should cover them, but always check your policy exclusions. However, this coverage may not extend to situations where you are away from home. 

Having personal belongings cover means your items are insured wherever you take them, giving you that extra reassurance. You’ll need to let us know about individual items worth more than £2,500.

All insurers will offer slightly different home insurance options. So, check what’s covered and what’s not covered before choosing your policy. 

Below we’ve outlined what you can generally expect to be included with different types of home insurance.

Our Aviva Signature home insurance combines buildings insurance and contents insurance into one convenient package. Although you can buy them separately. You’ll have the option to add on personal belongings cover to your contents insurance for even more protection.

Understanding what's not covered can help you avoid any surprises down the line.

Here's some reasons why claims might be turned down:

• Standard wear and tear – the designer handbag you’ve had for years might be starting to fray. But unfortunately, natural wear over time doesn’t mean your insurer will pay out for a new one.
• Breakdowns or faults – electrical goods can fall into this bracket. If your laptop’s suddenly broken down or stopped working, it’s unlikely to be covered by your home, contents or personal belongings cover. For faults like this, it’s worth checking if the item’s still under warranty.
• Deliberate or criminal acts – you might by asking yourself, why would I damage my own belongings on purpose? Sadly, insurance fraud does happen, so insurers will check to make sure any claims are genuine.
• You didn’t take reasonable steps to prevent damage or theft – for example, if you left your phone on your car seat while you went shopping and it was stolen. Always make sure you take valuable items with you or secure them out of sight.

The above information provided is intended as a general guideline. There's no substitute for thoroughly checking the terms and conditions of your cover before taking out insurance, so you're sure it's right for you.

You might think that if you’re going on holiday your most important belongings are already covered by personal belongings cover.

Even if your personal belongings insurance covers you while you’re abroad, it won’t cover things such as flight cancellations or medical bills. So, you should consider taking out separate travel insurance to make sure you’re protected from holiday-related hiccups.