Home Insurance When You Move House: What You Actually Need (UK Guide)
Buildings insurance and contents insurance sound interchangeable, but they cover completely different things, start at different points in your move, and only one of them is something your lender will actually insist on. Here's what each covers, when you need it in place, and what it costs.
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Build My Free Plan →Buildings insurance vs contents insurance — what's the difference?
| Buildings insurance | Contents insurance | |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | The structure — walls, roof, windows, fitted kitchens and bathrooms, permanent fixtures | Your belongings — furniture, electronics, clothing, and valuables inside the property |
| Typical annual cost | £208 – £274 | £63 – £132 |
| Required by your lender? | Yes, in almost all cases, as a condition of your mortgage | No — entirely optional, though most people take some cover |
A combined buildings and contents policy typically costs £232–£393 a year, and works out cheaper than buying the two separately if you want both.
What's actually a legal requirement?
Neither is a legal requirement under UK law. But if you have a mortgage, your lender will almost always make buildings insurance a condition of the loan — you can't complete without proof it's in place. Contents insurance is never required by a lender; it's entirely your choice.
When does cover need to start?
This is the detail that catches people out. Buildings insurance typically needs to be in place from the moment you exchange contracts, not from completion — because that's the point you become legally committed to buying the property, even though you don't own it yet. Contents insurance usually only needs to start from completion, when you actually move your belongings in. How Long Does Conveyancing Take in the UK? explains the gap between exchange and completion in more detail.
What if you're renting instead of buying?
If you're renting, buildings insurance is your landlord's responsibility, not yours — but contents insurance is still worth considering, since your landlord's policy won't cover your own belongings. How Much Notice Do You Actually Have to Give Your Landlord in the UK? covers other things worth knowing before you move out of a rental.
How to get the right cover without overpaying
Compare quotes from several providers rather than accepting your lender's or broker's suggested policy — it's rarely the cheapest option. Make sure your buildings cover reflects the actual rebuild cost of your home, not its market value; these can be very different figures. And check whether valuable individual items are covered as standard or need to be listed separately on a contents policy, since many policies cap the value of a single item unless it's specified. It's also worth reviewing your protection more broadly at the same time — Do You Actually Need Life Insurance or Mortgage Protection When You Buy a House? covers the other cover types worth thinking about.
The bottom line
Buildings insurance is the one your lender will insist on and needs to be in place from exchange, not completion. Contents insurance is optional but worth having from the day you move in. Compare the whole market rather than defaulting to whatever's offered alongside your mortgage, and match your buildings cover to rebuild cost rather than market value.
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Get Your Free Moving Plan →Information correct as of September 2026. BandBack Move does not provide financial advice — compare providers independently before purchasing insurance.