Does home insurance cover my things when I take them out of the house?
Not automatically — standard contents cover generally protects your belongings inside the home, and taking them out requires a specific extension usually called personal possessions or all risks cover.
What standard contents cover does. It insures the things you would take with you if you moved, against defined perils — fire, theft, flood, escape of water and so on — while they are in the insured property. Some policies include limited cover in outbuildings, and many include a small amount for items temporarily removed, but the limits are low and the conditions specific.
Personal possessions cover extends protection to items away from the home, typically anywhere in the UK and, at a higher level, worldwide. This is what covers a phone dropped in the street, a watch lost on holiday, a bicycle taken from outside a shop, or a laptop stolen from a café.
The features that determine whether a claim succeeds:
Unspecified cover insures everyday items up to a single article limit — a maximum per item, frequently in the hundreds of pounds. Anything worth more than that limit is not fully covered, however much total cover you have. This is the single most common cause of disappointed claims.
Specified items must be listed individually, with a value, and attract an additional premium. Engagement rings, watches, cameras, instruments and bicycles usually need specifying.
Valuations may be required above a threshold, and should be kept current — jewellery valued fifteen years ago is almost certainly underinsured.
Bicycles are frequently excluded or limited and often require a named lock standard and evidence it was used.
Common exclusions to check: loss rather than theft — some policies cover theft only; items left in an unattended vehicle, which is very commonly excluded or heavily restricted; items in checked baggage; damage from wear and tear; and equipment used for business purposes, which is a frequent trap for people working from home.
Overlap with travel insurance is worth checking, as claiming on the more appropriate policy may preserve a no-claims position.
General information, not advice on your policy.