Today's the day you sort out your home insurance

Use summer months to maintain your home

Half of all claims in winter are for weather damage, so as summer approaches, now is a good time to carry out property maintenance.

Brits splash £3.9bn on 2012 gardens

British gardeners will make their gardens ready for a year of celebration by spending an average £185.

Why auto-renewal could be costing you dearly

Automatically renewing your home insurance could be costing you a lot, as one customer recently discovered.

Group-buying has 'disappointing' outcome

The first group-buying energy initiative has been won by Co-operative Energy, but some say the campaign hasn't worked.

Time ticking on flood insurance solution

Households are left in limbo while waiting for a solution on flood cover

Easy ways to cut your home insurance

We show you some clever tips for keeping your home insurance costs to a minimum.

Millions lack adequate home insurance cover

Homeowners across the UK are leaving themselves at risk because many do not have adequate cover in place.

Self-builders to get help from government

The government plans to help self-builders realise their dreams, for those looking to build their own insurance cover is important

Should you be insuring your Diamond Jubilee street party?

Public liability insurance might be needed if you are running a party to celebrate the Queen's 60 years on the throne

• Is home insurance compulsory?

  You are not obligated to get home insurance, but it may be worthwhile should tragedy strike.

• I'm worried about subsidence: Can I do anything?

  This is largely a geographical problem, although it could happen in any part of the country. Here's what to do if you are affected.

• How do I protect my home from flooding?

  There are a number of steps you can take to protect your home – they may be costly, but could save you a lot in the long run.

• Do I need accidental damage cover on my home insurance?

  Particularly for building insurance, accidental cover could be useful – you never know when a football might come flying through the window...

• I've got lots of music on my MP3 player. Do I need to insure it?

  Find out if your downloads are covered under your current home insurance policy before proceeding.

• How do I know if I've got the right amount of home insurance?

  The first place to start is always your policy documents, this will outline how much cover you currently have.

• Is my garden furniture covered on my insurance?

  Possibly not, unless it is kept in a locked outbuilding or you expressly asked for the furniture to be included.

• What does my household insurance not cover me for?

  This will largely depend on what your policy documents exclude - below are some of the rather unusual and unlikely events.

• Will rising gold prices affect the jewellery cover on my home insurance?

  Your policy documents should be able to give an indication of how much you are covered for.