Home insurance value warning for Brits

Many Britons are unaware of how much home insurance cover they need, according to new research.

Some UK residents could be underestimating the total value of items in their houses for home insurance purposes by as much as 150 per cent, a study by Legal General has revealed.

The insurer found that Britons estimate the full value of a home's possessions at £14,300.

However, it estimates the home insurance policy for many homeowners could need to be greater than this, as the average value of contents for a three-bedroom home is £38,000.

Andy Dawson, operations director at Legal General's general insurance business, commented: From the survey findings it would appear that insurance to cover loss of property from the home, for example as a result of a burglary, could be over £20,000 below the level it should be.

We would suggest that everyone take the research findings as a prompt to review their home contents and check the insurance cover they have in place.

Last month, research from home insurance provider esure found that the value of unused gadgets in UK homes has now topped £80 million.