It may surprise those of us who are covered, but a massive 20% of home owners in the United Kingdom have decided not to buy home insurance of any kind. These figures are much higher than most would assume, as surely most of us would consider our home to be our most important possession.

The statement that 1 in 5 Britons do not have home insurance is unanticipated by most for this reason, but it seems that many peoples attitude is that the valuables taken in the event of a robbery would equate to less than if they had paid monthly for ten years. This may well be true, but there are several other, very important, aspects you need to take into account.

For example, if you are the victim of robbery, you need to consider the damage caused by breaking and entering. Kicked down doors, broken windows, ripped curtains and broken furniture from criminals clambering in. Then there is also the fact that many robberies contain a lot of unprovoked damage. It is very common for people to not only lose their material goods but their sofa’s be slashed, their clothes ruined and their crockery and glassware be smashed simply for malicious reasons.

All of these things are covered by home and contents insurance. Yes, you will most likely be paying more than any damage and stolen goods come to, but the choice between spending a little over a long time to having lost a huge value of money and personal property with no way of getting it back is an easy one. Having to save from scratch to replace the items gone will be very time consuming and, for most, difficult to manage.

Debra Williams, MD of confused.com, an insurance comparison website, explains that whilst home contents insurance is not a legal necessity it can be financially vital.

Williams also advises homeowners to take sensible precautions, such as always locking doors and windows and not keeping boxes of expensive goods on open display by the front door.

Should a home without insurance be burgled the homeowners could be left with a substantial bill.
It can be frustrating when you see your well earned cash going towards a means you feel, most of the time, is not giving you your moneys worth, but it is actually giving you a large peace of mind. I would urge you to reconsider buying home and contents insurance if you have not done so already, as the consequences of not being covered are heartbreaking.

Remember that it is also not as expensive as many people think it is. A typical family of four could need to spend only £43.98 per week to insure contents worth £40,000.

However, homeowners looking for policies are advised to browse the market thoroughly to acquire the best possible deal. Price comparison websites can compare thousands of quotes in a matter of minutes. Often you can specify what particular features of a policy you want, helping to choose the home insurance that’s just right for you.