Protect your home #1 Get the right insurance

If you're planning a trip away, pay a thought to what you're leaving behind back home. If the worst happens while you're caravanning in Cornwall or cruising down the Nile, and your home is broken into, you could get an even nastier shock once you're back if you don't have the right home insurance.

Contents insurance keeps you covered from theft, but worryingly around 70% of us have under-insured our homes, according to the British Insurance Brokers' Association. Most of us don't realise this until it's too late and they have to make a claim - which means that MP3 player, those designer shoes and the new computer you bought recently won't be covered if you've gone over the amount your contents policy protects.

It's another irritating outgoing, but the right home insurance can pay off in the long run - and if you know what to look out for, you can negotiate the right deal. Read some helpful hints from independent comparison service Insurancewide:

1. Shop around
   Look for online only discounts and specialised insurers for a cheaper and more suitable policy.
2. Payment method
   Consider paying your home insurance premium annually rather than monthly, as some insurers charge a high APR on monthly instalments.
3. Keep your sum insured up to date
   Don't get left to foot the bill if a claim is not covered by your policy. Keep your insurer informed of any big purchases, and keep an eye of your overall contents value.
4. Know your buildings from your contents
   Buildings insurance is legally required by homeowners and should cover the full cost of rebuilding your property; only contents insurance covers the value of your home possessions
5. Check what you're covered for
   Read the small print to see if there's a limit to the value of single items. This is usually around £1,500. You might need to pay an extra premium or insure more expensive possessions using a separate policy.
6. 'New for old' cover
   This means that if you make a claim then you're entitled to the price it would cost to replace items with new ones. But beware, deductions will be made if items aren't replaced, or if you're not covered for the full cost of replacing your contents.
7. 'All risk' cover
   This will cover you if disaster strikes while you're on holiday and you lose or damage anything. Again, check the limit on single items so expensive items like cameras and jewellery are covered.