Buying the property is the expensive part. Insuring it is the cheap part that stops the expensive part from becoming a catastrophe — and it is the step most first-time buyers rush.
In most countries your lender will insist on buildings insurance before releasing mortgage funds, so the real question is rarely whether to insure but what to insure and with whom. This page lists the major, well-established providers in each market as a starting point for your own comparison, along with the local name for the product — useful when you are searching in a language that is not your own.
Buildings vs contents — know what you're buying
- Buildings cover protects the structure itself: walls, roof, floors, permanent fixtures, and usually pipes and cabling. This is what your mortgage lender cares about, because it protects their collateral.
- Contents cover protects what's inside — furniture, electronics, clothes, valuables. Optional, but the gap people most regret after a burglary or burst pipe.
- Apartment owners: the block's collective policy (copropriété, comunidad, condominio, body corporate) usually already covers the shell. Paying separately for full buildings cover on a flat is a common and avoidable duplication — read the block policy first.
- Landlord cover is a different product from owner-occupier cover. If you let the property out, an ordinary home policy may be void. Declare it.
Major providers by country
Search a country, or filter by region. Every provider name links to that insurer's own site — we don't route you through a comparison middleman.
Five questions that decide the price
- What excess (deductible) am I choosing? Raising it is usually the single biggest lever on premium — and the single biggest regret at claim time if set too high.
- Is the rebuild sum insured, or the market value? They are different numbers. Insuring for market value on an expensive plot badly over-insures the structure; insuring too low can trigger proportional "average" clauses that cut every payout.
- Are flood, earthquake and subsidence included? Frequently excluded by default. In a flood plain or seismic zone this is the clause that matters most.
- What is the unoccupancy limit? Typically 30–60 consecutive days. Critical for holiday homes and anything bought as an investment.
- New-for-old or indemnity (depreciated) settlement? Indemnity policies look cheaper and pay out considerably less.
Insurance is a recurring cost, not a one-off. Fold it into your true annual figure alongside property tax and maintenance.
Open the Annual Ownership Costs calculatorFrequently asked questions
Sources & method
Provider lists were compiled from market-share and sector reporting including Forbes World's Best Insurance Companies, Which? home insurance reviews (UK), Beinsure's largest European insurers ranking, Insurance.com (US), Selectra (Spain), Feather (Germany) and Shory (UAE), cross-checked against each insurer's own website. Inclusion indicates market presence only — it is not an endorsement, a ranking, or advice. Insurance is regulated locally and terms vary by policy; always read the policy wording and speak to a licensed broker or advisor before buying.