If you have a mortgage or any large loan secured on your property, the lender will usually require you hold a homeowners insurance policy during the duration of the loan. Check the terms of your mortgage or loan to see what is required.

It's always a good idea to carry insurance. It protects you against loss should your property be damaged or destroyed. It also offers protection against liability should anyone be injured on your land.

Your landlord is responsible for insuring the place in which you live but not the contents. If you have anything of value, you should always insure your belongings against the usual perils.

By getting comparative online quotes from this site, you give yourself the widest choice between different insurance companies. Then it's up to you to pick the best value.

You need to read the terms and exclusions carefully. Every policy limits the cover to some extent. You should be covered against the standard perils of fire, wind damage, lightning strikes, rain, hail, etc. Check whether you are covered for water damage should your plumbing system or appliances leak, or should the weight of snow and ice cause your roof to collapse. Most companies require you to buy earthquake and flooding insurance separately.

If it's your tree, the damage will be covered by your homeowners policy. If the tree belongs to a neighbor, your insurance company will pay for the repairs and recover the loss from your neighbor. Policies vary on whether they cover the cost of removing the fallen tree from your land. As to your vehicle, this will be covered under a comprehensive auto policy not your homeowners policy (even if the vehicle was in your garage when the tree fell).

When you buy, you pay for the land and the structures on it but, for insurance purposes, you're only interested in the cost of repair or rebuilding should any of the structures be damaged or destroyed. So the maximum insurance value is the cost of demolishing and clearing the site, and then rebuilding from the ground up. If you live in an apartment, the insurance value is the proportion of rebuilding the entire block. In such cases, have your home appraised.

You need to check the wording of your policy to make sure you have the right to claim your out-of-pocket expenses if you are forced out of your home while repairs are carried out.

For home owners, most insurance companies work on a formula to give you blanket cover. This is usually a percentage of the value of the structure. If this is not enough or you're a renter, ask for a quote based on your estimated figure. The standard policy covers the actual value of your belongings, i.e. the price you paid for each item less depreciation for fair wear and tear. You can insure for the replacement value, but this is more expensive, particularly if the agreed sum is linked to inflation.

If any individual items are more valuable, they should be separately endorsed on the policy or you should take out a separate policy. In both cases, that means you agree the value with the company. Most companies will insist on additional security measures such as deadbolts on doors, an alarm system, and so on. It may also be necessary to photograph and inventory all these items with full descriptions so the police can take more effective action to recover these items should there be a burglary.

It depends on the wording of the policy. Most will cover you against theft from your car or while you're at work. Similarly, family members will usually be covered if property normally kept at home is temporarily housed at school or college.

Your policy has a liability section that will defend you against claims for personal injuries and consequential loss should anyone be injured.