Buildings insurance covers loss or damage to the structure of your home, for example, to walls, permanent fixtures and fittings (such as a bathroom suite), gates and fences, drives and patios. Domestic outbuildings such as sheds, garages and greenhouses are also covered. With a house as the most valuable asset most people own it is important to take out buildings insurance and if you have a mortgage your mortgage provider will insist on it. Mortgage providers will try to sell you their policies but you do not have to take out their insurance and will normally get better prices elsewhere.

Buildings insurance should cover your property against loss or damage caused by certain incidents, such as fire, water and oil leaks, theft and vandalism, impact, storm and flood, subsidence, heave and landslip.

Some policies will also allow you to get cover for things like accidental damage (for example, accidental breakage of fixed glass and fixed sanitary ware) and things such as banging a nail through a pipe or putting your foot through the ceiling whilst in the loft.

Castle Cover	As a specialist in over 50s insurance Castle Cover offers building insurance which gives you rebuild cover, included as standard, worth £500,000.
Principality Building Society	Their home insurance is not available on any price comparison websites so go direct for a great deal.
Legal & General	You could save up to £110 with L&G Buildings and Contents Insurance* *Based on online independent research, 10% of new L&G buildings and contents customers could save up to £110 online. Consumer Intelligence, April 2012.
John Lewis	John Lewis Home Insurance can cover you for accidents such as putting your foot through the ceiling while you're in the loft.