Every home insurance quote comes with a list of optional extras, usually presented at the point you are trying to finish and pay. They are rarely explained, and most people either tick everything or nothing.

Here is what the common ones actually do, and where they overlap with cover you may already hold.

Accidental damage

Standard buildings and contents cover deals with specific events: fire, flood, theft, storm. It does not cover you putting a foot through the loft ceiling or spilling paint down the stairs.

Accidental damage fills that gap. It is usually the add-on most worth having in a household with children, pets, or anyone planning DIY, and it can be bought for buildings, contents, or both.

Home emergency

This covers the immediate call-out when something fails suddenly: a boiler in December, a burst pipe, a lock that has gone.

The key thing to understand is that it is designed to make the situation safe and stop it getting worse, not to fund a full repair or replacement. There is normally a limit per incident and a cap on the number of call-outs a year. If you already have boiler cover through your energy supplier, check whether you are buying the same thing twice.

Legal expenses

Legal expenses cover pays for legal costs in certain disputes, which can include neighbour disputes, employment matters and personal injury claims.

It is also the add-on most likely to duplicate something you already have. Trade union membership, packaged bank accounts and some credit cards include it. Worth checking before you add it.

Personal possessions away from home

Contents cover generally stops at the front door. If you want a phone, laptop, bike or engagement ring covered while you are out, this is the extension that does it.

High value single items usually need specifying individually above a certain amount, and failing to specify them is a common reason these claims are reduced.

How to decide

Two questions cut through most of it. What would actually go wrong in this household, and what would it cost you to put right without help?

Then check what you already hold. Duplicating legal expenses or boiler cover is the most common wasted spend on a home policy, and none of these extras is worth paying for twice.

If you are not sure

Add-ons are easier to judge alongside the main policy than on their own, and what is worth having depends on the property and the people in it.

Call Alternative Insurance Brokers on 0161 388 2520 and we will go through the options with you.