Multicover insurance
Should you bundle home and car insurance – and does it really save money?
Combining your home and car insurance into one ‘multicover’ policy can mean discounts and less admin – but it’s not always the cheapest option. This guide breaks down how multicover insurance works, the pros and cons, who it’s best for, and how to check if bundling really beats buying separate policies.
What is multicover insurance?
Multicover insurance lets you take out more than one type of insurance with the same provider. Most commonly, this means home insurance and car insurance combined, though some insurers let you add other types of cover too, such as van and landlord insurance.
There are two ways multicover works
Combined multicover insurance – some providers offer dedicated multicover arrangements where different types of insurance are tied together. Although each policy is still priced and underwritten separately, they’re actively linked – usually sharing one renewal date and one account, with discounts applied to each policy you add.
Multi-policy discounts – other insurers simply give discounts for holding more than one policy with them, rather than a dedicated multicover product. These policies usually remain more independent, often with separate renewal dates, with the discount being the main benefit of holding them together.
Important. Regardless of the arrangement, each policy within a multicover package will have its own terms, cover limits and exclusions – they’re just linked together under one insurer. This is standard practice, and claims are handled much the same way as if the policies were separate.
What's included in a car and home insurance bundle?
A multicover policy doesn’t change what car or home insurance normally covers, it just links them under one insurer. You'll typically get everything that's included in standard home and car insurance policies, though do check policies to make sure they have everything you need.
Home insurance – typical cover includes:
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Buildings insurance (for your home's structure)
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Contents insurance (for items inside)
Common home insurance add-ons (usually optional):
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Accidental damage
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Personal belongings cover
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Legal expenses cover
Car insurance – typical cover includes:
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Third party
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Third party, fire and theft
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Fully comprehensive cover
Common car insurance add-ons (usually optional):
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Breakdown cover
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Legal protection
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Courtesy car cover
For full details of what's covered, see our cheap home insurance and cheap car insurance guides.
How is multicover insurance different from multicar insurance?
Multicover and multicar insurance are sometimes confused, but they're not the same...
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Multicover insurance lets you bundle different types of insurance with the same provider – most commonly home and car insurance – in return for a discount.
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Multicar insurance, on the other hand, is specifically for insuring more than one car under the same insurer. It doesn’t include home insurance and is aimed at households with multiple vehicles, offering a discount for each added.
Some insurers offer both, and you may be able to bundle them – for example, a multicar and home insurance policy combined – but they’re separate products with different pricing and rules.
If you’re only looking to insure more than one vehicle and don’t need home insurance included, skip multicover entirely and see our Multicar insurance guide.
How do multicover policies work in practice, and do they affect each other?
A common worry is whether a claim on one part of the policy affects the other insurance. In most cases, it doesn’t. A claim will usually apply only to the insurance it’s made on – so, for example, a car insurance claim affects only your car policy and its no-claims bonus (NCB), not your home insurance.
However, insurers set renewal prices based on their overall view of risk. That means a claim could sometimes indirectly influence how your multicover insurance is priced at renewal.
You can normally cancel or switch one part of a multicover arrangement without cancelling the others. However, watch out for the multicover discount: if you drop one policy, you may lose the multicover discount on the remaining one. That can push up the cost of your home or car insurance, so always check whether switching just one policy still leaves you better off overall.
What if my policies start on different dates?
If you add another policy to an existing one to get a multicover discount, different renewal dates usually don’t matter. Each policy keeps its own start and end date – you’re just getting a discount for holding more than one policy with the same insurer.
For dedicated multicover policies, you may be given a single total price, even if the policies start on different dates. This will take account of any overlap, so your existing cover stays in place until it renews, at which point you can cancel it and the multicover policy takes over. Insurers often show an ‘annual equivalent price’ as if all policies were insured for a full year, to help you compare like-for-like with standalone home or car insurance quotes.
Some insurers may offer to realign your renewal dates over time so everything renews together. This is usually done by slightly shortening one policy (with the price adjusted accordingly). It can make things simpler, but it’s optional – so check the cost impact first.
How are multicover insurance policies priced?
Multicover insurance pricing is typically based on the cost of each individual policy, with a discount applied for holding more than one with the same insurer. While it’s marketed as a single package, the price is still built around separate risks rather than being fully combined into one product.
Most insurers offer a multicover discount once you hold two or more eligible policies – usually home and car insurance. This is typically applied as a percentage discount to each policy, rather than as one headline saving across the whole bundle.
The size of the discount varies by insurer and by the mix of cover you have. Don’t assume adding more policies automatically means bigger savings. In some cases, the bundled price can still be beaten by buying policies separately elsewhere.
How premiums are calculated
Even though your policies are linked, insurers still price each one separately based on its own risk factors. For example:
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Car insurance is priced on factors such as the driver’s age, driving history, vehicle type and where it’s kept.
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Home insurance is priced on factors such as the property type, location, rebuild cost and claims history.
These prices are then combined, with any multicover discount applied at the end. A claim on one policy won’t usually change the price of the others mid-term, but it can influence how the insurer prices your overall multicover deal at renewal.
How multicover insurance excesses work
In most cases, excesses remain separate – you’ll have one excess for your car policy and another for your home policy.
However, some insurers offer a single excess across policies, which can help if one incident triggers multiple claims (for example, if a car is stolen from your driveway and also damages your property). This can reduce what you pay after a claim, but it’s not standard, so always check the policy wording carefully to see if this applies.
What are the pros and cons of multicover insurance?
Multicover insurance can be convenient and sometimes cheaper, but it’s not a guaranteed win. Whether it’s right for you depends on how much you value simplicity versus flexibility – and crucially, whether the bundled price actually beats buying separate policies.
Pros: Convenience, potential savings, simpler admin
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Less admin. You’ll usually have one online account, fewer documents to keep track of and manage and potentially a single renewal date.
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Possible discounts for bundling. Some insurers offer multicover discounts that can reduce premiums compared with buying policies separately – though the saving varies by insurer and isn’t guaranteed.
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Potential shared excess. A small number of insurers offer a shared excess, which can reduce what you pay if a single incident leads to multiple claims.
Cons: Less flexibility, not always cheaper, more general coverage
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You may miss cheaper standalone deals. Multicover discounts don’t always beat the best individual policies. In many cases, you could save more by mixing and matching insurers.
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Switching can be less flexible. If you want to switch just one part of your insurance (for example, your car policy), you may lose the multicover discount on the remaining policy. That can reduce or wipe out any saving from switching.
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Cover can be more ‘one-size-fits-all’. Some multicover policies offer fairly standard levels of cover. If you have non-standard needs – such as needing to insure a high-value home or a modified car – standalone policies may offer better-tailored cover.
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You'll likely face one big bill. If you paid for your insurance separately, it would typically have different renewal dates, so the cost would be more spread out. With a multicover policy, you may have to pay for all your insurances in one go.
Who is multicover insurance best for?
Home and car insurance combined tends to work best for people who value simplicity and have fairly standard insurance needs. It can offer savings and less admin, but it’s not the right fit for everyone.
✅ Multicover insurance can make sense if you...
Live in a multi-person household. If you share a home with a partner or family and insure one or more cars, multicover insurance can make things simpler by keeping drivers, vehicles and policies under one insurer – often within a single account.
Have straightforward insurance needs. If your home and car insurance requirements are fairly standard – for example, no unusual property features and no need for specialist vehicle cover – the potential savings from a multicover policy can make it a good fit.
Prefer convenience over chasing the very cheapest deal. Happy to trade a bit of flexibility for fewer renewals, fewer logins and less admin? Multicover insurance may make sense.
❌ Multicover insurance may not be great if you...
Want maximum flexibility to switch. If you regularly switch insurers to chase the cheapest deal on each policy, bundling 'em can make this harder – as changing one policy may affect the price of the others.
Have non-standard cover needs. People with high-value homes, listed buildings, modified or specialist vehicles may find standalone policies offer more tailored cover.
MSE users have had mixed experiences. Multicover insurance worked for Jess:
"My joint home and van insurance is with Admiral. If I look for van insurance alone elsewhere I'm being quoted over £1,000! I'm saving about £700 on just the van insurance alone. Cheers!"
But not for Nigel.
"My multi cover for two cars and home was around £3,300! I decided to have a look on MSE and within minutes I got better cover for half the premium. I saved a massive £1,330. Thank you."
How to buy multicover insurance
Comparison sites don’t currently give quotes for the small number of insurers that offer dedicated multicover policies or discounts for combining cover. For some people, bundling can work well; for others, it won’t. It's trial and error, rather than an exact science.
The safest approach is to get standalone quotes first, then check whether combining policies with the same insurer actually beats them.
Step 1: Get standalone quotes as a benchmark
Use our Compare+ tools to find the cheapest individual home and car insurance quotes. These build in much of our tried-and-tested insurance cost-cutting tips and give you a solid benchmark to compare against.
Step 2: Check whether bundling beats them
Once you know your best standalone prices, see if combining policies with the same insurer works out cheaper. Only a small number of insurers offer dedicated multicover policies, while others simply apply a discount when you hold more than one policy with them.
- Dedicated multicover insurance: Try Admiral MultiCover* and LV= Multi Cover*.
- Discount for combining policies: Try Direct Line, Aviva and Churchill.
Always compare the final prices carefully. Don’t assume a multicover discount will automatically make a bundled policy the cheapest option.
More info on finding cheap quotes in our full Cheap home insurance and Cheap car insurance guides .
Multicover insurance FAQs
There’s no single limit across all insurers – it depends on the provider. Most multicover policies let you add one home and one or more cars, which suits the majority of households.
Some insurers allow multiple cars on the same multicover policy, while others may cap the number or require you to switch to a separate multicar insurance arrangement. Adding more than one home is less common, but may also be possible.
If you need to insure several vehicles or properties, check the insurer’s limits and terms carefully, as you may be better off mixing multicover with standalone or specialist policies.
Often yes – but with limits. Most multicover policies are designed for standard cars and standard residential homes. Some insurers will let you add things such as vans, motorbikes or different property types, but this isn’t guaranteed.
Non-standard vehicles (such as classic vehicles) and non-standard properties (for example, listed buildings, thatched homes or buy-to-lets) are more likely to need separate or specialist policies, even if you already have multicover with that insurer.
Always check what qualifies before assuming everything can be bundled – forcing specialist cover into a multicover policy can mean poorer cover or higher costs.
Not always. Most multicover policies are set up around a main home address, but insurers often allow you to cover vehicles kept elsewhere – for example, if a car is regularly parked at a different address.
However, covering multiple properties at different addresses under one multicover policy is more limited and depends on the insurer. Second homes, buy-to-lets or holiday homes may need separate policies or specialist cover.
Always check how each item’s address is recorded too, as incorrect details can affect claims.
How many cars and homes can I add to a policy?
Can I cover different types of vehicles and properties?
Do all insured items need to be at the same address?
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