Compare Cherish Insurance Services Home Insurance Quotes Against The Market

If your independent financial adviser or insurance broker has recommended Cherish Insurance, you are looking at one of the UK’s most highly regarded specialist providers. Operating out of Essex, Cherish has been providing insurance since 1993 and is now a trading name of Plum Underwriting (one of the UK's largest specialist property managing general agents).

It is important to note that Cherish does not sell its flagship home insurance policies directly to the general public online. They operate exclusively through a network of approved, professional insurance intermediaries. Their policies are incredibly comprehensive, designed to offer maximum peace of mind, and are underwritten by top-tier financial giants like AXA Insurance UK plc.

You can get independent advice and a personalised quotes comparison of premium policies (including those accessed via Cherish) from one of our expert advisers below:

What type of home insurance do they provide?

Cherish does not do "budget, bare-bones" cover. Their flagship product, Cherish Home, is built to provide immense, blanket protection so that you never have to worry about being under-insured in the event of a disaster.

Cherish Home (Standard Residential)

This is their premium offering for standard UK homes, packing in features that most insurers charge extra for.

• Massive Blanket Limits: To completely remove the risk of under-insurance, Cherish Home provides up to £2 million in buildings cover and up to £250,000 in contents cover as standard

• Accidental Damage Included: Full accidental damage cover for both your buildings and contents is included automatically, protecting you against DIY mishaps and everyday spillages

• High Valuable Limits: Standard cover includes up to £30,000 for valuables in the home, with a generous single-item limit of £15,000 before you need to specify individual pieces

• Business Equipment: Reflecting modern working habits, they provide up to £15,000 of cover for home office and business equipment

• Alternative Accommodation: If a major fire or flood leaves your home uninhabitable, Cherish provides "unlimited" alternative accommodation costs (within reason) to rehouse your family

Flood Re Cover

Cherish is an accredited provider of the government-backed Flood Re scheme. If your home is situated in a high-risk flood zone and you have been turned away by direct insurers, your broker can use Cherish to secure you affordable, comprehensive cover with capped flood excesses.

Specialist Niches

Cherish has built a powerful reputation in a few highly specific UK niches:

• Forces Plan: They are incredibly well-known for providing dedicated, flexible military kit and home insurance for British service personnel

• Small B&Bs: They offer a specific extension for homeowners running small Bed & Breakfasts or guest houses

• Holiday Homes: Specialist cover designed for second homes and UK weekend retreats that sit empty for parts of the year.

How Cherish calculates premiums

Because Cherish provides its products through brokers, your premium is calculated differently than on a standard comparison site:

• Broker Presentation: Your broker will assess your property and present the risk to the Cherish quoting platform. This ensures your property is accurately described, which often results in fairer pricing

• Comprehensive Baseline: Because Cherish automatically includes premium features (like Accidental Damage, Home Emergency, and Legal Expenses), their baseline premium will naturally look higher than a stripped-back budget policy. However, the value of the cover is significantly better

• Protected No Claims: Cherish is well known for offering substantial No Claims Discounts (up to 47%) which can be protected, keeping your long-term premiums stable even if you have to make a claim

• Flood Re Subsidies: If your property is at risk of flooding, the premium is subsidised by the Flood Re fund, making it vastly cheaper than it would be on the open market

Pros and cons

Here are the pros and cons of having your property insured through a Cherish policy:

Pros:

• Exceptional Cover Limits: Blanket limits of £2m for buildings and £250k for contents completely remove the stress of calculating your own sums insured

• Accidental Damage as Standard: Included automatically, saving you from having to bolt it on for an extra fee

• Top-Tier Underwriters: Cherish Home policies are underwritten by AXA, giving you access to one of the largest and most reliable claims networks in the world

• Flood Re Access: A massive benefit for homeowners in flood-prone postcodes

• Generous Single Item Limits: The £15,000 single item limit for valuables is significantly higher than the industry average

Cons:

• Not Direct to Consumer: You cannot buy the Cherish Home policy directly from their website; you must use an approved insurance broker

• Broker Fees May Apply: Because an intermediary is required to set up the policy, your broker may charge an administration or setup fee

• Over-specced for Some: If you live in a small, 1-bedroom flat with very few possessions, paying for a policy with £250k of contents cover and built-in accidental damage may not be the most cost-effective choice

Customer reviews

Because Cherish operates as a specialist underwriter for brokers, direct consumer reviews for the "Cherish" brand itself are limited, but their industry standing is stellar.

• Industry Reputation: Cherish is an award-winning brand. In the broker and intermediary space, they are heavily praised for their easy-to-use "Broker Admin Centre" and their willingness to provide excellent cover for difficult niches (like flood risks and military personnel)

• Claims Experience: If you need to make a claim on a Cherish Home policy, the financial payout and major logistics are typically handled by the underlying underwriter (AXA). AXA is renowned for its highly efficient, 24/7 UK-based claims deployment

• Defaqto: The comprehensive nature of the Cherish Home policy, with its massive blanket limits and built-in extras, firmly positions it alongside maximum 5-Star rated products in the UK market

How to get a Cherish home insurance quote

You cannot generate a quote directly on the Cherish Insurance website for their standard home policies. They distribute their products exclusively through a network of regulated UK insurance intermediaries. If you are looking for highly comprehensive cover, run a small B&B, or desperately need access to affordable Flood Re insurance, a Cherish-backed policy might be a fantastic option, but you need an adviser to access their rates.

At Money Helpdesk, our property insurance experts have access to a wide panel of specialist underwriters and MGAs, including those that utilise the Cherish platform. If you are looking to arrange secure cover for your home, get in touch and we will present you with your best options.