Compare Hastings Direct Home Insurance Quotes Against The Market

Founded in 1997 on the south coast of England, Hastings Direct is a major player in the UK insurance market. While perhaps best known for its catchy "0800 00 10 66" jingle and car insurance, it has grown into a significant provider of home insurance, serving millions of customers.

Hastings Direct operates as an insurance broker rather than a single insurer. This means their policies are underwritten by a panel of insurers (including their own Gibraltar-based arm, Advantage Insurance Company, as well as names like AXA and RSA). They are known for their tiered product structure, allowing customers to choose between budget-friendly essentials and comprehensive cover.

You can get independent advice and a personalised quotes comparison of Hastings Direct’s home insurance deals from one of our expert advisers below:

What type of home insurance do they provide?

Hastings Direct offers three distinct tiers of home insurance, designed to suit different budgets and coverage needs: Hastings Essential, Hastings Direct, and Hastings Premier.

Buildings insurance

This covers the structure of your property, including the roof, walls, windows, and permanent fixtures.

• Cover limits:

  • Essential: Up to £500,000 rebuilding cost.

  • Direct & Premier: Up to £1 million rebuilding cost.

• Trace and Access: Included on Direct and Premier tiers (typically up to £5,000) to find the source of a leak. It is often excluded on the Essential tier.

• Unoccupied period: Standard cover allows for the home to be empty for up to 30 days.

Contents insurance

This protects your household goods and personal belongings against theft, fire, flood, and other risks.

• Cover limits:

  • Essential & Direct: Up to £75,000 contents cover.

  • Premier: Up to £150,000 contents cover.

• Valuables: The single item limit (for unspecified items) is typically £1,500 on standard policies, but you must check your specific policy wording as this can vary by underwriter.

Combined home & contents cover tiers

Most customers choose a combined policy. Here is how the three tiers compare:

• Hastings Essential: A stripped-back, budget option. It covers the basics (fire, theft, storm) but excludes Accidental Damage, Home Emergency, and Family Legal Protection. Rebuilding and contents limits are lower.

• Hastings Direct: The standard policy. It increases rebuilding limits to £1m and includes features like Trace and Access. Home Emergency and Legal cover are usually optional extras.

• Hastings Premier: The comprehensive option. It includes Home Emergency and Family Legal Protection as standard. It also offers the highest contents limit (£150,000).

How Hastings Direct calculates premiums

Hastings Direct uses a "smart pricing" model that assesses risk based on data from its panel of underwriters. Your premium will be influenced by:

• Tier Selection: The difference in price between 'Essential' and 'Premier' can be significant.

• Claims History: A no-claims discount (NCD) is available and can significantly reduce premiums for those with a claim-free history.

• Location & Security: Postcode risk and security measures (alarms, approved locks) are key factors.

• Voluntary Excess: Agreeing to pay a higher excess in the event of a claim will usually lower your monthly premium.

Pros and cons

Here are the pros and cons for the different tiers offered by Hastings Direct:

Hastings Direct (Standard)

 Hastings Premier

Hastings Essential

Customer reviews

Hastings Direct generally scores well for ease of purchase and competitive pricing, though claims experiences can vary depending on which underwriter from their panel handles the claim.

• Trustpilot: Hastings Direct is rated Excellent, with a score of approx. 4.2 out of 5 (based on over 160,000 reviews). Positive reviews often cite easy renewal and good app functionality.

• Defaqto: The Hastings Direct and Hastings Premier policies are rated 5 Stars, indicating a high quality of features. The Essential tier typically holds a lower rating (often 3 stars) due to its restricted cover.

• Which?: In independent surveys, Hastings sometimes scores lower on "claims handling satisfaction" compared to premium mutual insurers, often landing in the middle of the table.

How to get a Hastings Direct home insurance quote

Hastings Direct is a "direct" brand, meaning you can buy from them online or via comparison sites. However, because they are a broker for a panel of insurers, it can be difficult to know if the specific underwriter they select for you is the best match for your unique property needs (e.g., non-standard construction).

Using an independent broker or adviser can help you compare Hastings' offering against other major insurers to ensure you aren't sacrificing critical cover (like Trace and Access) just to save a few pounds on the 'Essential' tier.

At Money Helpdesk, our home insurance experts can help you review your options. If you are wondering whether Hastings Direct is the right choice for your home insurance, get in touch and we will review this for you.