A new study by general insurance provider Paymentshield has found that nearly half of UK adults would prefer to receive advice when buying home insurance rather than arranging cover alone – with peace of mind emerging as a more powerful motivator than price.
The YouGov survey, conducted online with 2,067 adults between 26 and 28 September, revealed that 47% of respondents want advice when purchasing home insurance, compared with only 15% who said they would not.
Among those seeking guidance, 35% cited peace of mind as their main reason, while 28% said they believe advice would help them secure a better product.
The findings also suggest that consumers value reassurance over savings. More than half of respondents (56%) said they would pay more for their insurance if it meant being confident that their policy offered the right level of protection.
However, the research also highlights widespread “cover anxiety” among consumers who buy insurance online without professional help. Nearly one in four (24%) admitted they have had doubts about their cover after purchasing a policy online. That figure rises to one in three (33%) among those who used a price comparison website in the past year.
The problem appears most pronounced in households with children. Doubts about policy adequacy increase with family size, peaking at 42% in homes with three or more children — suggesting that busy parents may be rushing the buying process and overlooking key policy details.
Paymentshield believes the results should give advisers renewed confidence to raise the topic of insurance with clients, particularly when cost concerns arise. In its 2025 Adviser Survey, 34% of advisers said the prevalence of cheaper online policies was the main reason they hesitated to discuss general insurance.
Louise Pengelly, proposition director at Paymentshield, said: “Peace of mind is worth a lot and for many consumers, it’s valued more highly than the cost of the policy itself, as long as they can trust it will protect them when needed.
“What’s especially encouraging is the number of people who say they want advice. This research shows there’s a large, receptive audience ready to engage with advisers – and it clearly challenges the idea that clients aren’t interested in talking about insurance.”
