85% of consumers are comfortable with researching and buying home insurance online without professional advice, according to a survey by Defaqto.

However, Defaqto means this places a greater onus on people to understand and focus on policy features, rather than price alone, when comparing policies to ensure they arrange cover that meets their needs.

Defaqto’s analysis of the 304 home contents insurance policies on the market has found wide variation in the range and level of features that different policies offer. In particular, there are a number of key features that tend to be optional extras, rather than standard, within policies.

Mike Powell, Defaqto’s insight analyst for general insurance, said: “Our homes and the contents within them are our most valuable assets