In the old days before the Internet and computers you would have to go down to your local insurance broker to get your home insurance. These days you can get instant online quotes and cover. There are a multitude of sites that will offer no obligation, free quotes and a number of comparison sites that will find the current cheapest deal for your circumstances. You can get instant quotes on both content and buildings as well as comparisons from the comparison engine sites.
In order to make the quote the insurer will obviously require some personal details. However, the information required is mercifully brief. You will need to supply your address including full postcode, the type of property (e.g. semi-detached), the approximate age of the property, whether you lease or own the property and the type of cover required - buildings, content or both.
The insurer will have to make several assumptions in order to give a realistic quote and to prevent the prospective client filling in a much larger form. These assumptions are based on the norm, that is, it is relatively unusual for a client not to satisfy the assumptions made. For example, the client is assumed to be over 18 and for the residence to be the main one. Also, things like sole occupancy of the client and immediate family and continuous occupancy apart from holidays are assumed. An increasing risk these days is flooding, but again, it is assumed that the property is not at risk. Basically anything that could be considered outside the norm may affect your quote, but these will all be checked should you wish to follow up the quote and apply for home insurance.
Once you have entered your basic details you should receive a quote within seconds. The better sites will allow you to tinker with the quote by adding conditions like accidental damage. Some sites may ask for a phone number so their call centre can call you back. Additionally comparison engines may reserve the right to send you future quotes. Make sure you are aware of how the quote will be presented and of any possible follow up before you request the quote. Most sites will request a password that will allow you to return to your quote within a specified period.
In conclusion, it is a very easy process to get a quote online for your home insurance, but remember that the quote is only indicative and you will be required to ratify all information. The quotes are without obligation so you should try a few insurers and get a feel for the best product before considering your final purchase of home insurance.