Make a list of what is important to you.
Some people have very expensive garden furniture and sheds full of expensive equipment. They need insurance that covers that, but you may not.
Do you need freezer insurance for the little box in your fridge?
Or pushbike insurance?
Add up the replacement cost of everything - do it room by room. Tedious but worthwhile. There is no point having �75k contents insurance for �35k worth of contents. Similarly it is a folly to under insure.
Can you afford to lose a few hundred pounds? I haven't claimed on my insurance for 20 years, and don't expect to, so I save a great deal on my insurance by having a �500 excess. I can comfortably afford to do this and it has saved me more than �500 over the years in reduced premium.
Do you walk round with �s of valuables? Laptop, mobile phone, mp3 and other expensive gadgetry? If not, pointless paying extra to have these insured away from home.
It is possible to cut the cost of your home insurance, bt it is important to be sure you are getting the cover you need, and not paying for cover you don't