Buildings and Contents Insurance in Spain

Most expats in Spain end up with a combined buildings and contents policy — one seguro de hogar that covers the structure of the property and everything inside it, along with liability and home assistance. This guide explains what continente and contenido actually mean, what combined cover includes, and — most importantly — how to set the two sums insured correctly so a claim isn't cut down by Spain's average clause.

Continente vs contenido — the two halves explained

Buildings (continente) is the permanent structure of your home: the walls, roof, floors and foundations, plus everything fixed in place — fitted kitchens and bathrooms, built-in wardrobes, tiling and permanent flooring — and typically swimming pools, garden walls, fences, gates and outbuildings such as a garage or storeroom. If you tipped the house upside down, anything that stayed put is broadly continente.

Contents (contenido) is everything that would fall out: furniture, electronics, white goods, clothing, kitchenware, and personal belongings. Some valuables — jewellery, watches, art, bikes — may need to be listed individually or covered under an all-risks extension if they exceed the standard single-item limit.

Combined cover simply puts both in one policy, alongside the public liability and 24-hour home-assistance elements that come as standard on most Spanish home policies. For an owner-occupier it's usually the most complete and cost-effective way to insure.

What combined cover includes

• The building structure against fire, storm, escape of water, impact and similar perils.
• Your contents against theft, fire, water damage and (optionally) accidental damage.
• Public liability (responsabilidad civil) for injury or damage you cause to others — including the very common case of a leak from your home damaging a neighbour's.
• Water damage (daños por agua) — the single most common Spanish home claim, usually including the cost of locating and repairing the failed pipe.
• Fire, theft and storm damage, plus the Consorcio surcharge that funds compensation for extraordinary events.
• 24-hour home emergency assistance — a plumber, electrician or locksmith for urgent problems.

The table below shows how buildings, contents and combined cover compare against the main risks:

Indicative only — cover, limits and exclusions vary by insurer and policy.

Do you need buildings cover, contents cover, or both?

It depends on what you own and how. If you own a house or villa, you'll normally want both — the structure is yours to insure and your belongings are inside it. If you own an apartment, the building's structure is partly covered by the community of owners' policy, but that policy stops at your front door: it won't pay for your contents, the interior fittings of your flat, or your personal liability, so most flat owners still need their own buildings-and-contents or contents-and-liability policy. We explain the split in community insurance vs home insurance. If you rent, you don't insure the structure at all — you only need contents and liability cover.

Getting the values right — and why it matters so much

This is where foreign owners most often go wrong. Insure the structure at its rebuild cost — what a builder would charge to reconstruct it from scratch — and not its market value or the price you paid, because the land has value but is never at risk. In many parts of Spain the market price is well above the rebuild cost (you're partly paying for location and sea views), so insuring at purchase price means over-paying; in a few cases it's the reverse. Insure contents at replacement (new-for-old) value — what it would cost to buy everything again today, not its second-hand worth.

How the sums insured affect your premium

Your premium is built largely from these two figures, plus the property's characteristics, location and how it's used. A higher contents sum or a larger rebuild value raises the price; a higher voluntary excess lowers it. The aim isn't the lowest possible number — it's accurate figures with a sensible excess, so the cover actually responds in full when you need it. We'll talk you through the trade-offs in plain English and arrange the policy through 247 Expat Insurance and the regulated insurers it works with.

General guidance only — not personal insurance advice. Cover, limits and exclusions vary by insurer and policy, so always check your policy terms. Last updated: May 2026.