Have you considered these high value items for your contents insurance policy?

For anyone who values the contents of their home, getting contents insurance is essential. Whilst we all may feel pretty au fait with the items that need to be insured - furniture, artwork, antiques etc - there may be a few high value items that you may not have considered.

Designer clothes
Top end designer clothes can cost thousands of pounds for a single piece. Imagine if a fire ravaged your home and destroyed your collection of Armani suits or Chanel handbags? The financial impact of being underinsured for your beautiful garments and accessories could be harder to take than the original loss, so it's worth letting your insurance company know which items need special coverage to protect yourself against this happening.

Vintage booze
For those lucky enough to have their own cellar full of fine wines and rare malt whiskies, home contents insurance that covers your goods is essential. The value of vintage and rare collections can be astronomical, so a faulty shelving unit breaking under the weight of the bottles, fire or theft could be very costly if you're uninsured. Drunken guests stealing a swig of your precious malt probably won't be coverable though!

Diamond encrusted pet jewellery
Perhaps one of the more bizarre categories on this list is diamond encrusted pet jewellery. Some dog lovers will do anything for their pets; even if that means buying them super-expensive pieces of jewellery to make them feel special. Diamond encrusted or gold plated pet jewellery can be very pricey, so if you're the proud owner of some, be sure to get it all insured.

Musical instruments
Grand pianos, antique violins, guitars with a musical genius as a past owner: all of these items are highly valuable and deserve a place on your contents insurance. In 2008, Robert Napier left a 17th century violin worth £180K on a train in Wilshire and it has never been returned, which serves as a poignant reminder to us all to be more careful with our belongings!

Ashton Mapletoft is a freelance writer with a special interest in the insurance market.