The problem with using one comparison site
Every home insurance comparison platform has gaps in its carrier panel. No single aggregator shows you every insurer in the market. The most significant gap: major direct-only carriers — State Farm in the US, Direct Line and NFU Mutual in the UK — are absent from every aggregator panel by choice.
If you use one comparison site and take its top result, you have seen perhaps 60-70% of the relevant market for your risk profile. The carriers not on the panel may be cheaper, equivalent, or more expensive — you have no way to know.
This is not an accident of market structure. It is the commercial reality: aggregators earn commission from carriers whose quotes convert to policies. Carriers who refuse to pay panel fees, or who refuse to participate in commission-driven comparisons, simply do not appear.
Insurance markets vary by state; get quotes directly from carriers for accurate pricing.
What the 3+2 method is
The 3+2 method is a simple framework:
3 aggregated quotes: Use three comparison platforms (or one with a broad panel, plus two direct-quote tools) to capture the panel-available market.
2 direct quotes: Get quotes from two major direct-only carriers who are absent from all aggregator panels.
Total: 5 price points. Approximately 20 minutes of effort. A 90%+ view of the market for a standard property.
The US version of the 3+2 method
Step 1 — Multi-carrier aggregator (10 minutes)
Use Policygenius or The Zebra. Complete one application. Get quotes from 7-12 carriers on their panel. Note the cheapest and the best-coverage option — these may be different policies.
Step 2 — State Farm direct (5 minutes)
Go to statefarm.com and run a quote. State Farm is the largest US home insurer and is absent from every aggregator. Their pricing for bundled auto+home is often competitive; standalone home less reliably so.
Step 3 — USAA direct (5 minutes, if eligible)
If you or an immediate family member has served in the US military, get a USAA quote. USAA is consistently among the most competitive carriers for eligible households and is absent from all aggregators.
If you are not USAA-eligible, use Lemonade or your incumbent carrier as the third direct quote.
The UK version of the 3+2 method
3 aggregators: Compare the Market, MoneySuperMarket, GoCompare (or substitute Confused.com for any of the three).
2 direct quotes: Direct Line (direct only, never on any PCW) and NFU Mutual (direct or broker only).
Why these two: they are systematically absent from all four UK price comparison websites. For approximately 25% of risk profiles, one of the two quotes in the cheapest three overall. You will not know this without getting the direct quotes.
What the 3+2 method costs you
The total time is approximately 20-25 minutes for a standard property. You share your property and personal details with up to three organisations instead of one. All of them are handling insurance applications regularly and are subject to data protection regulation.
You do not need to provide your bank details or agree to any purchase to receive a quote. All quotes are non-binding until you explicitly purchase a policy.
What the 3+2 method saves you
Based on the structure of the comparison market rather than a specific claim: using three comparison sources plus two direct quotes gives you a materially broader price range than using one source. For a US homeowner with a standard property, the spread across 5 quotes is typically $200-$600/year. Taking the cheapest appropriately-covered option in that spread vs taking the first quote you receive is the saving.
For UK homeowners, the ABI data shows the Q4 2025 average combined buildings and contents premium is £379. MSE forum reports suggest shoppers who use the 3+2 approach consistently find options £30-£100 cheaper than their first comparison-site result.
How to hold your quotes together
You will receive 5 quotes from different platforms in different formats. Before you compare them, confirm for each:
- Is the dwelling covered on a replacement cost or ACV basis?
- Is personal property covered on a replacement cost or ACV basis?
- What is the deductible/excess for standard claims?
- What is the deductible for catastrophic perils (hurricane, windstorm, earthquake) where applicable?
- Are flood and earthquake excluded (almost always yes — require separate policies)?
Only compare premiums once you have confirmed these five variables are equivalent. A $1,200/year ACV policy and a $1,380/year RCV policy are not the same product.
The decision wizard
If you want a personalised version of the 3+2 method — with recommendations tailored to your property type, location, and coverage priorities — use the decision wizard. It asks 5 questions and returns a ranked list of 5 specific sources to quote from, with rationale for each.