If you make a claim, the insurer on your policy will let you know if you have to pay your chosen excess first, before they'll pay out on the claim or whether they'll simply deduct your excess from the claim payment.

If a claim affects both your buildings and contents, you’ll only have to pay one excess, which will be the higher of the two when applicable.

When you make a claim, the insurer will try to make repairs in the first instance. However, this isn't always possible, so depending on the item and damage suffered, the insurer might offer to replace an item with an identical model (or a model which is the same specification), provide a cash payment or vouchers so you can replace the item yourself.

The claim payment will be the same as the cost of replacing the item, less the excess that has been paid/deducted (subject to policy limitations).

When discussing the amount you can claim for, your insurer will take into account both the excess and the policy limits.