03 8790 5701

Home & Contents Insurance

There are many ways you can get a Home & Contents Insurance quote:

  1. Click on the form button below, complete the questionnaire and we will contact you.
  2. Call us on 03 8790 5701 and one of our friendly specialist brokers will help you.
  3. Complete the Contact Us form, leave a message and we will contact you.
  4. You can also upload your current policy or renewal notice to assist us.

For most people their home and contents are their most important assets, so insuring them correctly is very important. The following information has been designed to assist you in making an informed decision when purchasing insurance cover. As a general guide, we get what we pay for. We all appreciate and understand that a $10,000 car will not have the same features and extras as that of a $100,000 car; and to a certain degree the same can be said of insurance policies.

When we insure our home and contents we tend to nominate a sum insured for the building and another for the contents. However, it is important to remember that those sums insured are subject to sub-limits as defined in each policy.

Example:

You have furniture valued at $10,000, various jewellery valued at $10,000, a diamond ring valued at $10,000 and a collection of CD’s valued at $5000 making a total of $35,000. Even though you insure these contents for $35,000, the fact, is, that the sub-limits of some policies may restrict a claim payout to just $1000 per item of jewellery or $1000 in total for your CD collection. So although you have insured your items to their full value, the policy limits certain items, unless you specifically list those items on the policy.

Accidental Damage versus Defined Events

When considering buying insurance cover you have to weigh up the risks versus the cost. Consider what aspects of your home and contents are important to you and the risks they face. Accidental damage or loss cover protects you against those unforeseen incidents, like knocking over a paint pot onto the carpet, throwing the games controller through the television screen, putting your foot through the ceiling or dropping and breaking your camera at the beach. A defined events policy would not cover you for these types of accidents.

Temporary Removal of Contents from the Home

The advantage of an Accidental Damage policy is that it automatically provides cover for contents that are taken away from the home for Accidental Damage and Theft. Defined Events policies do not and as such you have to purchase Personal Property cover to protect those items taken away from the home.

Example:

Under an Accidental Damage policy contents, including jewellery taken away from the home, can be automatically covered up to $10,000 per item up to a maximum of 25% of the contents sum insured.

Accident Damage

Will cover you for Accidental Damage or Loss and all of the Defined or Listed Events, which are stated below

Defined or Listed Events

Only covers you for Fire or Explosion, Lightning of Thunderbolt, Earthquake or Tsunami, Burglary, Theft, Malicious damage, Escape of Liquids from burst pipe, fixed tank, gutter or drain, Fusion, Impact by vehicle, animal, aircraft or antenna, tree, Storm, Rainwater or Wind, Glass breakage and Flood

Under Insuring

Please ensure that you have insured both your home and contents for their full replacement value. You must also allow for things such as the cost of removing the debris, architects fees and the quality of the fixtures and fittings that you have.

Policy Comparison

The following is a comparison of different policies of some of the more common covers that are of concern to householders. Some of the most common types of claim are from fire, storm, flood and burglary, as these events often result in only a partial loss affecting only a few items, it is therefore important to consider the sub-limits of cover.

Example:

If you have a lot of jewellery do you wish to be automatically covered for $20,000 or just $1,000. It is important that you check the sub-limit of cover that applies to your particular policy.

ACCIDENTAL DAMAGE POLICY COMPARISON

    

Cover

Insurer A

Insurer B

Insurer C

Insurer D

Insurer E

Accidental Damage

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Electric Burnout

Up to 15 years

Up to 15 years

Included

Up to 12 years

Up to 15 years

Additional cost of temporary accommodation

20% of sum insured, maximum 12 months, includes pets

10% of sum insured, maximum 12 months, includes pets

20% of sum insured, maximum 12 months

10% of sum insured, maximum 12 months, pets $500

Lesser of 10% building or contents sum insured or 12 months rental cost

Office equipment

$25,000 in total

$10,000 per item no limit

Lesser of $10,000 or 25% of contents sum insured

$10,000 in total

Included

Flood

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Moving address

45 days either side

14 days either side

14 days either side

14 days either side

14 days either side

Exploratory costs

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes subject to approval

Pet Vet Care

$500 in total

$750 in total

$500 in total

$500 in total

No Cover

Temporary removal of contents from home

25% of contents sum insured, for 90 days, worldwide

Unlimited for 90 days Australia wide & Worldwide

10% of contents sum insured, maximum $1000 anyone item for 90 days Australia wide

20% of contents sum insured whilst in a building or maximum $7500 anyone item for 90 days Australia wide

20% of general contents sum insured, but significant exclusions

Contents at home in open air

20% contents sum insured, limit $10,000 any one

Included

$2000 per item

$5000 per item, $1000 for bikes

Limit $2000 for storm flood & theft, or 20% of contents SI for all other events

CDs, DVDs, Videos, Digital Media, Electronic Games

Included – No sub-limit

Included – No sub-limit

Included – No sub-limit

Included – No sub-limit

No sub-limit

Collections of contents or valuables

25% contents sum insured, limit $10,000 any one item, pair, set or collection

$10,000 anyone item, pair, set or collection up to $20,000 or 25% of contents sum insured

$2000 per item

$5000 anyone item, pair, set of collection up to 20% sum insured

$2500 in total

Jewellery

25% contents sum insured, limit $10,000 any one item, pair, set or collection

$10,000 anyone item up to $20,000 or 25% of contents sum insured

$2000 anyone item up to $20% contents sum insured

$2000 anyone item up to $20% contents sum insured

$1000 in total

Paintings, Pictures, Art Works

$25,000

$20,000

Included – No sub-limit

$5000 per item up to $20,000

$2500 in total

Rugs

$25,000

$20,000

Included – No sub-limit

$5000 per item up to $20,000

Included – No sub-limit

Liability Limit

$20 million

$20m

$20 million

$20 million

$20 million

Un-occupancy Period

90 days

90 days

60 days

60 days

60 days

Catastrophe Cover

N/A

30% increase on top of Building Sum Insured

N/A

N/A

N/A

Tools of Trade

$5000

$7500

$5000 or 10% of sum insured

$2500

$2000 theft from home only

DEFINED EVENTS POLICY COMPARISON

Cover

Insurer A

Insurer B

Insurer C

Insurer D

Insurer E

Accidental Damage

No

No

No

No

No

Electric Burnout

Up to 15 years

Up to 15 years

Included

Up to 12 years

Up to 15 years

Additional cost of temporary accommodation

20% of sum insured, maximum 12 months, includes pets

10% of sum insured, maximum 12 months, includes pets

20% of sum insured, maximum 12 months

10% of sum insured, maximum 12 months, pets $500

Maximum 12 months, includes Pets

Office equipment

$25,000 in total

Unlimited, $5,000 per item

Lesser of $10,000 or 25% of contents sum insured

$10,000 in total

Included

Flood

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Moving address

45 days either side

14 days either side

14 days either side

14 days either side

14 days either side

Exploratory costs

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes in Home only

Pet Vet Care

$500 in total

$750 in total

$500 in total

$500 in total

No Cover

Temporary removal of contents from home

25% of contents sum insured, for 180 days, no cover in open air, theft restrictions and no AD cover

Unlimited for 90 days Australia wide, no cover in open air, no theft  cover, no AD cover

10% of contents sum insured, maximum $1000 anyone item for 90 days, no cover in open air, theft restrictions, no AD cover

20% of contents sum insured whilst in a building for 90 days Australia wide, no cover in open air, theft restrictions, no AD cover

20% of general contents sum insured, significant exclusions

Contents at home in open air

20% contents sum insured, limit $5,000 any one item

$2000 limit

$2000 loss or damage by theft or storm only

$2000 per item, $1000 for bikes

20% of general contents sum insured, but significant exclusions

CDs, DVDs, Videos, Digital Media, Electronic Games

Included – No sub-limit

$20,000 limit

Included – No sub-limit

Included – No sub-limit

$2500 in total

Collections of contents or valuables

25% contents sum insured, limit $5,000 any one item, pair, set or collection

The lesser of 25% contents sum insured or $20,000, limit $5,000 any one item, pair, set or collection

$2000 per item

$5000 anyone item, pair, set of collection up to 20% sum insured

$2500 in total

Jewellery

25% contents sum insured, limit $5,000 any one item, pair, set or collection

$5,000 anyone item up to $20,000 or 25% of contents sum insured

$2000 anyone item up to $20% contents sum insured

$2000 anyone item up to $20% contents sum insured

$1000 in total

Paintings, Pictures, Works of Art

$25,000

$20,000

Included – No sub-limit

$5000 per item up to $20,000

$2500 in total

Rugs

$25,000

$20,000

Included – No sub-limit

$5000 per item up to $20,000

Included – No sub-limit

Liability Limit

$20 million

$20m

$20 million

$20 million

$20 million

Un-occupancy Period

90 days

90 days

60 days

60 days

60 days

Catastrophe Cover

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Tools of Trade

$5000

$7500

$5000 or 10% of sum insured

$1500

$1000 theft from home only

These policy comparisons have been compiled as a guide only, for general reference, to highlight some of the more common features. All information is subject to change without warning and may not reflect your actual policy. You should refer to the actual policy wordings for clarification. Full policy comparisons can be provided upon request.

Home and Contents Insurance Quote Form

If you would like us to review your current policy and to compare the market for an alternative quote, please complete the questionnaire below.