Home Contents Insurance

What is included in Home Contents?
Just to make things easier to imagine: Home contents include everything that would go in the van with the moving company. In other words, this is likely to mean everything you put into the home in the first place. That would therefore include not just the furniture and clothing, but also everything that is in the shed or the cellar and attic. These are often referred to as ‘movables. Having said that, an automobile, motorcycle or sailboat or not part of home contents, even if they are parked in your garage.

Renovations
When you have been doing a renovation in your home, it has obviously become part of that home, everything has been ‘fixed’ together and can’t go onto the moving van. That makes it part of you home insurance, not home contents insurance.   
Unless.... your renovation has been done in your rented home. A new kitchen or bathroom, a fireplace or parquet floors, antennas or sunshades, these things in a rental home are your property! And therefore these things in a rented home are often made part of the home contents insurance.

Covered Events
Most policies cover: fire, storm, breakage, explosions, water damage, and so forth. This is a ‘fixed’ description, which is mentioned in the policy terms and conditions. Because nowadays many things no longer burn, but melt instead (plastics), the risk of melting, singeing or scorching is also usually covered.
Furthermore, and we think this is quite good; the contents of your freezer are also often covered in the event a power interruption causes it to spoil. As is the restoration of your garden after a fire.
Another usual cover involves hotel accommodation, when you are temporarily unable to use your home as the result of a covered event, such as a fire. In these latter case close co-ordination with the insurer is essential.
 
Some policies actually offer very extensive coverage: coverage includes, in addition to events already defined, also protection for all possible causes of damage not yet defined. The clause will state: provided it is “sudden and unexpected”.  Although a bit more expensive, these policies can prevent a great deal of discussion after the event.    

• Ordinary wear and tear and lack of regular maintenance;
• Other types of “it’s your own fault”: rain damage is not covered if caused by leaving your windows open;
• Construction faults, these are to be claimed from the builder;
• Damage caused by small pets;
• Damage incurred during cleaning, repairing or working on something;
• And, unfortunately, natural disasters are still excluded;