What does home insurance cover?

Take a moment and think about all the belongings you own. A lot of thought and finance will have gone into selecting them, and some will have sentimental value too. Now imagine it’s gone – destroyed or stolen in an unfortunate incident. 

 Anything that can be lifted, pushed, and pulled is considered part of your home contents (even that hefty dining table). You can protect all of these things with home contents insurance and ensure more peace in your future.

Contents:

• What exactly does homeowners insurance cover?

• Does home insurance cover cracked walls?

• Does home insurance cover termite damage?

• Does your home insurance cover roof replacement?

• What are the six categories typically covered by homeowners insurance?

• How to file a home insurance claim?

What exactly does homeowner’s insurance cover? 

As you will provide the insurer with an inventory of belongings, what is protected is somewhat up to you. 

Include everything of value, such as kitchen appliances, clothing, portable possessions, but leave out anything that would ordinarily fall under buildings insurance. These would be any fixtures and fittings such as walls, windows, roofs, floors, and built-in cupboards. Don’t make the mistake of only including valuables commonly taken in burglaries, such as jewelry, art and laptops. Lastly, when you estimate the value of your home contents, you should also include the contents of other buildings on your property.

What damage does home insurance cover? 

Home contents insurance covers the cost of replacing or repairing your chosen items if damaged in the following events:

• Fire 

• Lightning

• Earthquakes

• Storms

• Floods & water damage

• Power surges

• Malicious damage

• Break-ins

Below we have included the answers to other common questions about what is and isn’t covered by home insurance. 

Does home insurance cover cracked walls?

Home contents insurance does not cover the repair of cracked walls. For this, you would need buildings insurance. 

Does home insurance cover termite damage?

Unfortunately, most home contents insurers will not cover termite damage to the exterior of a building. Instead, you will need buildings insurance. 

Does your home insurance cover roof replacement?

Roof replacement and repair is more likely to be covered under building insurance.

What are the six categories typically covered by homeowners insurance?

Many factors affect the rate of insurance costs, but when insuring private homes, you’ll often hear of the following six coverage categories 

1. A - Dwelling coverage

2. B - Other structure coverage

3. C - Personal property coverage

4. D - Loss of use/additional living expenses coverage 

5. E - Liability coverage

6. F - Medical payments and other coverage

How to file a home insurance claim?

Filing a home insurance claim will be different for each provider. These pointers will assist you with your home insurance claim wherever you hold your policy.

1. Take a note of the date and time the damage took place.

2. Take photos or videos of the damage if it is safe to do so. 

3. Notify your provider quickly and keep a diary of all your communications and any other professionals involved, like the police.

4. If you can wait to repair or fix items, do so until your claim is approved. If it can’t, keep all of your receipts.

One last recommendation is to be aware of your claim limit. A claim limit is the maximum amount of money an insurer will pay in the event of a claim. For example, if your claim limit was R20,000, and your loss was R25,000, your insurer will pay the claim limit amount of R20,000, and you would pay the balance of R5,000 yourself. 

How much does home insurance cost in South Africa?

Auto and General home contents insurance covers you for a whole lot more than meets the eye, from call-out fees to medical and legal assistance, because home emergencies shouldn’t cost a fortune. Since not all insurance companies are made equal, it’s essential to check the costs and understand what's covered. Get a quick Home Insurance quote with us and cover your home for added peace of mind.