Contents Insurance

The contents policy covers your personal effects, furniture, furnishing and home appliances.  That’s basically everything except for your house. 

Most insurance companies include carpet under contents, so if you have both policies, the carpet will be covered under your contents policy rather than your house policy.  This can cause difficulties if you have your house with a different company from your contents, and it may be worth checking both policies to see how contents and house are defined.  You may be able to claim for your carpets under your house policy allowing more sum insured for your other contents.

Most contents policies provide replacement conditions for major items such as furniture, furnishings, home appliances and sometimes garden appliances.  It is very important to carefully consider this section in your policy that defines what you are entitled to for different types of property.  Policies in recent times have become more and more generous and some provide full replacement conditions for even personal effects and jewellery.  Read your policy carefully, and don’t be scared to question any offers made. 

The other thing about a contents policy will be the add ons.  Insurance companies love to provide special add ons into their policies.  Check these carefully.  They may include benefits that you do not even know you are entitled to.  For example, some policies include a stress benefit for a total loss and some policies provide a lump sum in the case of fatality.  Check your policy carefully, and make sure you claim for all your special benefits.  It is unlikely that your insurance company will offer these to you unless you ask. 

Temporary Accommodation

Some Contents Policies cover temporary accommodation. If so you may be covered for this. See under the House section on this site.