Household Content Insurance in South Africa

While Homeowners Insurance (or Buildings Insurance) protects you against loss/damage to the actual physical structure of your home, it does however, NOT also cover the household content - that which is ‘inside’.


Household Content Insurance
Replacing your household content (what is ‘inside’),
could cost you a fortune!
 

Do you need Household Content Insurance
The financial investment you have made in aquiring the household contents of your home, is likely to be considerable. Therefore, insuring your household contents, should not be overlooked. Even replacing the contents of a single room, could cost a fortune. Household Content Insurance is therefore absolutely vital.
 
1. What is normally covered by Household Content Insurance?
It covers your personal belongings and possessions in your house. This cover includes furniture, clothing, jewellery, electronic equipment & appliances, rugs, curtains, removable paintings and mirrors, gardening equipment, garden furniture, handyman tools and sporting equipment.
   
  Most Household Content Insurance policies would cover the following:
 
  • Loss or damage of household content caused by theft or attempted theft (housebreakings & robberies);
  • A fire or explosion;
  • Acts of Nature (earthquake, wind, hail, storm, flood or snow);
  • Impact from vehicles, falling trees, aircraft, etc.;
  • Damage caused by bursting or overflowing geysers (i.e. water heating systems) or pipes;
  • Liability to other people, including domestic employees.
These options may be confusing...

In fact, the smartest thing you can do is -- Get a specialist broker to do it for you!
 
2. Why do I need Household Content Insurance?
 
  • Cover for events out of your control – such as fires and natural disasters;
  • Insure that in the event of accidental damaged due to insured event or theft, you can repair or replace your valuable items;
  • Prevent financial loss.
   
3. Also, important points to remember:
 
  • High value household content items must be specified separately e.g. jewellery, laptops, camera’s, cell phones, eyewear, designer property (eg. handbags), etc;
  • Valuation certificates to be held for high value jewellery items;
  • Proof of quantum to be kept for all your electronic equipment;
  • The sum insured must be linked to inflation. Note: Before you insure the contents of your home, make a list of the contents of each room and find out how much it would cost to replace each item at today’s prices – which is not the same as the price at which you bought the items. Add everything together to determine your total replacement value.
 
 Is hour Household content insured for theft?
Is your household content covered for theft due to forcible entry?