Household contents insurance covers the entire household, from furniture and clothing to electrical appliances. However, some providers ignore important points that actually make sense. From what you should pay attention in the conditions.
A household insurance is useful for almost everyone who lives in a larger apartment. The insurance covers damage to furniture and furnishings caused by fire, burglary and water, for example.
Data recovery costs
Modern technology has become part of almost every household. Many documents are stored as data on a PC or other data carrier. Your household contents insurance should cover this. The cost of restoring or attempting to technically restore electronic data and programs should be covered.
Natural hazards
Storms can cause major damage. Experts warn: In the coming decades, the trend towards extreme weather conditions will continue to rise. The consequences of this are even more heavy rainfall, which can lead to flooding.
Natural hazard damage can be insured as an option with almost every household insurance policy. However, the insured benefits are different for each household insurance policy. Insured should be a compensation payment for insured items that are destroyed, damaged or lost due to flooding, backwater, earthquake, landslide, landslide, overflow, snow pressure, avalanches and volcanic eruption.
Gross negligence
Gross negligence is a concept of civil law and criminal law. It is a form of fault. Gross negligence occurs when the customary care and attention has been violated to a particularly serious degree. For some years now, household contents insurance may have to compensate at least part of the damage.
The remaining costs are borne by the customer. This is referred to as quoting, which can extend as far as complete freedom of the household insurance to cover its costs. In order to prevent a possible refusal of benefits here, a waiver of grossly negligent infringements should also apply in the exclusions of benefits.
Condition improvements
By including an innovation clause, the insurance cover of your household insurance automatically adapts to the updated insurance conditions. This also includes extensions to the insurance cover. An additional premium should not be charged by your household insurance.
Short-circuit and overvoltage damage
In every thunderstorm, the lightnings seek a target. If there is a direct lightning strike or a neighbour, damage is virtually inevitable. Lightning strikes within three kilometres can also cause overvoltages in the electrical equipment. Electrostatic charges or a technical defect can also cause an overvoltage.
Today’s home and communication devices are very sensitive to even the smallest overvoltages. Voltage impulses are generated both by switching operations in the power grid and by switching on electrical household appliances in one’s own electrical system.
As a rule, damage caused by a direct lightning strike on an insured object is covered by your household insurance. However, damage to electrical equipment caused by overvoltage or short circuits is excluded from insurance cover. In my opinion, short-circuit and overvoltage damage should be insured up to the amount of the sum insured.
What damage is covered by household insurance?
Damage caused by theft, fire or water will be compensated if your buying home insurance for the first time. Household contents include all items that you could take with you even if you moved house. You also have the option of taking out special supplementary insurance. For example, for animals or for your garden shelter. In the case of valuable jewellery, there are also various offers from the individual insurers.
Usually, the insurance will reimburse you for the new purchase value of the items. The decisive factor here is what sum insured you have contractually agreed. This brings us to the first important point:
Fair premium: check your sum insured
It is important that you check the insurance value of your belongings at regular intervals so that a fair premium is also paid. You should also record all your household effects exactly. If you are underinsured, this can cost you dearly in the event of damage. It is therefore advisable to adjust the insured sum when making new purchases or moving house. You therefore pay double the premium for a facility that is twice as expensive. Overinsurance is just as annoying.
This is because you are paying a premium that is too high without corresponding consideration. The decisive factor in determining the exact value of the items is the current market value – i.e. the costs that would be incurred at the present time for a new purchase.
