GIO home insurance review

GIO home insurance is good if you want one of the most comprehensive policies available.

4.1 ★★★★★ (40 reviews) Write a review

Pros

  • Highly-customisable cover with up to eight optional extras, depending on your policy.
  • GIO offers a range of discounts, including 10% for buying online, up to 10% for holding multiple policies, and 15% for bundling your home and contents insurance.
  • GIO Home Assist benefit can connect you with tradespeople quickly if there's an emergency in your home, like a burst pipe or lost power cut.

Cons

  • GIO only offers cover in NSW, VIC, and ACT.
  • GIO's most basic policy only covers up to $500 for lock replacement, visitor's contents and food spoilage, less than many other brands.
  • GIO's temporary accommodation cover could be stronger, offering a maximum of 15% of your sum insured, whereas some brands offer up to 20% as standard.

GIO's middle-tier policy, Classic Extras, has competitive benefits with limits that are similar to most home insurance brands in its price range and, in some cases, higher.

Guest contents and food spoilage both have a limit of $1,000 with GIO, while Budget Direct only covers $500 for guest contents, AAMI covers up to $400 for food spoilage.

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Budget Direct Home & Contents Insurance
Best Rated BrandBonusFinder Award Finalist
Budget Direct Home Insurance logo
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Our verdict: The most popular insurer on Finder, Budget Direct prioritises low-cost cover and gives you up to 30% off your first year's premium for new combined Home & Contents policies purchased online.
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Our verdict: Finder’s 2022 Insurer of the Year for Customer Satisfaction and our Top Pick for Fire Damage cover. It’s good if you want a tailored quote over the phone.
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Compare GIO's home insurance policies

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What additional cover options are available?

Depending on the level of cover you have chosen, there may be lots of optional extras you can add to your GIO policy, including:

  • Motor burnout - Cover the cost to repair or replace electrical motors in household equipment.
  • Accidental damage - Protection in the event of accidental damage, such as breaking an awning.
  • Excess-free glass cover - Repair or replace cracked or smashed glass without having to pay an excess.
  • GIO Home Assist - Fast connection with vetted tradespeople so they can deal with your emergency sooner.
  • Injury to pets - Payment to help cover vet bills if your pet cat or dog is injured.
  • Domestic workers compensation - Covers your legal liability to pay workers compensation to your domestic employee if they're injured while working in your home.
  • Portable valuables - Cover for items that you take out of your home, including jewellery, gadgets, mobility aids, and sporting equipment.

How to make a claim

There are two ways to lodge a home insurance claim with GIO - either by using the GIO app or online at the GIO website.

You'll need to make sure you have gathered the required documents before making a claim, then submit them to GIO either online or via the app.

GIO home insurance complaints information

According to data from the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), AAI Limited - the company that owns GIO - was the subject of 1,096 complaints related to home or contents insurance in the final six months of 2023.

FAQs

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Senior writer

Nicola Middlemiss is a contributing writer at Finder, with a special interest in personal finance and insurance. Formerly a business and finance journalist, Nicola has written thousands of articles helping Australians better understand insurance and grow their personal wealth. She has contributed to a wide range of publications, including Domain, the Educator, Financy, Fundraising and Philanthropy, Insurance Business, MoneyMag, Mortgage Professional, Yahoo Finance, Your Investment Property, and Wealth Professional. Nicola has a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Leeds. See full bio

Nicola's expertise
Nicola has written 239 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Personal finance
  • Personal insurance, including car, health, home, life, pet and travel insurance
  • Commercial business insurance

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