Home furniture insurance

Get home furniture insurance to protect your beloved couches, cushions and carpets from the unexpected. 

Have you splurged on furnishing your home? A lot of us have. Think about your sofa, dining table, chairs and bed. How much is all of that worth?

If something happens that damages or destroys our furniture, we have a lot to lose. Good news, then, that insurance can cover home furniture against the unexpected.

How do I insure my furniture?

There are a few different ways to insure your furniture. Which policy is right for you will depend on your living situation and the furniture you want to insure:

Contents insurance

Contents insurance

Can give your furniture the same protection as home insurance, against the same insured events, but minus the benefit of cover for your home itself. It can be a good choice if you're renting or in a less permanent living situation. If you only have a few things you want to insure, you can also cover furniture as part of a single item insurance policy.

Home and contents insurance

Home and contents insurance

Can give you the broadest possible protection by covering not only your furniture but also plenty of other things around it in your home, including the home itself.

You might not want to take out a home insurance policy if your main priority is to cover your furniture, but if you already have home insurance, check your policy to see if you already have cover. You might even take the time to compare other home insurance options.

An important note. Whichever policy you choose, you should consider adding accidental damage insurance to your policy. Usually an optional benefit rather than a standard feature, it can cover furniture that's damaged in an unforeseeable accident. Examples could include wine or coffee spills, child-related food stains and accidental burns.

Compare home furniture insurance and get a quote

Product AUFHO Furniture Fire, Storm & Theft Damage Outdoor Contents Home office equipment Accidental Damage to Home or Belongings Online Discount
Youi Contents Insurance
Best Rated Brand
Youi Home Insurance logo
Optional
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.
Up to $12,000
Optional
Our verdict: The most popular insurer on Finder, Budget Direct prioritises low-cost cover and gives you 15% off your first year's premium if you purchase online. You need to pay extra for flood cover and accidental damage.
Optional
Our verdict: It covers essentials such as fire and theft plus comes with some good perks such as security upgrades after a burglary and up to 10% off your first year.
Up to $15,000
Optional
Our verdict: Earn up to 40K Qantas Points for joining by 29 January. Plus save 30% on your 1st year’s premium for purchasing a combined home and contents policy online. T&Cs apply.
Up to $20,000
Optional
5% of your contents sum insured
Optional
Our verdict: Honey gives you $250 smart sensors to reduce accidents and estimates the value of your contents. It was also a finalist for the comprehensive category in the Finder Awards.
Optional
Our verdict: Good comprehensive cover (issued by QBE). Also, get $5 Kogan.com credit when you purchase a new Kogan contents insurance policy online. T&Cs apply.
$8,000
Up to $5,000
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Finder survey: What extra features would influence people in choosing a home & contents insurance policy?

ResponseFemaleMale
Temporary accommodation cover30%25%
High-value items cover19.31%21.43%
Removal of debris19.31%14.47%
None of the above17.07%19.17%
Flood cover17.76%13.16%
Preventative programs8.1%10.15%
Asbestos removal6.72%5.83%
Other1.21%1.32%
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1113 Australians, December 2023

Why do I need home furniture insurance?

Between your bed and mattress, lounge or lounges, tables and chairs, wardrobes and cabinets, rugs and carpets and mirrors and lighting, the total value of your home furniture is likely higher than you'd guess.

Furniture is a common casualty when homes are damaged badly in fire, flood, storm and other events – and new and antique furniture doesn't come cheap.

Accidental scratches, spills and stains also happen. Cleaning, repair or replacement costs can be high when they do. Home furniture insurance (with accidental damage cover) can make those moments less painful.

Should I add "accidental damage" cover to my policy?

If you want to protect your furniture, you'll probably conclude, given sofas and other furniture are prone to accidents, that it's a good idea to add accidental damage cover for your policy. If you don't, you might be disappointed later on to learn that unsightly stain, scratch or chip isn't covered.

Which brands offer accidental damage cover?

BrandDoes it offer accidental damage?
Budget directOptional
Youi logoOptional
Virgin money home insuranceOptional
Westpac home insurance
St. george home insurance
Everyday Insurance
Picture not describedOptional

How is home furniture insurance different to warranty?

  • Warranties and product care plans focus on failures and imperfections in the design, structure and features of the product itself – for example, a manufacturing defect in a bed frame.
  • A warranty generally won't cover any of the insured events a home and/or contents policy will, including water damage, fire damage, theft and so on.
  • A warranty only lasts for a finite period of time after purchase, whereas insurance will last as long as your policy is active.

Will my outdoor furniture be included?

Yes. As long as it lives at the insured address, outdoor furniture can be included in either a home and contents policy or a straight contents policy. This can include things like statues and ornaments.

You just have to remember to account for your outdoor furniture when you're setting up your policy. Again, you might need to specify the value of any very-high-value items that are worth more than the upper limits the insurer pays out in a standard policy.

When will my furniture be covered?

Here are some situations where home and/or contents policies will generally cover your furniture:

  • In insured events like fire, flood, escape of liquid from your plumbing system, impact damage (e.g. from a falling branch or tree) and theft.
  • If fixed glass in a piece of furniture gets smashed in an insured event (depending on what happened, you might need accidental damage cover).
  • If you stain your couch with food or drink (again, you may need accidental damage cover).
  • Many (but not all) insurers classify rugs, and often carpets, as furniture.

When won't home furniture insurance cover me?

Every insurance policy has exclusions. Here are some furniture-related things you may not be covered for:

  • Not all policies will cover "permanent" furniture like fittings, built-in wardrobes and kitchen cupboards (unless you're taking out landlord insurance), though others will.
  • You shouldn't assume your insurance will cover pet damage, which is an exclusion in lots of home and contents policies and may or may not be included in accidental damage insurance. If you have an unpredictable pet that could cause havoc, check the fine print and ask the insurer.
  • If you're working from home or running a business out of home, some policies will insure your (home) office furniture as a standard, while others won't. Let your insurer know about any furniture you use as part of your business, in case you need to insure it separately.
  • If you have items of furniture with values higher than the relevant maximum sums insured in your policy, you might need to designate their value in a specified contents policy. Before committing to anything, be sure to cross-check the relevant values against the policy's product disclosure statement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here's the bottom line

Whether your furniture collection is brand-new or antique, home furniture insurance that reflects its true value will quickly pay for itself in peace of mind.

Jessica Prasida's headshot
Publisher

Jessica Prasida is a travel insurance expert for Finder. She lives and breathes travel, having worked as a travel agent and branch manager at STA Travel for over 4 years, then writing about travel insurance with Finder for another 5 years. Jess has a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology, Sydney and a Tier 1 General Insurance qualification. See full bio

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