Each month, we get crunching on most every home insurance product in Australia to see how they stack up. We rank over 50 products on 16 different features, including price. We end up with a single score out of 10 that helps you compare home insurance a bit faster.
Your home is likely to be the most expensive thing you own, so it's worth protecting. If it gets damaged by fire, flood, burst pipes or a storm, you'll be patting yourself on the back for organising home insurance. Here's a little bit about what it can cover:
If any of these events occur (plus some others), then you can be compensated for both the expense to repair your home and the expenses you incur while having to live outside of your home.
There are four main types of home insurance:
Building insurance
This is straight up home insurance. It includes cover for the home, so the actual building, only.
Contents insurance
This insures the belongings inside your home. So if you've got an expensive TV, oven etc — these can be covered by contents insurance.
Home and contents insurance
As the name implies, this is a combination of the two. This means your home building and your contents are insured.
Landlord insurance
This can include building insurance and/or contents insurance, based on what you need as a landlord. It's designed to protect your investment home while others are renting it.
The best way to save money on your home insurance bill is to compare policies every time you go to renew. Sometimes, this doesn't even mean switching! It can be as simple as being informed about other prices so you can negotiate with your current insurer. I did this with my most recent home insurance bill and saved $200.
Peta Taylor
Publisher of Insurance
Every insurer prices its risk in really different ways, which means you could get two very different quotes on the exact same house and same policy holder. That's why you're almost always going to pay over the offs if you don't shop around regularly. Call your insurer and ask for a better deal and if they can't do anything, do a quick comparison – for 60 minutes of your time, you could save hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Sarah Megginson
Head of Editorial
Every year, we research all* home and contents insurance policies on the market in Australia and select the best home insurance providers based on features and price. See our award winners below.
Australia Post Home & Contents Insurance won this year's Comprehensive award because it offers competitive pricing and extensive coverage with high limits.
Highly commended
AAMI Home & Contents Insurance policy won this year's Finder Award for value. It provides a similar level of cover to other insurers but at a lower price.
Highly commended
*We research all eligible policies that are available for purchase at the time of researching. Read more about our methodology.
Home insurance premiums are getting more and more expensive so it's critical to ensure you're not paying more than you need to. Here's a few tips to get your home insurance bill down a bit lower:
"When my husband and I turned 60 and became semi-retired, we wanted to put a stop to unnecessary bills so we could spend time enjoying our retirement. When we received our home insurance renewal bill (from a company we'd been with for 5 years), I was blown away to learn that they were increasing my premium by a whopping 60%. I compared my options and ended up going with another provider. Even with added benefits, we still saved over $700 a year by switching!"
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PLEASE ADVISE WHERE PERSONS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET HOME IBSURANCE TYPE COVER WHILST LIVING IN NURSING HOME OF BRICK CONSTRUCTION SPRINKLERED AND 24 HOUR STAFFING
Hi John,
If you’re living in a nursing home, it’s likely the building insurance is arranged by the nursing home and covered as part of your fees. You may want to get contents insurance, as this covers things like carpet, curtains and cupboards, as well as your personal belongings. Hope this helps.
I am looking for my dual occupancy home insurance
Hi Eduardo, Dual occupancy covers a few different scenarios. In multi-unit dwellings like apartments, strata insurance covers the building structure, but this is organised by the body corporate. As a renter or owner-occupier, you might consider separate contents insurance for your own possessions to protect against theft or accidental damage. Hope this helps.
Original property subdivided into Lot A, B and C. Townhouse built on A, Townhouse built on B (mine) and Lot C is Common Property and used as a driveway for both A and B properties. There is no strata title or owners corp. I am concern3d about public liability and legal cost of personal injury on the common property. My home and content insurance won’t cover the common property. Other insurance companies I have tried will only offer strata insurance if there is a strata title or owners corp. I am looking for legal liability coverage for the common property. Thanks
Hi Andrew,
Given the bespoke nature of your requirements, it would be a good idea to engage an insurance broker. They often work with specialist insurers, so they can help you get the cover you need. Best of luck!
I am looking for quotes for strata property owners building and content insurance.
Hi Garry, Our detailed guide to strata insurance explains how it works and where you can get quotes.
bought contents insurance with budget direct thru your site after it showed various insurers and there premiums. just went looking for building insurance but whilst it lists various insurers it doesnt show premiums am i missing something? with thanks bob.
Hi Bob, We don’t show rates for building insurance as the costs will vary depending on the type of building, its age and its location. But you can compare building insurance by looking at the Finder Score for each provider, which gives you a good indication of value and inclusions. Hope that helps!