A home insurance review should confirm that buildings, household contents and portable possessions still match the home you have today. Renovations, solar systems, new appliances, furniture and electronics can increase replacement costs, while sold or donated belongings may make old policy details inaccurate.
Spring cleaning often reveals how much a household has changed. A new appliance may have replaced an older model, a spare room may now be a home office, or a renovation may have increased rebuilding costs. Insurance works best when those changes are reflected accurately.
Reviewing cover before year-end travel and holiday spending also gives households time to correct valuations, confirm security requirements and organise proof of ownership before an emergency occurs.
Buildings insurance generally protects the structure and permanent fixtures, including insured renovations and fixed installations. Home contents insurance generally protects eligible movable belongings kept at the insured address. Portable possessions or all-risk cover may be needed for specified items such as laptops, phones, cameras or jewellery when they leave the home.
Homeowners may need both buildings and contents cover. Tenants usually need to protect their own belongings because a landlord’s building policy generally does not insure the tenant’s personal possessions.
The building sum insured should generally reflect the cost of rebuilding the insured structure, not its municipal or sale value. The household contents sum insured should reflect the current cost of replacing eligible belongings with new items of a similar type and quality, subject to the policy definition.
Walk through every room, garage, storeroom and outdoor area. Include furniture, appliances, electronics, clothing, linen, kitchenware, tools, home-office equipment, décor and other possessions that are easy to overlook. Miway’s home asset audit guide explains why accurate totals matter when an average clause applies.
Renovations, additions, outbuildings and fixed improvements can change the building’s replacement cost and risk profile. Solar panels, inverters and battery systems may also need to be declared and categorised correctly, depending on whether they are permanently installed or movable.
Keep invoices, installation records, warranties and any relevant compliance documents. Confirm the cover, limits, security requirements and exclusions instead of assuming that new equipment is automatically protected.
Update the policy after buying or receiving high-value furniture, appliances, electronics, jewellery, art or home-office equipment. Some items may need to be specified individually or supported by a valuation.
Also remove specified belongings that have been sold, replaced, donated or given away. This keeps the schedule accurate and avoids paying for item-specific cover that no longer serves a purpose. Do not reduce the total contents sum without recalculating the full household replacement value.
· Photograph each room and valuable item.
· Record model names and serial numbers for electronics and appliances.
· Keep receipts and current valuations where available.
· Save renovation, solar and installation documents securely.
· Store a copy away from the home or in protected cloud storage.
· Update the inventory after major purchases or household changes.
Good records can help establish ownership and value during a claim, but they do not replace the need for correct cover or compliance with policy conditions.
Confirm that alarms, electric fencing, access controls, locks and other declared security measures are operational. Notify the insurer if security arrangements, occupancy, address or use of the home changes.
Insurance is not a substitute for maintenance. Attend to roof leaks, plumbing problems, electrical faults, damaged gutters, trees and other preventable hazards. Gradual deterioration and poor maintenance may not be insured.
· Download the latest policy schedule and coversheet.
· Confirm the insured address, occupancy and contact details.
· Recalculate buildings and contents values separately.
· Declare renovations, fixed improvements and solar equipment.
· Specify valuable and portable possessions where required.
· Remove listed items that are no longer owned.
· Check excesses, limits, exclusions and security conditions.
· Update the home inventory and supporting documents.
Miway customers can review current home insurance information and contact Miway when policy details need to be updated. The schedule and policy wording remain the final source of the applicable cover.
Spring-cleaning home insurance is a practical risk check, not an administrative chore. An accurate schedule, realistic replacement values and organised records reduce the chance of discovering a costly gap only after damage, theft or another insured event.
Review it at least annually and whenever you renovate, move, buy valuable items, install solar equipment, change security or alter how the home is occupied or used.
Not necessarily. Their classification and cover depend on how they are installed and the policy terms. Declare them and confirm the applicable section, limits and conditions.
Buildings insurance generally covers the structure and permanent fixtures. Contents insurance generally covers eligible movable belongings kept at the insured home.
If an average clause applies, an otherwise valid claim may be reduced proportionately because the total insured amount is below the required replacement value.
Yes, especially individually specified items. Ask the insurer to update the schedule, but recalculate the full contents value before reducing the total sum insured.
