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.
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:
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.
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.
We currently don't have that product, but here are others to consider:
How we picked these| Response | Female | Male |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary accommodation cover | 30% | 25% |
| High-value items cover | 19.31% | 21.43% |
| Removal of debris | 19.31% | 14.47% |
| None of the above | 17.07% | 19.17% |
| Flood cover | 17.76% | 13.16% |
| Preventative programs | 8.1% | 10.15% |
| Asbestos removal | 6.72% | 5.83% |
| Other | 1.21% | 1.32% |
We crunch eligible home insurance products 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. We assess home and contents, building only and contents only products individually.
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.
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.
| Brand | Does it offer accidental damage? |
|---|---|
 | Optional |
 | Optional |
 | Optional |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | Optional |
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.
Here are some situations where home and/or contents policies will generally cover your furniture:
Every insurance policy has exclusions. Here are some furniture-related things you may not be covered for:
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.
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