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Home and contents insurance comparisons on Mozo

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Last updated 2 November 2024Important disclosures
Important information on terms, conditions and sub-limits.
  • Home Cover - Buildings & Contents

    QBE Home and Contents Insurance can cover your property and belongings in case of fire, storm damage, theft and more. 24/7 friendly and helpful claims service. Up to $30 million legal liability cover. Temporary accommodation costs for up to two years if your home isn’t liveable.

    Main events covered
    • fire
      Fire
    • theft
      Theft
    • storm
      Storm
    • flood
      Flood
    Monthly payments
    cost extra
    Calendar icon
    Yes
    Underinsurance protection
    Underinsurance protection icon
    Optional ExtraUp To 30% Of Buildings Sum Insured, Applied Automatically For Eligible Policies
    New for old
    replacement
    Replacement icon
    Yes
    Compare
    Details
  • Home & Contents Insurance

    Get covered in just 3 minutes. Receive complimentary $250 smart home sensors to help alert you to avoidable mishaps like fire, theft & water damage. Get rewarded for being smarter, by keeping your sensors active, with a discount of up to 8% every year (T&C’s apply).

    Main events covered
    • fire
      Fire
    • theft
      Theft
    • storm
      Storm
    • flood
      Flood
    Monthly payments
    cost extra
    Calendar icon
    No
    Underinsurance protection
    Underinsurance protection icon
    No
    New for old
    replacement
    Replacement icon
    Yes
    Compare
    Details
  • Home & Contents Insurance

    Get award-winning Home and Contents Insurance at a price you can afford from Budget Direct. Save a huge 30% on your first year’s premium when you purchase a new combined Home and Contents Insurance policy online.

    Main events covered
    • fire
      Fire
    • theft
      Theft
    • storm
      Storm
    • flood
      Flood
      Optional Extra
    Monthly payments
    cost extra
    Calendar icon
    Yes
    Underinsurance protection
    Underinsurance protection icon
    Optional ExtraUp To 25% Of Building Sum Insured
    New for old
    replacement
    Replacement icon
    Yes
    Compare
    Details
  • Home & Contents Insurance

    Your home might be your most important asset, that’s why Youi like to get to know all about it right from the start. It helps Youi to help you consider the cover that could better suit you. Youi is home insurance that’s a bit more you-shaped. Mozo People’s Outstanding Customer Satisfaction Home Insurance award winner in 2024

    Main events covered
    • fire
      Fire
    • theft
      Theft
    • storm
      Storm
    • flood
      Flood
    Monthly payments
    cost extra
    Calendar icon
    Yes
    Underinsurance protection
    Underinsurance protection icon
    No
    New for old
    replacement
    Replacement icon
    Yes
    Compare
    Details
  • Home & Contents Insurance

    For a limited time, sign up for combined home and contents insurance to get 10% off (T&Cs apply). Australia Post’s combined home building and contents insurance, both your home and belongings will be covered in case of fire, theft, extreme weather (including flooding) and natural disasters.

    Main events covered
    • fire
      Fire
    • theft
      Theft
    • storm
      Storm
    • flood
      Flood
    Monthly payments
    cost extra
    Calendar icon
    Yes
    Underinsurance protection
    Underinsurance protection icon
    Optional ExtraUp To 30% Of Building Sum Insured
    New for old
    replacement
    Replacement icon
    Yes
    Compare
    Details

^See information about the Mozo Experts Choice Home insurance Awards and the Mozo People's Choice Home insurance Awards

*Terms, conditions, exclusions, limits and sub-limits may apply to any of the insurance products shown on the Mozo website. These terms, conditions, exclusions, limits and sub-limits could affect the level of benefits and cover available under any of the insurance products shown on the Mozo website. Please refer to the relevant Product Disclosure Statement and the Target Market Determination on the provider's website for further information before making any decisions about an insurance product.

Home insurance resources

Reviews, news, tips and guides to help find the best home insurance for you.

Home Insurance Snapshot: November 2024

November has arrived, bringing the last stretch of spring and setting the stage for summer. With the holiday season around the corner, now’s the time for a few focused updates to keep your home protected and ready for the warmer months ahead.

Check your cooling systems. Prep for rising temps by servicing your AC or fans. Many contents insurance policies don’t cover breakdowns from wear and tear, though some may offer optional motor burnout coverage—worth considering if you’re relying on these systems to stay cool all summer.

Get storm-ready. Summer storms are just around the corner, so secure any loose outdoor items, inspect your roof for weak spots, and clear those gutters. While water damage from storms is usually covered, insurance won’t cover it if it’s due to poor maintenance—like clogged gutters.

Liability for outdoor spaces. With longer days, outdoor entertaining is on the rise. Most policies include liability insurance, but it’s best not to need it—keep decks, patios, and pool areas safe for guests.

Fire safety prep. With bushfire season approaching, clear away dry leaves, branches, and other debris. Many policies require fire-prevention maintenance, so staying on top of this can keep your coverage intact.

Review your coverage for upcoming weather changes. With the changing season, make sure your home insurance still meets your needs, especially for events like storms or bushfires. If it’s time to update, we’ve highlighted some of the best options in our Mozo Experts Choice Awards for top-rated home insurance.

How does home insurance work?

Home insurance is a contract between you and your insurer. You pay regular premiums, and in return, the provider offers financial protection for your home and belongings against a range of covered events, like theft, fire or storms.

Here are the key points to help you understand how home insurance operates.

Different types of home insurance - Mozo graphic


In Australia, home insurance typically falls into three main types, each offering different levels of protection for your home and belongings. The cover you choose dictates what risks are covered—such as damage to your home, your possessions, or a combination of both.

  • Home building insurance. This covers the physical structure of your home, including permanent fixtures like walls, roof and floors, in case of events like fire, storms or vandalism. It usually also includes liability cover that protects you if someone injures themselves in your home.

  • Home contents insurance. This protects your belongings inside the home, such as furniture, electronics and personal items. Renters have a version of this, typically called renter’s insurance, but any content insurance will usually do.

  • Combined home and contents insurance. The most comprehensive option, this bundles both building and contents cover.

  • Landlord insurance. Covers landlords for building and/or contents, and usually includes protection for unique landlord risks like loss of rental income and tenant-related damage.

Since landlord insurance is a specialised type of cover that doesn’t apply to most renters or homeowners, we won’t dive into it here, but you can check out our landlord insurance guide for more details.

💡 When your home insurance policy covers you for damages. Depending on the level of cover you choose, damage generally refers to:

  • Damage to the building. Covers damage to your home’s structure, fixtures and fittings.

  • Damage to your belongings. Protects personal items inside your home, and sometimes outside of your home.

  • Liability for damage. Provides coverage if someone is injured on your property or if you accidentally cause damage to someone else’s property.

  • Damage to your wallet. Covers out-of-pocket costs for temporary accommodation if your home is made unlivable by a covered event.

If an incident involves another party (like a liability claim), their insurance may come into play, but it’s still important to keep your insurer informed so they can support you throughout the process.

Valuing your home: making sure you have enough home insurance

There are two main ways to value your home and contents for insurance:

  • Total replacement cover. This option covers the full cost to rebuild your home, no matter how much it ends up costing. It offers peace of mind but is usually more expensive.

  • Sum insured. This is the amount you choose to insure your home for. It can be a bit riskier if you don’t update the figure regularly or if there’s a sudden increase in building costs.

Whichever option you choose, just make sure your home and contents are insured for what they’re really worth to avoid underinsurance—so you’re not left out of pocket at claim time.

💡 Notice that your home’s value for insurance purposes is based of the rebuilding costs rather than the market value of your home. Rebuilding costs take into consideration the cost of materials, labour and additional expenses such as architectural fees and permits.

What home insurance covers

Here’s a quick look at what home insurance typically covers and what it doesn’t. Keep in mind, every policy is different, so it’s important to check your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) to understand the specifics.

Category

Item/peril

Home Insurance

Contents Insurance and Rentner’s Insurance

Building structure

Structural building

✅ Covered

N/A

Fixtures and fittings

✅ Covered

N/A

Garages and sheds

✅ Covered

N/A

Personal property

Belongings (furniture, electronics)

N/A

✅ Covered

High-value items (jewellery, art)

N/A

➕ Optional

Portable items away from home (laptops, cameras)

N/A

➕ Optional

Common perils

Fire and lightning

✅ Covered

✅ Covered

Theft and burglary

✅ Covered

✅ Covered

Storm and hail damage

✅ Covered

✅ Covered

Water damage (burst pipes)

✅ Covered

✅ Covered

Impact damage (falling trees)

✅ Covered

✅ Covered

Vandalism

✅ Covered

✅ Covered

Flood damage

➕ Optional

➕ Optional

Earthquake damage

➕ Optional

➕ Optional

Accidental damage

➕ Optional

➕ Optional

Liability coverage

Legal liability

✅ Covered

✅ Covered

Exclusions

Wear and tear

🗙 Not covered

🗙 Not covered

Pest infestation

🗙 Not covered

🗙Not covered

Mould and rot

🗙 Not covered

🗙 Not covered

Deliberate damage by insured

🗙 Not covered

🗙 Not covered

The home insurance excess

When your insurance provider approves a claim under your policy, you’re generally responsible for paying a portion of the costs. This portion is known as the excess. Here are some important points to keep in mind about excesses.

  • The excess amount. Many home insurance policies allow you to choose your excess. A higher excess can lower your premiums because you’ll pay more upfront if you make a claim, while a lower excess generally means higher premiums. Common excess amounts range from $500 to $2,000, but some policies offer options as low as $0 or as high as $5,000.

  • Additional excesses. Besides the standard excess, additional excesses may apply in specific situations, such as during renovations, if the property is left unoccupied for an extended period, or for certain events like earthquakes. Be sure to review your policy to understand how these might affect your overall costs.

LEARN MORE ABOUT EXCESS

The home insurance premium

Your home insurance premium is the amount you pay for your policy, typically either monthly or yearly, with some insurers offering a discount if you pay annually. The cost is influenced by various factors, including your level of cover, the excess you choose and a range of factors, some in your control and some not so much. 

Factors affecting your price can include:

Controllable factors

Non-controllable factors

Type of cover (building, contents or combined)

Property location (e.g., flood or bushfire zones)

Security features (eg: alarms, deadlocks)

Type and age of the home

How you use the property (primary residence, rental)

Building materials used

Discounts or bonuses

Cost of rebuilding materials

Excess amount

Local crime rates

Proximity to emergency services (fire station, hydrants)

How to compare home insurance quotes

Comparing home insurance quotes is easier than ever these days. In just a few minutes, you can sort through the options, weigh up the features, and find a policy that suits your needs.

Here’s a simple way to go about it:

  • Create your shortlist. Start by checking out the policies we’ve listed above. Look at the features that matter most to you and narrow down your top picks.

  • Get quotes. Fill out the insurer’s online form with your home’s details, like its location and the type of cover you want.

  • Read the PDS. Once you’ve found a couple of quotes you like, take a quick look at the product disclosure statement (PDS) to make sure you’re across all the details of the policy.

If everything looks good, you can usually lock in your policy online. If the insurer needs more information, they’ll reach out for more details.

💡 Use quotes for research. It’s quick, easy, and there’s no obligation. Just pop in your details, hit ‘get quote,’ and you’ll have a premium estimate in seconds.

From there, it’s totally up to you whether you want to move forward and buy the policy.

The home insurance PDS

PDS stands for Product Disclosure Statement, and it lays out all the fine details of your contract with the insurer.

It tells you exactly what’s covered, what’s not, how much coverage you have, and the specific situations when you can make a claim—plus anything that might void your cover. Think of it as the go-to document for understanding your policy.

Because of financial regulations, you can find the PDS for any home insurance policy on the insurer’s website, whether you’re a customer or not.

LEARN MORE ABOUT A HOME INSURANCE PDS

💡 Downloading and reading through the PDS of any home insurance policy you’re considering is a solid way to get a clear, organised understanding of the coverage, much better than just skimming through the insurer’s website.

You’ll usually find a link at the bottom of their policy page that takes you to a section where you can download the PDS for any active policy.

Or, you can start by using our comparison table above to check out the main features, then dive into the PDS for the policies that catch your eye.

Dealing with damage, theft or liability incidents

This is the incident phase—because in home insurance, it's not just about damage, but can also include incidents like theft and even liability if someone is injured on your property.

How you respond immediately after an incident is key to the investigations, assessments and resolutions that follow.

That’s where documentation is important. It helps you support your claims and provides your insurer with the information they need to handle things smoothly, especially if there’s any question about the circumstances.

  • Documenting home damage. If your home suffers damage from a storm, fire, vandalism or another covered event, be sure to document everything. Take clear photos of the damage, note down the details (such as time and cause), and keep any receipts for emergency repairs or temporary fixes. If the damage is from vandalism, contact the police to file a report before contacting your insurer.

  • Documenting theft. If a break-in occurs, the first step is to contact the police and file a report. Then, document any stolen or damaged items by taking pictures and gathering receipts or records. Contact your insurer to inform them and follow their instructions.

  • Documenting liability incidents. If someone gets injured on your property and you need to make a liability claim, gather as much evidence as possible. Take photos of the scene, get witness statements, and keep any medical or police reports that may be relevant.

Your policy may have specific conditions for smaller incidents (like a broken window or damaged fence). Your PDS will outline how to handle these situations, but when in doubt, reach out to your insurer for guidance.

Making a home insurance claim

When you make a claim, you're asking your insurer to step up and cover the costs of an event your policy protects you against. The process usually involves letting your insurer know what happened, filling out their claim form and providing any supporting documents like photos or receipts.

Most insurers give you a few options for submitting your claim—online, by email or over the phone. That said, if it’s a big event, it’s a good idea to call them first so they can walk you through what to do and make sure you’re on the right track.

💡 If you call your insurer using the phone number listed in the PDS, they can open your claim immediately, give you a case number, and guide you on the best way to submit your documents, depending on your situation.

LEARN HOW TO MAKE A HOME INSURANCE CLAIM

Settling a home insurance claim

Once your insurer has reviewed the details of your claim, they will either approve or deny it, and pay out any damages according to your policy. This happens after they’ve investigated the incident, reviewed the evidence, consulted third parties (such as police or contractors), and assessed the damages.

If your claim is denied or you disagree with their decision, you have two options for appeal:

  • Internal appeals process. Your insurer will have an internal disputes resolution team that is separate from the department that handled your claim. The first step is to lodge an appeal with them, following the process outlined in your PDS.

  • Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). If you're not satisfied with the result of the internal appeal, you can take your case to the AFCA. They offer a free and independent service to help resolve disputes. Just make sure you have all your evidence and documents ready when you approach them.

Picture of Brad Buzzard
Brad Buzzard
RG146
Senior Money Writer

Brad brings over 25 years of experience in writing and consumer research to Mozo, using his RG146 certification for Generic Knowledge and Superannuation Brad has a knack for translating complex policies, to deliver practical guidance on financial matters. Brad has been featured in The Australian, B&T, Mumbrella, and Asia Insurance Review, and his insights have influenced the strategies of some of the world's biggest brands including McDonalds and Proctor & Gamble.

Other key FAQs about home insurance

Are home insurance premiums tax deductible?

If you’re using part of your home for work—such as a home office—you may be able to claim a portion of your home insurance premiums as a tax deduction. To do this, you'll need to determine what percentage of your home is used for work purposes versus personal use.

You can calculate this based on the floor space of your home office compared to your overall home, or by using other methods the ATO provides. When in doubt, it's always a good idea to check the ATO website for detailed guidelines to ensure everything is above board.

Does home insurance cover flooding?

Home insurance can be a bit tricky when it comes to flooding. The term 'flood' for insurance companies generally refers to water escaping or being released from natural sources, like rivers or lakes, and getting into your home. Many policies won’t automatically cover it, meaning you’ll need to opt-in to get the insurance.Even if your policy doesn’t cover floods, it will likely still cover damage caused by rainwater pooling in low-lying areas, as long as there's not also a creek or other natural watercourse involved.Don’t forget to check your PDS ahead of time: being clued up on your policy’s coverage before you're knee-deep in water is always a smart move.

What’s the difference between contents insurance and renter’s insurance?

Renters insurance is essentially contents insurance for people who rent. In fact, many insurers use the same PDS for both, with minor differences or notes explaining specific considerations for renters.

For example, with temporary accommodation, if your lease excuses you from paying rent when the property is unlivable, the policy might only cover extra costs beyond your usual rent.

Otherwise, there’s basically no difference.

How much does home insurance cost?

The average yearly cost of home insurance, based on our survey of over 2,000 Australians from across the country, comes to around $1,460, which breaks down to approximately $121 per month.

Here’s a state-by-state breakdown:

State

Average Annual Cost

TAS

$1,114

SA

$1,139

VIC

$1,370

NT

$1,400

NSW

$1,479

WA

$1,504

ACT

$1,634

QLD

$1,692

Remember, these are just averages. Your own quote could be different, so it's a good idea to check with a few different insurers to find out exactly what it would cost for your situation.