Honey’s Travel Checklist: Keeping your home and contents coverage while travelling

When you’re planning a trip, there’s a lot to get organised. But one of the more overlooked parts of planning your travels is what to do about your home and contents insurance. 

Did you know that some home and contents insurance policies can even cover the contents that you take with you on your trip? Or that you need to tell your insurance provider when you’re going to be away from home? 

Our friends at Honey Insurance helped us put together a bit of a travel checklist to help you keep your place and possessions safe while you’re travelling. That way, you can spend less time worrying about home, and more time enjoying your adventures.

Check your home insurance PDS to see what your responsibilities are

Before you embark on your trip, make sure to scan through your insurance policy’s product disclosure statement (PDS) to find out if you need to tell your provider when you’ll be away and what you may need to do to prepare.

Does going on holiday affect my home insurance? 

Some home insurance policies include a condition that could void your insurance coverage if your home is unoccupied for a certain number of days. 

According to Honey, the definition of ‘occupancy’ changes depending on the insurance provider. 

In terms of Honey’s home insurance policies, they consider your home unoccupied if no one has been living in it, or if it’s occupied less than one night a week, for 60 consecutive days without notifying them beforehand. 

You’ll want to check whether your home and contents insurance policy has a condition like this, or if you’ll need to pay an unoccupied home excess fee for a claim that happens while you’re away. 

Do I have to tell my provider I’m going away?

If you’re going away for an extended period of time, it’s recommended you let your insurance provider know, as unoccupied homes can make more attractive targets for thieves, hence raising the risk of needing to file a home insurance claim. 

Your insurance provider may request for certain conditions to be met in order to continue providing home and contents coverage, according to Honey. 

These could be as simple as having a neighbour take out your bins on bin night or collect your mail for you, or even having someone come to mow the lawn – basically anything that tells would-be thieves that people are still living there.

Check your policy to see if your valuables are covered if you take them with you

Some contents insurance policies include coverage for portable items, such as laptops or mobile phones, even when you’ve taken them with you on your trip. 

While it’s not the case with all insurance policies, it’s worth reading your PDS to check how your provider treats portable contents of all kinds. 

For instance, with Honey Contents Insurance you can cover items that are away from home for loss or damage while travelling in Australia and New Zealand. Of course, you’ll still have to be aware of the limits on how much a provider pays for certain sorts of claims, which can be found in your PDS.  

Note: having cover for portable contents isn’t a replacement for travel insurance. Make sure you read up on everything you need to know about travel insurance, to see if it’s right for you and your needs as a traveller.

Don’t forget to lock up (everything) 

While it’s pretty unlikely you’ll forget to lock your front door on the way to the airport, it’s always worth a triple-check. Similarly, ensuring that any other doors and windows are locked too can go a long way to deter thieves. 

But it’s not just your house that should be kept under lock and key. 

If possible, store your valuables or important documents in a safe (either at home or in your hotel) when you don’t need them. Not only can this stop thieves in their tracks, but it could save your valuables from damage in the event of flood or storm damage when you’re not there to save them.

Pack a copy of your important documents 

Whether you’ve got a physical copy, or one downloaded to your phone, it’s a really good idea to keep a backup of important documents within easy reach. 

For example, keeping a copy of your Certificate of Insurance can be a handy way to make filing a claim easier while you’re away. 

Plus, if you make a photocopy of your passport, and other IDs, you could save yourself a real headache trying to get a new one sorted out if yours is lost, damaged, or stolen overseas.

Consider adding some smart technology to your home 

A great way to monitor your home while you’re away is to leverage technology. From smart doorbells, security cameras, and intercom systems, to insure-tech devices, like Honey’s smart home sensors, there are plenty of ways you can boost your home security and monitor it for damage.

Looking for a new home and contents insurance policy to cover your place and possessions while on holiday? Compare home and contents insurance policies below to find a policy that suits your needs. Want somewhere to start? Check out the best home and contents insurance policies in 2023 to get the scoop on the Mozo Experts Choice Awards winners.