Congratulations! You now own your first home. Buying a house is a stressful and exciting experience – there’s much to remember and arrange, but most important is taking out a comprehensive home insurance policy.
When you’ve just moved into a new home, it’s normal to focus on the potential of your house, and your future in it. It’s also normal to want to focus only on the positive, but unfortunately accidents do happen and it pays to be prepared. Your house is not only your home, it’s an investment, and as such it’s crucial to protect it.
Your home is your castle. Protect it with home insurance.
Home insurance is a policy that specifically applies to the structure of your building, and all outbuildings on your premises; including swimming pools, ponds, driveways, air conditioning, fences, security systems and more. It also covers the fixtures and fittings in the building, but it does not cover the contents of your home. To protect your possessions you must take out a household contents insurance policy – find out more about household contents here [LINK]. You should always have home cover to cover the building, as well as a contents one to cover your possessions.
Home insurance will cover damage to your building, meaning that you can pay for repairs with the compensation, rather than digging into your own pocket. The range of damages that a home policy covers is fairly wide, and includes natural disasters, impact, theft, and malicious damage.
In times of drought, fires become more likely. House fires have become more and more frequent across South Africa, particularly in the Western Cape, and can be one of the most destructive forces that threaten your home. Even if the fire-fighters arrive in time to quench the fire, the water damage is often as extreme as the fire damage. Fitting your home with a smoke alarm is an excellent precautionary measure to take for your own safety, but having a home policy will enable you to rebuild your home if the worst happens.
From theft to natural disasters, ensure that you are always covered.
Weather patterns have also become more and more unpredictable, around the world and in South Africa. Dramatic storms bring risks such as lightning strikes, giant hail, powerful winds and flash flooding, all of which can do considerable hurt to your home. Flash flooding is unpredictable, rapid, and violent, and can cause significant structural damage as well as the obvious water destruction. You can claim on your policy for small repairs and even large ones, so if you need to rebuild foundations or fix a supporting wall, your policy will cover it.
South Africa is a country of many contrasts and risks. Stunning natural beauty comes with the extreme weather. Crime rates are also very high, which means you’re that bit more likely to encounter theft or malicious damage in your home. Compendium’s home insurance not only covers you against theft or malicious damage, but also covers your security systems, so if your gate, fence, or intercom is damaged, we’ll help you secure your home again.
At Compendium, we want you to enjoy your new house without worrying – make sure your home is safeguarded so you can be stress-free. Speak to one of our expert brokers today on 087 724 9390 and get a quote to help protect your most precious possession.