What’s covered by Contents Insurance?
Terms, conditions, limits and exclusions apply.
For full details, please read the Product Disclosure Statement.
Insured events
Budget Direct Contents Insurance covers your personal possessions against loss or damage caused by the following insured events:
- Storm and rainwater (flood cover is optional)
- Fire
- Lightning
- Theft (or attempted theft)
- Escape of liquid (e.g. burst pipe)
- Impact at home (e.g. fallen tree)
- Breakage of glass, ceramic and sanitary fixtures
- Malicious damage, vandalism, riot or civil commotion
- Explosion
- Earthquake or tsunami
Upgrade your cover
For an additional premium, you can customise your Contents Insurance by adding one or more of the following optional covers to your policy:
How do I add an optional cover to my policy?
You can add one or more of these optional covers when you get a quote and buy a policy or – if you’ve already bought a policy – by contacting us logging into your online account and editing your policy.
How much cover do I need?
It’s up to you to determine how much it would cost to replace your contents if they were totally destroyed, for example, by fire – the ‘sum insured’.
This is the maximum amount we’ll pay, so it’s important you’re comfortable the sum insured you nominate is sufficient to replace all of your belongings at today’s prices.
Use this calculator to help you estimate the cost of replacing your contents
Compare contents insurance savings
In comparison to their previous insurers’ premiums, customers across Australia who switched to Budget Direct Contents Insurance told us they saved an average of
$###†
Use our Comparitron™ tool to compare home insurance savings reported by our customers.
Get a quote online and save 15%^
Getting a Budget Direct Contents Insurance quote is quick and easy.
If you get a quote and buy a policy online, we’ll give you a 15% discount on your premium.
Find out more
The information on this page is a summary only. For more details about Budget Direct Contents Insurance, including the terms, conditions, limits and exclusions that apply, please read the Product Disclosure Statement.
How to make a claim
If your contents are lost, damaged or destroyed by an insured event and you need to make a claim, we’re here to help. Make a claim on your Contents Insurance policy.
Repairing or replacing your contents
Upon acceptance of your claim, we’ll appoint a team member to take care of the repairs to and/or replacement of your contents. We will:
- Assess the nature and extent of the damage or loss.
- Source all repair and replacement quotes from our preferred suppliers and retailers.
- Arrange for the delivery of your replacement items.
- Keep you informed of progress.
- Provide you with temporary accommodation, if necessary.
Award-winning Australian home insurance
After comparing the cost and features of 135 policies offered by 52 insurers, Canstar presented us with one of only three national awards for Outstanding Value Home & Contents Insurance in 2019.
We've also won Money magazine's Best of the Best title for Home & Contents Insurance four years running (2017–20); and a Mozo Experts Choice 2019 award for Exceptional Value Home & Contents Insurance.
To cap it off, the Australian public voted us the Gold Winner in the Home & Contents Insurance category of the 2019 Reader's Digest Quality Service Awards survey.
Frequently asked questions
What does ‘contents’ insurance cover?
Among other things, a Budget Direct contents insurance policy covers loss or damage to:
- furniture and furnishings
- computers and electrical appliances
- kitchenware
- clothing and shoes
- valuables like jewellery, sunglasses and cameras (if you want your portable items to be insured when you take them with you away from your home, you’ll need to get extra Personal Effects Cover).
- fitted carpets and rugs
- internal blinds, curtains and window coverings.
You can be covered for these things up to the amount of your contents sum insured.
Note that benefit limits apply to certain contents.
How much home insurance do I need?
It’s up to you to determine how much it would cost to replace your home and contents – the ‘sums insured’ – if they were totally destroyed, for example, by fire.
It’s the maximum amount we’ll pay, so it’s important you’re comfortable the amount you nominate is sufficient to replace your entire home and all of your contents at today’s prices.
Use these calculators to help you estimate how much it would cost to replace your home and contents.
For a more accurate rebuilding cost estimate, we recommend you consult a professional valuer or building contractor.
How can I get cheaper home insurance?
There are a number of ways you can reduce your Budget Direct home and/or contents insurance premium, including:
- Select the right level of cover: Our range of optional benefits means you don’t have to pay for cover you may not need, e.g. flood cover.
- Buy your policy online: If you get a quote and buy a policy online, you’ll receive a 15% (home or contents) or 30% (home and contents) discount on your premium.
- Increase your excess: Choose an excess between $100 and $5,000; by increasing your excess, you could lower your premium.
- Pay your premium annually: By paying annually instead of in instalments (i.e. fortnightly or monthly), you’ll pay a smaller premium and avoid administration fees.
Does home insurance cover carpets?
Yes – Budget Direct contents insurance covers loss or damage to your carpets.
Note that there is a limit on the amount we’ll pay to replace hand-woven carpets and rugs.
Does home insurance cover valuables I take with me away from my home?
Among the items covered by Budget Direct contents insurance are:
- bicycles
- clothing
- jewellery/watches
- musical instruments
- photographic equipment
- sporting equipment
- medical aids.
These items are covered – up to your contents sum insured – if they are lost or damaged by an insured event while inside your home.
Home Insurance Knowledge Base
Your questions about insurance all
answered in one place.
Useful links
^ The online discount applies to the premium paid for a new Budget Direct insurance policy initiated online on or after 29 March 2017. The discount varies by product: 30% for combined Smart Home and Contents insurance, 15% for Smart Home only or Smart Contents only policies. We reserve the right to change the offer without notice. The base-rate premiums are subject to change. The discount does not apply to any renewal offer of insurance.
*Based on customers who have made a claim on Budget Direct Contents Insurance, and who were surveyed between 10 February 2015 and 31 May 2019. Visit www.budgetdirectreviews.com.au for more details.
|| Damage caused by an insured event. The benefit is capped at 10% of your sum insured. For more details, please read the Product Disclosure Statement.
§ The addition of Flood Cover to a policy is subject to our underwriting criteria.
† {comparitron-disclaimer}
