What’s covered?
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)
- Accidental breakage of glass, ceramic and sanitary fixtures
- Malicious damage, vandalism, riot or civil commotion
- Explosion
- Earthquake
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 over 130 policies offered by more than 50 insurance providers, we were awarded the Canstar Outstanding Value Contents Insurance in 2017 & 2018.
We also won Money Magazine’s 2018 Best of the Best title for Home and Contents Insurance three years running (2017-19); and a Mozo Experts Choice Award 2018 for Exceptional 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’s covered under a ‘contents’ insurance policy?
Among other things, a contents policy covers:
- furniture and furnishings
- computers and electrical appliances
- kitchenware
- clothing and shoes
- personal effects 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 are covered for these things up to the amount of your contents sum insured.
Is there a minimum cover amount for contents?
Yes – $20,000.
Are there any limits on the amount you’ll pay to replace contents?
Yes – the following table shows you the most we’ll pay to repair or replace certain contents damaged or lost in any one insured event.
If you have an item that exceeds this limit, you’ll need to list, or specify, the item on your policy (where applicable).
| Contents | Limit |
|---|---|
|
Hand-woven carpets and rugs |
Up to $2,500 per item1 |
|
Cash, cheques, and any other negotiable financial document |
Up to $800 in total |
|
CDs, DVDs, flash cards, digital media cards, audio and video tapes, records, computer discs, computer software, game cartridges, and game consoles |
Up to $3,000 in total1 |
|
Firearms (legally registered and stored) |
Up to $2,000 in total |
|
Home office equipment |
Up to $12,000 in total |
|
Jewellery and watches |
Up to $1,000 per item or set; and up to $5,000 in total1 |
|
Solid and plated silver and gold items (excluding jewellery and watches) |
Up to $2,000 per item or set |
|
Paintings, pictures, works of art, sculptures, and art objects |
Up to $5,000 per item or set; and up to $12,000 in total1 |
|
Collections, memorabilia, stamps, collectors’ pins, medals, and collectors’ non-negotiable currency |
Up to $2,000 per item or collection1 |
|
Tools of trade |
Up to $2,000 in total |
|
Specified contents items |
Up to the sum insured2 |
1. You may be able to insure the item/s for more than the limit by specifying it, or listing it separately, on your policy, with an individual description and value. You can do this when you get a quote and buy a policy or – if you’ve already bought one – by calling us on 1800 182 310 or logging into your online account and editing your policy.
2. This amount is shown on your insurance certificate and in your online account.
Are valuables I take with me away from my home, like jewellery, covered?
Among the items covered by Budget Direct home contents insurance are:
- bicycles
- clothing
- jewellery/watches
- musical instruments
- photographic equipment
- sporting equipment.
These items are automatically covered if they are lost or damaged while inside your home.
Personal Effects Cover
If you want these items to also be insured when you take them with you away from your home, you’ll need to add optional Personal Effects Cover to your policy; you can choose one or both of two cover types:
Unspecified Personal Effects: These are portable items not specified, or listed separately, on your policy. The most we’ll pay per item is $1,000. You are required to nominate a total cover amount for a group of items damaged or lost in any one insured event: $1,000, $2,000, $3,000, $4,000, or $5,000.
Specified Personal Effects: These are portable items specified, or listed separately, on your policy, with individual descriptions and values.
For an additional premium, you can add one or both of the abovementioned personal effects covers to your policy.
You can do this when you get a quote and buy a policy or – or if you’ve already bought one – by calling us on 1800 182 310 or logging into your online account and editing your policy.
Note that some portable items, like mobile phones and laptops, are only covered if they are lost or damaged inside your home by an insured event.
This includes events like theft and storms but excludes accidental damage (e.g. due to you dropping your smartphone or tablet on the floor at home).
Do I need to list, or specify, contents on my policy?
It’s up to you to decide whether to list the following on your policy:
- contents you want to insure for more than our benefit limit (where applicable)
- portable items you want covered when you take them with you away from your home.
You can list your contents when you get a quote and buy a policy or – if you’ve already bought one – by calling us on 1800 182 310 or logging into your online account and editing your policy.
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^ 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 December 2018. 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}
