You’re house really means a lot to you doesn’t it? Of course it does, homes are built for comfort and safety. Dorothy was right when she said, “There’s no place like home.” However, just like she found out in the Wizard of Oz, natural disasters like tornados can destroy your dream house in seconds. Are you protected from the damages?

Contents insurance is a must for any family with a moderately sized home. The insurance guarantees protection for your prized possessions either worth a lot in value, or that symbolizes a lot to you. Such as a grandfather clock that has been passed down for centuries. It protects your house’s favorite possessions.

A house fire can spark up in a matter of minutes from a variety of sources. Sometimes the source of the fire is preventable while other times it’s just a fluke. Either way a fire will destroy anything in its path. Floods and water damage can ruin possessions quickly as well. And what about security from thieves? Don’t you want that protection too?

If you want contents insurance it’s only a phone call away from getting the process started. Call up your insurance broker and request an appraiser stop by and assess your home and contents. Bonded valuators are trained professionals who will go over every corner of your house, jotting down the value and asking questions to the homeowner.

The insurance company and appraiser are here to help. Let them! Allow them to talk around the house and take your time. I know it’s discomforting for some to allow a stranger to walk around their home and examine their every possession, but it’s necessary in the insurance world. The more freedom they have, the easier and more accurately they can calculate your worth.

The insurance provider and appraiser work hand-in-hand, creating the ideal coverage policy for you. The contents insurance package may include suggestions from the insurance company on how to protect your home from natural disasters and theft.

For theft, insurance brokers are quick to suggest home alarm systems in case of an intrusion. If your home does not already have one of these, it’s a phenomenal idea. Wouldn’t you feel safer with one operating inside your home? Of course you would. Secondly, insurance brokers may request the installation of a safe or other protection unit to store your jewelry.

You may not need a safe or security system, but you do need the invisible security of contents insurance. It’s a cheap way to ensure all your possessions are cared for in case of an emergency. Protect you and your family’s future.

Graham McKenzie is the content Syndication Manager at insurance123.co.zaSouth Africa’s leading Household Insurance information portal

Contents insurance is a popular form of insurance that calculates the total cost of all your important and vital possessions. At first glance, contents insurance appears easy to dissect and calculate. However that is a little nave to think, as contents insurance has several “grey areas.” Ask all these questions before calculating a number.

For example, if your kitchen caught on fire and completely destroyed the room, what would happen next? Well, the policy holder would have to fill out two separate claims. The first claim would represent the kitchen units and any other built-in appliances. On the second claim you would list off appliances like a refrigerator or dishwasher. You might be surprised by that fact, but those two appliances are not considered an integral part of the kitchen and can be moved.

Keep in mind that fires, floods, wind damage, and theft account for the majority of damages at any given home. You can protect your home sometimes from theft, but natural disasters like fires, floods, and wind are almost impossible to avoid. So make sure they are all covered under your policy.

Learn about other factors that fluctuate your house contents insurance costs, such as location of property, security systems, how often it’s attended, and history of previous claims. Most insurance companies allow you to tag on “add ons” which guarantee the coverage of minute details such as covering goods inside sheds and garages.

Another area many insurance companies can quickly skip over is whether your prized possessions are covered for replacement value or current market value. You want to have replacement value if you really have key household items that you hold dear to your heart. Yes the premium is much higher, but the coverage you receive in case of damages is much higher.

Do you really own that many prized possessions? If you do, than replacement value and a high premium is necessary. If not, a higher premium is only needed if you really wish for the extended coverage. However current market value can really rip you off, so try to avoid a very cheap rate.

Replacement coverage is much more expensive, so you can expect high premiums. It comes down to protecting for the future or for something that may or may not ever happen. On average, people who take out house contents insurance also look at the cross section of the value of their possessions losing money.

All in all, an average appraisal of house contents reach around $200,000 a year and the annual insurance costs will average out to about 3% of that value or $6,000 to be more precise.

Graham McKenzie is the content Syndication Manager at insurance123.co.zaSouth Africa’s leading Household Insurance information portal