As bushfires continue in Australia this week, you’ve probably considered your level of home contents insurance at least once. It has certainly crossed my mind, especially after we were burgled before Christmas.
Yep, the bugger came right into the bedroom in the middle of the night to pinch my handbag. Then came all the smoke. I even drove around to check that nearby Mt. Ainslie wasn’t on fire.
It’s an understatement to say these fires are a devastating and heartbreaking disaster. And who could blame us for also thinking about our homes and insurance during a time like this?
Which brings me to my next point:
“From my experience decorating clients’ homes, I have long suspected that many Canberra homeowners have underestimated their home contents insurance. I felt that this was the week to finally speak out!”
Is your home under-insured?
In my experience as an interior designer, when I explain what it really costs to fully furnish a room, 95% of the time the reaction is… surprise.
Most likely, you’ve furnished your home piece by piece or haven’t decorated in years. If that’s your scenario, I am certain you will be quite surprised at what it really costs to fit out a room from “head to toe,” so to speak.
This is why I’ve believed for years that many people must be under-insured. If they’ve never taken the time to properly add up the costs of fully furnishing rooms, their home contents insurance is likely too low.
So how can you make these your home contents insurance calculations accurately? When was the last time you did it?
How to accurately calculate your furnishings costs and home contents insurance
As a designer with an accounting degree, I have an interest in the numbers of design. Back in December, I created a downloadable Guide to Budgeting Your Home Furnishings (scroll halfway down page). My intention was to help clients create a budget for their home projects, but with the recent bushfires, I’m now looking at this guide with new eyes.
I know it is too late for those devastated by the fires, and I feel so sad for those who have lost so much. (We are already planning our holidays to #spendwiththem down the south coast.) But for the rest of us who are reevaluating and getting organised with 2020 insurance, this guide is a valuable resource for accurately working out the value of your home contents insurance.
“This guide is a valuable resource for accurately working out the value of your home contents insurance.”
Whether or not you’re considering a decorating project, whether or not you plan to book Journey Home, I HIGHLY recommend using this guide to calculate what home furnishings cost.
It comes with charts, investment ranges, and easy calculations to guide you to your most accurate numbers. It’s for furnishings, so you will still need to add in things like your books, CD collection (if you still have those!), clothes, etc. but it’s a great starting point for the most expensive items in the home.
Get the Guide to Budgeting Your Home Furnishings here
From the bottom of my heart, I hope this helps. We can’t always protect our homes, but we can protect our investments and our ability to bounce back from unfortunate events.
So please drop me a line to let me know how you got on with the budgeting guide or ask questions if you have them. And when you are done please pray for rain in Australia!
Yours,
Nadine
