Contents insurance for New Zealand households
Furniture, appliances, clothing, electronics, tools and the things you would not want to replace from scratch. Marble helps you set the right contents sum insured – and check that the everyday small print actually matches your life.
“Most people underestimate their contents until they are asked to write down everything they own.”
Contents insurance is one of the most under-thought policies in the household. Most people set a number, renew it without thinking, and only realise it is wrong when they are asked to list what they actually own after a fire or theft.
The right sum insured is rarely a round number – it is the sum of furniture, appliances, electronics, clothing, kitchenware, tools, hobby gear and the items that quietly accumulate across a decade of life.
An adviser will start with how you live, not a calculator. Are valuables specified properly? Does the cover follow you when you travel or move? What about items in the garage, on the boat or at the bach?
Contents – everyday reality
Common risks we help you plan for.
Underinsured contents
The sum insured set five years ago rarely matches the contents you would replace today.
Burglary and theft
Forced entry remains the most common contents claim trigger across New Zealand.
Fire and water damage
A small kitchen or laundry incident can damage far more than the source room.
Accidental damage
Spills, drops, screen breakage and everyday mishaps – not always covered as standard.
Unspecified valuables
Jewellery, watches, bikes and electronics often have item-level limits unless specified.
Items away from home
Cover for items taken outside the home varies meaningfully by policy.
Natural disaster gaps
Contents cover responds differently to natural disaster events than the building policy.
Cover that may be relevant for your situation.
Sum insured contents cover
Cover for general household contents up to a nominated limit.
Specified valuables
Item-level cover for jewellery, watches, art, bikes or higher-value gear.
Accidental damage
An add-on that broadens cover for everyday accidental events.
Away-from-home cover
Cover that follows certain items when they are temporarily out of the home.
Temporary accommodation
Cover designed to support living costs while your home is unliveable.
Personal liability
Cover for legal liability arising as an occupier or individual.
The right insurance mix depends on your circumstances, the value of what you are protecting and how you actually live. Marble can help you review what is appropriate for your situation.
Cover that follows the full contents picture.
Electronic
TVs, computers, audio and tablets that quietly carry significant household value.
Whiteware
Fridges, washers, dryers and ovens that are expensive to replace as a set.
Furniture
Sofas, beds and pieces that add up faster than most contents schedules suggest.
Where a Marble adviser can help.
Walking through how to set a realistic contents sum insured.
Identifying where items should be specified individually.
Checking accidental damage, away-from-home and natural disaster wording.
Aligning contents cover with your house and vehicle policies.
Supporting claim conversations from inventory through to settlement.
Helping compare options across insurers where appropriate.
The inventory most people only do once.
After a burglary, a homeowner is asked to list everything that was taken, prove ownership and provide replacement values. The sum insured held up – but specified items, accidental damage limits and away-from-home cover all turned out to matter as much as the headline number.
An adviser review before the event makes the conversation after the event a lot shorter.
Contents insurance – common questions.
Get your cover reviewed before you need to rely on it.
A quick conversation with a Marble adviser can help you understand whether your current insurance still matches the way you live, what you own and what you would want to be true at claim time.
