Household contents: avoid underinsurance.

A 2025 survey shows that fewer and fewer people are adjusting their sum insured to the value of their belongings. In fact, the proportion has never been higher: 67% make no annual adjustment. This article explains what you can do to avoid being left with high costs in the event of a claim. Many people only realise afterwards that they are underinsured.

What does underinsurance mean in household contents insurance?

But before we dive into the topic, here’s a quick reminder in case the term isn’t top of mind: underinsurance most commonly occurs in household contents insurance. Experts speak of underinsurance when the sum insured does not match the new-for-old value of the household contents. 

To determine the value of your household contents, it’s important to first understand which items can be included and which cannot.

Insuring your household contents properly: which items count as household contents?

Put simply, household contents include all items you would take with you when moving house. In detail, this includes: 

• Property owned by the policyholder and by people living in the same household 
• Leased or rented items 
• Guests’ effects and entrusted items: belongings that are in your home with the owner’s consent or have been entrusted to you 
• Moveable structures, such as garden sheds or other lightweight, movable constructions on the property 
• Valuables such as jewellery, works of art or cash. These are usually insured only up to certain limits, so make sure to check whether you need additional cover. 

This list is not exhaustive and is intended for guidance only. 

What is not considered household contents?

Items that are permanently attached to the building, such as heating systems or sanitary installations, do not count as household contents. The same applies to motorised vehicles and items used predominantly for professional purposes, unless they can clearly be assigned to the household.

Identifying underinsurance in your household contents – here’s how to proceed

To identify underinsurance, the best tool to use is our household contents inventory checklist. Download the checklist and note down, room by room, the new-for-old prices of your belongings. This will give you your ideal sum insured. Then compare this sum with the amount stated in your insurance policy. Do you see any differences?

Note: Determine the correct value of your household contents using our checklist. You only need Adobe Acrobat Reader for this.

Tips for documenting your household contents

• Keep your purchase receipts, either digitally or in a dedicated folder 
• Take photos of major purchases 
• Take photos of each room once a year 

This documentation not only helps you determine the correct sum insured for your household contents, but also simplifies the claims process should you ever need it. It also gives you a better overview of how the total value of your household contents changes over time due to new purchases or changes in your home. 

Tip: When making future purchases, remember to keep your receipts. If you want to determine the value of your household contents later and no longer have the receipts, look for a comparable highquality item and note down its newforold price. 

When should you review the sum insured of your household contents insurance?

Ideally at regular intervals, and especially whenever changes occur in your home. Have you purchased new items, are you about to move, or has a family member moved out and taken belongings with them? Then it’s time to review your sum insured.

Tip: When making future purchases, remember to keep your receipts. If you want to determine the value of your household contents later and no longer have the receipts, look for a comparable highquality item and note down its newforold price.