Your insurance needs to move with you — and a move is a good natural checkpoint to make sure you're not over- or under-insured at your new address.
How to do it
- Update your address with your current insurer as a minimum, even if you're not planning to switch — an address on file that doesn't match where you actually live can complicate a claim later.
- Compare providers if it's been a while — home & contents pricing varies by location (e.g. flood/earthquake risk at the new address can change your premium either way), so a policy that was competitive at your old address isn't automatically the best fit at the new one.
- Reconfirm your contents cover matches what you actually own — a move is a natural point where people realise their cover is out of date, either because they've accumulated more since the policy was set up or because the figure was never quite right.
- If you're buying, make sure cover starts no later than settlement day — don't leave a gap between settlement and your policy actually being active.
- Ask specifically about natural hazard cover for the new address if you're moving somewhere with different risk exposure than your old home — flood zones, earthquake risk, and coastal exposure all affect both pricing and what's actually covered.
It's also worth asking whether your current insurer offers any loyalty discount for staying, since switching isn't always the cheaper option once you factor in any new-customer fees or excess differences on the new policy.
What the Natural Hazards Commission covers
If your home insurance includes fire cover, and most policies do, you automatically have natural hazards cover from the Natural Hazards Commission. It covers your home up to a cap of generally $300,000 plus GST, with your private policy covering any rebuild cost above that, and limited cover for some land under and around your home. It doesn't cover your contents, so those rely on your own contents policy. See Natural Hazards Commission: about natural hazards cover.
When you compare policies, check the sum insured covers the full rebuild cost above that cap, and if you're buying, see confirming your new home is insured from settlement. Our home and contents insurance guide covers the rest.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting insurance entirely until after something goes wrong.
- Assuming your premium won't change at the new address — location affects pricing more than people expect.
- Leaving a gap in cover between settlement and your new policy starting.
Related tasks
If you're a homeowner, this pairs with confirming your new home is insured from settlement day.
Frequently asked questions
- Does the Natural Hazards Commission cover my contents?
- No. Natural hazards cover comes automatically with home insurance that includes fire cover, and covers your home up to a cap of generally $300,000 plus GST, plus limited land cover. Your belongings depend on your own contents insurance.