Household contents insurance
Replacement cover for your home in the event of fire, water damage and theft — valuables included.
Why this matters
Imagine the washing machine in the flat above yours leaking while you are on holiday: furniture, clothes, books and electronics are soaked and need replacing. Anyone who honestly adds up the value of everything they own almost always lands at a five-figure sum – money that would otherwise have to come out of your own savings after a fire, water damage or burglary. And a widespread misconception comes on top: the landlord’s buildings insurance does not cover your belongings.
In most cantons, household contents insurance is voluntary; in a few it is compulsory – either way, it matters for anyone running their own household, whether renting or owning. The trickiest point is the sum insured: if it is set too low, the insurer reduces the payout in the same proportion in the event of a claim – and that applies to small claims too, not just total loss. If you haven’t adjusted your sum for years, you are almost always less well covered than you think.
What you get out of it
After fire, water or burglary, the insurance replaces everything at as-new value.
No underinsurance: we calculate the value of your household contents realistically.
Valuables, bicycles and electronics are properly included.
What we take care of for you
- Calculating the right sum insured (avoiding underinsurance)
- Comparison of providers, including theft away from home and glass breakage
- Coordination with your personal liability and building insurance
- Claims handling with photos directly via our client portal
The advice is free for you — we are remunerated by the insurance companies through brokerage commissions and will disclose these on request.
Tips from our consultations
What we tell our clients time and again – free of charge, even before the first meeting.
After major purchases, moving in together or when children’s rooms are added, the sum insured belongs under review. Possessions grow almost unnoticed over the years. A short message to the insurer is enough – and protects you from a reduction for underinsurance.
The bicycle at the station, the laptop on the train, the camera on holiday: simple theft away from your own four walls is covered only with the corresponding add-on. The level of this cover can usually be chosen. If you ride an expensive e-bike, set the sum accordingly.
Photograph your rooms and keep receipts for expensive items digitally, ideally outside the home or in a cloud. In the event of a claim, such documentation speeds up settlement considerably. Without evidence, negotiating the payout becomes a chore.
Jewellery, watches and cash are covered in many policies only up to a certain limit. If you own more valuable pieces, you need a separate agreement or valuables insurance. Clarify this before a claim – afterwards it is too late.