Tag: home insurance

For most people, purchasing a home represents the largest investment they will ever undertake, and carries emotional significance as a symbol of stability, security, and achievement. Property can offer much more than just a place to live – and it can also be a powerful investment vehicle capable of generating wealth, providing liquidity, enhancing cash flow, and diversifying one's portfolio.

As policyholders are aware, insurance premiums increase from time to time. This may occur on an annual basis or at specific intervals as economic, market and risk factors change. Understanding why your insurance premium has gone up and possibly when to anticipate an increase can be helpful in planning ahead for the financial implications.

Many policyholders are underinsured, whether it be deliberately or ignorantly so. Either way, it may just come back to bite them at the claims stage. Underinsurance arises when the amount for which an object is insured is less than the actual value thereof.

During the month of September, many homeowners flock outdoors to enjoy the start of Spring; this may even result in a purchase of a plant or two for one’s garden. But if you are super rich, your love for the outdoors may culminate into spend of anything between R500,000 and R1 million on a single tree for your property.

It is important if you are working from home to check your policy and take the time to notify your insurer of this change in risk profile, to ensure you are properly covered if your risk has changed, you have acquired additional equipment or IT infrastructure, and so on.

South African residential property prices are experiencing continued downward pressure while the average cost of building new property continues to increase year on year with rising costs of materials and labour. The 2018-2019 Lightstone Property Forecast showed that the market ended close to 2.9% as opposed to the forecasted 3.8% in 2018.