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Household contents insurance and valuables

What you need to know about high value items at home

Samantha avatar
Written by Samantha
Updated over a year ago

Everything we own is important to us, however, household contents insurance describes valuables very specifically and you need to know to make sure that you're properly covered.

What are valuables according to household contents insurance?

In the policy, valuables are classed as;

  • cash (including money loaded on cards or other data carriers);

  • documents - these include savings books and other financial securities;

  • jewelry - including precious stones, pearls, stamps, coins, medals and all items made of gold or platinum;

  • artworks - including furs, hand-knotted carpets, tapestries

  • antiques - these are objects that are more than 100 years old, with the exception of furniture.

How much are they covered up to?

There are limits to the coverage amount and this will depend on whether you take out the basic or extended cover and whether your belongings are in a safe*.

Basic cover

Extended cover
(add-on)

valuables in a safe

20% of the insured sum

30% of the insured sum

valuables not in a safe

(maximum amount per insured event within the limit of 20% or 30% in total of the insured sum).

cash

€1,500

€1,500

documents

€3,000

€5,000

jewelry, artworks, coins, and other valuables

€25,000

€25,000

artworks

within the sublimits with a max. of 20% of the insured sum in total

within the sublimits with a max. of 30% of the insured sum in total

antiques

within the sublimits with a max. of 20% of the insured sum in total

within the sublimits with a max. of 30% of the insured sum in total

What does that all mean?

That's quite a complicated way to say you'll be reimbursed a maximum of either 20% or 30% of your valuables combined depending on whether you have the basic or extended cover.

Here's an example:

In the event of a burglary and you have these valuables in your home:
2,500 EUR in cash
8,000 EUR worth of jewelry

4,000 EUR worth of artworks and antiques


If you have the basic coverage and your insured sum is 50,000 EUR, you would be reimbursed a maximum of 20% of your insured sum 10,000 EUR.

It's important to remember that household contents insurance protects your belongings from the specific insured events; fire, burglary, robbery, water damage, storm and hail.

If you have any valuables that are worth more and you'd like to insure them for other scenarios you should look into specific insurance for them.

* Safes are security containers that have been approved by VdS Schadenverhütung GmbH or by an equally qualified testing body.
Free-standing safes should have a minimum weight of 200 kg. If they weigh less, they must be professionally anchored in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions or flush-mounted on the wall or floor.

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