Water damage, burglary, glass breakage: what your home insurance covers (and what it doesn't)

Water damage, burglary, a broken window: these are the everyday incidents home insurance is built for. But each cover has its boundaries. Here is what your policy actually pays for — and where the exclusions usually lie.

Water damage

Household contents insurance generally covers damage to your belongings caused by a burst pipe, an overflow or water escaping from the building's systems. The damage you cause to a neighbour, on the other hand, falls under your private liability cover.

Common exclusions: damage due to lack of maintenance, gradual seepage, or flooding from outside (which may fall under natural-hazard cover instead).

Burglary and theft

Theft cover usually distinguishes between theft with break-in (forced entry, almost always included) and simple theft without signs of break-in (often optional). Theft away from home is a separate extension.

Common exclusions: an unlocked door, gross negligence, or valuables exceeding the contract's specific limits.

Glass breakage

This optional cover pays for broken glazed surfaces: windows, glass doors, hobs, sometimes mirrors and furniture tops. It is especially worthwhile in glass-heavy or furnished flats.

Common exclusions: scratches and chips that don't break the glass, and items already broken before the cover started.

The grey areas to watch

• Gross negligence — leaving the front door wide open can reduce or cancel compensation.
• Specific limits — jewellery, art and bikes are often capped separately.
• Excess — the amount left to your charge on each claim.

In short

Your home insurance covers far more than people think — but reading the conditions matters as much as the headline cover. Knowing your exclusions and limits is what prevents nasty surprises after a claim. Helvate reads the fine print for you and aligns your contract with your real risks.