HBF Building Insurance does not cover:

• Buildings that a tenant is liable for under the terms of a rental agreement
• Plants, shrubs, trees or grass
• Lawns
• Loose or compacted soil, gravel, pebbles, rocks or sand
• Dams

When choosing an amount of cover for your home or building, make sure you think about what it will cost to completely rebuild, not just the resale value. An easy way to get an accurate estimate of the value of your home is to use our handy online building calculator.

Also consider:

• What would be the cost of rebuilding your house today, rather than when you originally built the home?
• What materials are used in the building and its finishes?
• How many levels are there? Is there a verandah?
• Is there a garage or carport?
• Is there a pool?
• Consider the costs of hiring professionals such as architects, engineers or surveyors
• What are the costs of council approval on plans and other fees?
• Check if your policy covers demolition, debris removal, levelling or landscaping – because many don’t and you would have to pay extra.

An excess is the amount you pay when you make a claim on your policy. The amount and type of excess that may apply to your policy is shown on your current schedule.

Generally, the higher the excess you select on your policy, the lower the premium on your policy. If you’d like to talk to someone about your excess, call 133 423 or visit your local branch.

If you’ve entered a contract to sell your home, we’ll extend your building cover to the purchaser until one of the following:

• the contract settlement date
• the purchaser insures the home
• the purchaser becomes liable for damage to the home

This cover will stop immediately if the sale contract is terminated, or your building insurance policy ends. Don’t forget, you will need to take out a separate policy for your new home.

If you’re about to start a renovation, you need to let us know as the cover provided under your policy may change. During your renovation, we will not cover any damage caused by water entering the building through an opening made for any renovation or repair work. Also, we will not cover any structural defect, faulty design or faulty workmanship from when your home was first constructed or when it is being renovated.

If you’re leaving your house unoccupied for a continuous period of 60 days or more, it’s a good idea to let us know, as there may be changes and special conditions which we may need to apply to your policy.

If you need to make emergency repairs to your house, let us know and we’ll organise one of our repairers to assist you as soon as possible. To lodge a claim for urgent repairs, call us on 1300 559 867