While many parts of Australia have been battered with fires, floods, cycles and severe weather over the past few months, new research from home and contents insurance comparison site, Compare the Market has revealed that break-ins and theft are the biggest concerns for people and their homes in 2024.*
Over a third of respondents reported burglary as the top concern, while over a quarter stated that they had no concern for their home for the year ahead. And despite the wild wet weather lashing the eastern states for the past month while bushfires rage on the western coast, concern for damages caused by these events is relatively low.
| Concern | % of people who listed this category as their top concern in 2024 |
| Break-ins and theft | 36.9% |
| None | 27.5% |
| Thunderstorms/hail | 17.8% |
| Bushfires | 8.6% |
| Floods | 4.8% |
| Other | 2.5% |
| Cyclones | 1.9% |
The research also found no difference in the top concern amongst the states, with robbery reigning as the top concern. South Australians (42.7%) were the most concerned about break-ins and theft, while Victorians (40.7%) weren’t too far behind on the same assessment.
In perhaps the most surprising find of the research, the second most common answer for all the states, bar Queensland residents, was that they had no concerns for their homes for the upcoming year. On the other hand, Queenslanders were more concerned about thunderstorms and hail (25.4%).
| Concern | NSW | VIC | QLD | SA | WA |
| Break-ins and theft | 33.4% | 40.7% | 30.7% | 42.7% | 38.9% |
| None | 30.2% | 28.1% | 19.5% | 28.0% | 34.3% |
| Thunderstorms/hail | 19.3% | 15.2% | 25.4% | 14.7% | 9.3% |
| Bushfires | 9.2% | 9.1% | 5.4% | 8.0% | 13.9% |
| Floods | 3.6% | 4.2% | 10.7% | 1.3% | 1.8% |
| Other | 3.0% | 2.7% | 2.0% | 4.0% | 1.8% |
| Cyclones | 1.3% | 0.0% | 6.3% | 1.3% | 0.0% |
The Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory and Tasmania have been excluded from the above table detailing top home concerns due to lower sampling. However, those responses have been included in all other breakdowns in the media release.
Commenting on how to safeguard against break-ins and theft of property, Compare the Market’s Executive General Manager for General Insurance and home and contents insurance expert, Adrian Taylor, said that if people are concerned about burgled, it’s better to be proactive rather than reactive.
“I always say being proactive is better than being reactive when it comes to protecting your home and belongings,” Mr Taylor said. “There are some inexpensive security measures available, ranging from sensor lights and camera-integrated doorbells to ward off pesky porch pirates, to a full suite of security cameras and alarms around the house to scare off those who are willing to steal something bigger.
“For people who want to insure against potential burglaries and property theft with home and contents or just contents insurance, it should be noted that there may be insurers who disqualify people from taking out insurance in the first place, for not having basic security measures, such as window locks, deadlocks or security screens and doors.
“In the same vein, some insurers may also offer a reduction on premiums if there are certain security measures, such as cameras and alarms, installed around the property. However, this is subject to the insurer and policy that’s been taken out.
“Another potential way people could be saving on their home and contents insurance is by comparing the current policies available on the market. If people have been with the same insurer for a couple of years now, it may be worth checking out the new players who have entered the industry in the past year or so who may be able to offer a similar policy at a cheaper premium.
“There can be some really good deals out there. We’ve previously seen a customer who found a home and contents policy with similar inclusions as their old policy, save over $1,200, just by comparing.”
Mr Taylor’s top tips to secure your home:
- Lock your windows and doors – it may seem simple, but to some people, an open window or an unlocked door is an open invitation to enter. Plus, if you do lodge a claim with your insurance, and it’s found that there were no signs of a break-in, you may be unsuccessful in your claim.
- Consider installing extra security – from sensor lights, cameras and alarms, some perpetrators may be dissuaded from trying to enter your home once they see that you have these safety measures in place. And if they still try to enter your home, you have evidence to support your police report. Furthermore, some home and contents insurers may also offer a discount on your premium if you have more high-tech security measures.
- Review and update your home and contents policy – Costs to rebuild a home have gone up due to a variety of factors, including inflation, not to mention that you may have accumulated more personal belongings over the years, which may need to be added to your policy. If anything does happen, this will ensure that all your items are covered under your policy.
*Compare the Market asked 1,005 Australians aged 18 and over in January 2024
+ Home and contents savings for a brick veneer, cement tiled home in Mernda, VIC. The home was insured for $534,600 ($500 excess) with contents valued at $93,700 ($500 excess).
-ENDS-
For interviews and more information, please contact:
Noémi Hadnagy | m: 0433 377 252 | e: [email protected]
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