We fill our homes with many items that we cherish and value… family photographs, precious ornaments, furniture as well as more expensive electronic equipment of all kinds. Imagining the loss or damage of those items is distressing; they are not mere objects but possessions woven into our daily lives.

Protecting our valuable belongings against loss or damage is therefore a key priority. In this article, we consider the importance of home insurance and accurately valuing your possessions; together with practical tips for protecting your valuables.

House insurance in France: what does it cover?

In France house insurance policies cover the building structure (garantie des murs) and the contents (garantie des biens mobiliers). In French, this type of insurance is known as assurance habitation.

Tailoring your home insurance

AXA Marthon offers a tiered approach to home insurance, allowing our clients to tailor their cover to the value and type of their possessions. For example, standard cover policies include protection against fire and related events, theft, natural disasters, civil liability claims, water damage from leaks, burst pipes etc. for items such as furniture, clothing, everyday electronics and books.

For clients with significant valuables, there is the option of including expensive items as “Objets de Valeur” capital or adding specific items in your home insurance contract. These are known as Garantie Objects de Valeur (for broader protection), Casse des Appareils Nomades for portable electronics and Vol à l’Extérieur for theft outside the home and special extensions for highly valuable art or collections.

Why accurately valuing your possessions is important

Whatever type of insurance you choose, it’s crucial to accurately assess the total value of your possessions to avoid under-insurance. For example, if you under-value your possessions and need to make a claim, you may only receive a sum of money which is less than the cost to replace the items.

You should also include the type of property, its size (in square metres), the number of rooms, its location, gardens, swimming pools, garages and outbuildings. Resist the temptation to leave off a few rooms to lower your premium  – doing so could seriously affect any future claim.

New for old policies

A New for Old insurance policy is well worth consideration. They ensure that insurers cover the cost of replacing your insured possessions with brand new items of similar kind and quality if damage beyond repair or theft occurs, without deducting for depreciation.

Proving ownership of your possessions – top tip

If the worst happens — for example, someone steals a precious item or you lose it in a fire — you still need to prove ownership of the belongings to any insurer. Ideally, you should keep all your receipts… however, if they have been mislaid, don’t worry. Some top tips:

§  Take photographs of your valuable possessions which prove they belong to you. Examples are jewellery, art and other artefacts.

§  Open your cupboards, wardrobes and sideboards and take photos of the linen, your clothing, cutlery, dinner sets and other items. In fact, anything that you possess.

§  Make an inventory of the most valuable items you own.

§  Keep brochures and instruction manuals of electrical and electronic devices.

One final tip: keep a digital record of this information stored securely.

If you would like to find out more about AXA’s home insurance cover, please get in touch. We will help secure what matters most to you.

Insurance France is the trading name of AXA Marthon. We are an English and French speaking AXA agency, taking care of your insurance so you can enjoy your life in France.

To find out more, please contact us below for a free, no-obligation quotation:

Phone: +33 (0)5 45 70 43 76

Email: agence.florentmorin@axa.fr

Website: insurancefrance.fr