Does my home insurance cover termite damage?

Did you know the vast majority of Australian homes that get termites (that’s 2 out of every 3 homes…) don’t have cover for termite damage in their home insurance policy?…Termite damage is one of the biggest problems for Australian home-owners and yet most don’t think to check: Does my insurance cover termite damage?

The average termite infestation can cause around $7000 of damage! And that comes straight out of the pocket of home-owners. As so many Australian properties are affected by termites at some point, your home could be at risk…And it’s more than likely your home insurance hasn’t got it covered….

Check your home insurance policy!

Most standard home insurance policies do not cover termite damage. Even if your home insurance policy contains clauses for natural damage or acts or God termite damage probably won’t be there. The only way to ensure your home insurance covers termite damage is to find a specific policy that covers pest damages..

Does yours?

This can be difficult and expensive.

Whenever you add something to or change an insurance policy your payments are going to go up and you’re going to have to spend a lot more money…

Rather than relying on insurance companies to clean up the damage caused by termites you really need to protect your home from termites in the first place.

Remember the old saying ‘prevention is better than a cure’?

Prevention is always cheaper, easier and safer than waiting for a problem to arise and curing it.

You do not want to let termites into your home and you certainly don’t want to wait until the damage is bad enough to claim back repair costs from an insurance company.

To make sure your home is protected from termites you need to:

Be vigilant from day #1.

If you’re house-hunting check for termites at every property you look at and ask you real estate agent for pest control information.

When buying a property make sure you have professional pest control inspection carried out and never assume a property is termite free.

Every Australian property is at risk from termites. Whether it’s a an old wooden weatherboard or a steel framed city unit any property that has wood (which all homes will have somewhere) can get termites.

Plan and schedule professional pest control

Yearly termite treatments are the most effective way of preventing a termite infestation. Make sure you schedule professional pest control treatments and keep up with them.

For an affordable one off cost you can guarantee your home is protected and save yourself thousands in the long run.

Be aware of signs of termites

Learn about termites and their behaviours. Know the key signs of a termite infestation and check around your house every few months.

It’s much easier to protect your home with a bit of knowledge.

Take care of your property

The better the condition of your property the less likely you are to have a pest control problem.

Take care of your garden and make sure it isn’t attracting termites. Look after the woodwork and repair any damages promptly and properly.

And avoid piling junk or rubbish in garages or sheds. It’s not only termites that love a mess to nest in…

You could also be attracting snakes and spiders!

Keep up to date with pest control news

Check out local pest control sites regularly for updates on your area and talk to your neighbours.

Being aware of local problems or infestations will help you to protect your own home.

Most importantly don’t wait until you start to see termite damage.

Remember that by the time you see termite damage it is normally completely irreparable and your home could actually be unsafe to live in!

Does your home insurance cover termite damage? Let us know in the comments below…

Termite House Insurance in Australia: Why It Doesn’t Exist

The world of insurance is a hard-headed one. It is designed to help people afflicted by unexpected adversity, but it is not a charitable undertaking. Insurance deals in hard facts and probabilities. If something is highly unlikely to happen, you may be able to insure against it. You’re unlikely to crash your car and unlikely to catch yellow fever on vacation, but these things are not beyond the realms of possibility. They are therefore insurable.

With termites, the law of averages says that if you don’t take steps to prevent it, you may well find your property invaded by these tiny terrors, because they are out there, looking for places like yours. It’s just what they do. That makes termite trouble a preventable problem, so if you wondered, does house insurance in Australia cover termites, well no, it doesn’t. The companies may not announce it upfront, but they’re not ashamed of it. You know the dangers, so protect yourself. Instead of paying for termite insurance, you have to pay for prevention. It’s logical and it has to be done.