Do you have a fully equipped kitchen, computer equipment, a pet or a cellar? If you are insuring your home for the first time in Luxembourg, here are 5 points to bear in mind.

Generally there is no excess

The cost of your home insurance may seem higher (on average +20% compared to our Belgian or French neighbours).

This is due to the fact that the excess is not very common in Luxembourg. The downside is that in the event of a claim, you will be better compensated.

The importance of assessing the content to be provided

A crucial step when you take out your home insuranceThe most important thing is to assess the value of your content capital.

Whether it's your furniture, your kitchen, your tools, your clothes and accessories, your multimedia equipment, your sports and leisure equipment, etc. This evaluation allows you to determine the total amount that will be covered by your home insurance.

Usually your insurer will offer you an estimate of this amount based on the size of your home and the average data of its other customers. If you choose the reference amount thus proposed, you will be adequately covered, but you are free to modify it upwards or downwards on the basis of your own assessment.

For example, AXA recommends insuring your contents up to 22,000€ for a flat of about 50m². For an 80m2 house, you should expect to pay around €35,000 in capital and for a 150m2 house, for example, the sum insured for your property can be as much as €53,000.

We would like to draw your attention to the fact that lowering the amount will lower your insurance premium. The downside is that you run the risk of being underinsured and less well reimbursed in the event of a claim, which can have serious financial consequences for you in the event of a major loss (e.g. a devastating fire or storm).

Don't forget to include your kitchen

Please note that the fitted kitchen is considered as a movable asset and should therefore be included in the total value of the contents you wish to insure.

On average, the fitted kitchen usually accounts for about one third of the total sum insured.

If, for example, you forget a pan on the fire and the smoke damages, for example, the cupboards, the cooker hood and the hob, if the value of the insured contents is insufficient to cover the damage, you will most likely have to pay part of the replacement out of your own pocket.

So be sure to include the fitted kitchen in the total value of the contents to be insured.

Think about storms and floods

Storm and hail are automatically covered in the basic cover of your home policy. This is not the case for other natural perils, such as floods or earthquakes, which are insured in addition to the basic cover.

For example, if after a storm water is no longer absorbed by the ground or drained by public sewers and invades your cellar or your home, flooding coverage will pay for clearing, cleaning and repair work as well as the reimbursement of damaged furniture. It also covers the cost of rehousing if your home is uninhabitable.

Are you the proud owner of a pet?

In Luxembourg, if you own a dog, you must declare it in your commune of residence.

You will need to provide a certificate of public liability insurance, also known as private or family insurance. This insurance is usually included in your home insurance.

If your pet causes material or physical damage to a third party, as the owner you will be held responsible and you will have to cover the loss, which will be paid for by this insurance

If you have a dog or cat, you should know that there are also pet insurance which allows you to be reimbursed for veterinary expenses such as operations, care and vaccinations.

Don't hesitate to ask about this insurance, which covers your pet's veterinary expenses, which can quickly become significant in the event of an accident or serious illness.