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Mrs Keller only wanted to refresh her living room. A new dining table, a modern TV, an e-bike for commuting. It wasn’t until water damage affected her flat that she realised her household contents were now worth far more than the amount she had insured for years earlier. The result? A significant reduction in benefits and high costs she had to cover herself.

Your household insurance protects everything you would take with you if you moved house. This includes:

This means that, in the event of a claim, you receive the amount needed today to replace the item with a new one of the same type and quality.

Many people confuse these three types of insurance or are unsure which policy covers which type of damage. In reality, they complement each other perfectly and together ensure comprehensive protection for your home and everyday life.

Together, these three forms of insurance create a strong safety net: building insurance protects the property, household insurance covers your personal belongings, and personal liability insurance shields you from financial risks if something happens to a third party. This gives you the reassurance that – whether damage occurs to the building, to your possessions or to others – you are well protected.

A complete overview of useful personal, property and financial insurance options for private individuals can be found in our dedicated article on the topic.

Underinsurance occurs when the actual replacement value of your household contents is higher than the insured sum stated in your policy. Your belongings are then not fully covered, and the insurer is entitled to reduce the payout proportionally. In other words: the greater the gap, the less you receive in the event of a claim.

Underinsurance often arises due to new purchases or rising prices when the insured sum is not updated regularly. This is why reviewing your household contents value once a year is highly advisable – especially as electronics, furniture and sports equipment continue to become more expensive.

Underinsurance often becomes visible only when a claim occurs. In household insurance, the principle of proportionality applies: the insurer pays the claim only in the same proportion as the ratio between the true value and the insured sum.

This means: the greater the underinsurance, the more substantial the reduction in benefits – and this applies to every claim, including small partial or individual losses.

To give you a clear picture of how significantly underinsurance can impact you financially, the following example reflects a very common situation in Swiss households.

The four examples below illustrate how significantly underinsurance can affect the payout from your household insurance.

Even seemingly minor incidents – water damage, burglary, a fire or a damaged e-bike – can quickly amount to several thousand francs. If your insurer then only covers half of it, every claim becomes a major financial burden.

This is why it is so important to regularly update your household contents value. Especially in 2026, as electronics, furniture and sports equipment have become considerably more expensive due to rising replacement costs.

In 2026, replacement costs for electronics, furniture, bicycles and especially e-bikes will rise significantly. This increase will happen faster than many people expect. At the same time, households today own more high-quality devices than just a few years ago, and extreme weather events are causing damage more frequently. If you do not regularly update the insured sum in your household insurance, you can easily – and often without realising it – slip into underinsurance.

There are several methods that you can use in combination:

Many Swiss insurers use industry‑standard reference values per square metre of living space as an initial rough estimate. Depending on the furnishing standard, a guideline value of around CHF 1,000 per m² may be used, with possible adjustments up or down. This rule of thumb provides a quick estimation of the approximate value but does not replace an accurate calculation of the actual replacement value.

✔ quick and straightforward
✘ inaccurate for extensive or high-value household contents

Reputable insurers such as Mobiliar recommend regularly checking the actual value of your household contents – for example with a detailed inventory list or an online calculator. In its official guide, Mobiliar explains step by step how to determine the correct insured amount.

Important: Mobiliar deliberately avoids giving flat CHF amounts, as real replacement costs vary significantly from one household to another.

Source: Mobiliar Ratgeber: Bestimmen Sie den Wert Ihres Hausrats (Content currently available in German, French and Italian only)

An inventory list is the most precise way to determine the actual replacement value of your household contents. You go through each room individually and record all items with their current new-for-old value. This reliably helps to prevent underinsurance – especially if you own multiple high-value items.

✔ highest accuracy
✘ more time‑consuming, but very reliable

Mobiliar explicitly recommends regularly reviewing your household contents and using realistic new‑for‑old prices to ensure that the insured amount truly reflects the actual value.

Source: Mobiliar Ratgeber: Bestimmen Sie den Wert Ihres Hausrats (Content currently available in German, French and Italian only)

A professional valuation is advisable when your household contains items that are difficult to assess on your own. In households with a high replacement value, underinsurance often develops unnoticed. An expert valuation provides clarity on the true new-for-old value.

Particularly suitable for:

Insurers such as Mobiliar emphasise that the insured amount must cover the full new-for-old value of all household contents. A professional valuation can play an important role in achieving this.

Source: Mobiliar Ratgeber: Bestimmen Sie den Wert Ihres Hausrats (Content currently available in German, French and Italian only)

In practice, it becomes clear that it is often the most valuable items that are not included in the insured amount. And this is exactly what leads to underinsurance. Typical «forgotten items» include:

Mobiliar points out that all movable items – including hobby equipment and valuables – must be included in the correct household contents value.

Source: Mobiliar Ratgeber: Bestimmen Sie den Wert Ihres Hausrats (Content currently available in German, French and Italian only)

Depending on your lifestyle and the value of your household contents, certain additional cover options can complement your household insurance in a meaningful way. They enhance protection where claims are now particularly frequent or where replacement costs are very high.

Extends protection to items stolen outside your home – such as bicycles, e-bikes, mobile phones and laptops; this is particularly relevant to commuters and to anyone who is frequently on the move.

An important cover due to the increase in extreme weather events such as flooding, storms, hail or mudslides. These incidents can cause significant costs, especially in basements and outdoor areas. You can learn more about handling hail damage in our dedicated article.

It covers damage to glass tables, display cabinets, mirrors and glass-ceramic hobs. Ideal for households with high-quality surfaces or design-oriented interiors. We recommend reading our detailed article on glass breakage for further insights.

Covers damage caused by leaking pipes, faulty appliances or overflowing washing machines. One of the most common types of claims in recent years.

Important for damage caused by carelessness, such as a burning candle, an unattended stove or a tap not fully closed. This cover often prevents substantial out-of-pocket costs.

The best protection starts with accurately documenting your household contents. With these simple habits, you remain properly insured over the long term:

Photograph your rooms, cupboards and drawers. This not only helps determine the correct value of your household contents but also provides clear evidence of ownership in the event of a claim.

Many Swiss insurers offer useful inventory lists and value tables that help structure the process:

At least once a year, and additionally after any major purchase or change in your home.

Compare the actual new‑for‑old value of your household contents with the insured sum stated in your policy. If you are unsure, we will be happy to assist you.

Yes. The larger the living space, the higher the typical household value. However, flat-rate estimates should only be used as a rough guideline.

Jewellery, art, luxury watches, collectibles and specialised equipment should be individually assessed and insured separately if necessary.

Yes, but in cases of underinsurance the payout is reduced proportionally.

The short answer is yes – as part of the insured household contents. However, for theft away from home, additional cover is required.

The short answer is there is no risk, but you pay unnecessarily high premiums.

A correctly calculated household insurance policy reliably protects you from high costs and unpleasant surprises. We are happy to help you by providing you with personal, tailored advice. A full overview of our services for private clients can be found via the link below.

✔ We check the value of your household contents free of charge.
✔ We help you avoid underinsurance with confidence.
✔ We provide independent, clear and personal advice.

Many Swiss households are underinsured without realising it. We analyse your current insured amount at no cost and show you exactly if and where action is required.