Every question, every answer, every source

If you’re down to three home insurers in New Zealand, I’d make the decision based on the strength of the cover, the insurer’s ability to handle a major claim, and the total cost of the policy—not just the annual premium.

The best evidence is specific to your house and the risks you need to insure. A cheaper policy can be a false economy if it has a lower rebuild limit, restrictive exclusions, or a larger excess when you need to claim.

I'd use a simple, evidence-based comparison across five areas.

1. Compare the actual policy documents

Get the latest policy wording, your personalised quote, and the policy schedule from all three insurers. Don't rely on comparison websites or sales summaries alone.

Focus on these areas:

• Rebuild cover: Is your home insured for an agreed sum, or does the policy use another settlement basis? Is the sum insured realistic for rebuilding your particular home?
• Natural hazards: How does the policy respond to earthquake, landslip, flooding, storm damage and other relevant events?
• Gradual damage and hidden leaks: What is covered if a leaking pipe causes damage over time?
• Retaining walls, driveways, fences and outbuildings: Are these included, subject to limits, or excluded?
• Temporary accommodation: How much will the insurer pay if your home becomes uninhabitable, and for how long?
• Excesses: What would you pay for a standard claim, a natural-hazard claim, or another claim with a special excess?
• Exclusions and conditions: Are there restrictions involving the roof, plumbing, unoccupied periods, maintenance, or the age and construction of the property?

The evidence to collect: The relevant policy clauses, the limits and exclusions in your schedule, and written answers from each insurer about any unclear terms.

Pay particular attention to differences that could cost you thousands of dollars during a major claim.

2. Check how each insurer performs when customers claim

An insurer can offer excellent cover on paper but still provide a frustrating claims experience.

Look for independent evidence of how each insurer handles claims, communicates with customers, and resolves disputes.

Evidence	What to look for	Where to find it
Customer satisfaction	Satisfaction with home insurance and claims handling	Consumer NZ
Complaints	Patterns of complaints about delays, communication or declined claims	Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman
Financial strength	The insurer's financial strength rating and the rating agency's outlook	Insurer disclosures and rating agency reports
Claims process	How assessments, repairs, settlements and disputes are handled	Policy documents and insurer claims information
Recent claim experiences	Consistent patterns across multiple customers, rather than one extreme review	Independent reviews and customer feedback

How to interpret this evidence

Don't automatically eliminate an insurer because of a handful of negative reviews. People with bad experiences are often more motivated to post reviews than satisfied customers.

Instead, look for recurring issues supported by multiple sources.

For example:

• Several customers report long delays before a loss assessor visits.
• Customers repeatedly describe poor communication during repairs.
• There is a pattern of disagreements about what the policy covers.
• An insurer scores consistently well in independent customer satisfaction research.

Consumer NZ's home insurance comparison is a useful starting point because it brings together information on price, cover and customer satisfaction. Check that the research relates to the policies you're considering.

My recommendation: Give claims experience meaningful weight, but don't confuse the number of complaints with the likelihood that your own claim will be mishandled. Consider the size of the insurer's customer base and the nature of the complaints, too.

3. Establish whether the insurer can cover your particular property

This is where you move beyond general insurer rankings and examine your own circumstances.

The most useful evidence depends on the house you are insuring.

For example:

• Older house: Check the treatment of older wiring, plumbing, roofing and materials that may be difficult to replace.
• Hillside property: Investigate landslip exclusions, retaining-wall cover and relevant land limitations.
• Flood-prone property: Check flood definitions, exclusions and the treatment of damage to buildings and land.
• Large or architecturally distinctive home: Obtain a reliable rebuild estimate and check whether the policy's limits are sufficient.
• Home with a long driveway, substantial fencing or detached buildings: Check the limits for these structures and associated repair costs.

Pay special attention to natural-hazard cover

In New Zealand, eligible residential properties with qualifying fire insurance generally receive natural-hazard cover through the Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake (NHC).

This cover has defined limits and does not necessarily cover all damage to the land or every cost associated with repairing or rebuilding a home. Private insurance may provide additional cover, depending on the policy. NHC: Understanding natural-hazard cover.

For each insurer, establish:

1. What the NHC covers.
2. What the private policy covers above or beyond that.
3. Which costs remain your responsibility.
4. Whether any property-specific exclusions or restrictions apply.

Don't assume that three policies provide equivalent protection simply because they all include natural-hazard insurance.

The evidence to collect: A realistic rebuild estimate, relevant property reports, the policy wording, and written confirmation of how the insurer would treat the risks specific to your house.

4. Compare the total cost, not just the annual premium

Once you understand the cover, compare the financial implications.

For each insurer, record:

• Annual premium, including applicable taxes and levies.
• Standard excess.
• Special excesses for particular types of damage.
• Optional cover costs.
• Discounts and whether they expire.
• Any relevant limits that could leave you paying for repairs yourself.

Then consider two different scenarios.

Scenario A: A relatively small claim

Suppose a covered event causes $8,000 in damage.

If one insurer has a $500 excess and another has a $2,000 excess, the difference in what you receive could be substantial.

Assuming the full amount is covered and the excess is deducted from the settlement, the amounts would be:

	Insurer A	Insurer B
Repair cost	$8,000	$8,000
Excess	$500	$2,000
Insurer pays	$7,500	$6,000

This illustrates why the excess matters, although the actual settlement depends on the policy terms.

Scenario B: A major claim

Imagine your home suffers serious damage and requires extensive repairs or rebuilding.

Now compare:

• Whether the rebuild limit is adequate.
• Whether temporary accommodation is sufficient.
• Whether demolition, professional fees and debris removal are covered.
• Whether the policy covers the full cost of rebuilding or applies a sum-insured limit.
• Whether any exclusions could leave you with a significant shortfall.

A small premium saving is much less compelling if it comes with a major gap in protection.

The evidence to collect: The final written quotes, excess schedules, cover limits and a realistic estimate of the financial consequences of a major claim.

5. Test how helpful each insurer is before you buy

You can gather useful evidence simply by asking each insurer the same questions.

I would email all three and ask:

1. What are the most important exclusions or limitations I should understand for my property?
2. How is a major building claim assessed and settled under this policy?
3. How are repairs arranged, and can I choose my own builder?
4. What happens if the repair estimate exceeds my sum insured?
5. How much temporary accommodation is available, and for how long?
6. How does the policy respond to natural-hazard damage, including any limitations affecting the land?
7. What additional excesses could apply to my property?

The exact questions will depend on your circumstances.

Compare not just the answers but also their quality. Do they address your question directly? Do they explain limitations clearly? Are they willing to put their interpretation in writing?

A helpful response before you buy is a positive sign, although it isn't proof of how well the insurer will perform during a claim.

For natural-hazard claims specifically, the Natural Hazards Commission's claims guidance explains the claims process and the options available if you disagree with a decision.

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How I'd make the final decision

I'd put the evidence into a weighted scorecard rather than relying on a general impression of each brand.

Here's an example of how to allocate 100 points.

Decision factor	Weight	What earns a high score?
Quality of cover	35 points	Broad, relevant protection with few problematic exclusions and adequate limits
Claims performance	25 points	Strong independent customer feedback and no concerning pattern of unresolved complaints
Financial protection	15 points	Adequate rebuild protection, suitable excesses and a satisfactory financial strength rating
Price and value	20 points	Competitive premium relative to the protection provided
Service and clarity	5 points	Clear answers, transparent terms and a straightforward claims process
Total	100 points

These weights are a suggested starting point, not an industry-standard formula. You might give price more weight if your budget is tight, or cover more weight if your house has unusual risks.

Score each insurer from 1 to 5 for every factor, multiply by the relevant weighting, and compare the totals.

However, don't let a high overall score compensate for a serious coverage gap. If an insurer cannot adequately protect your property against a material risk, that may be a reason to eliminate it regardless of its price or service score.

The three sources I'd prioritise

If you want to keep the research manageable, start with these:

1. Consumer NZ's home insurance comparison — for independent comparisons of premiums, policy features and customer satisfaction.
2. Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake — for understanding natural-hazard protection and how it interacts with private home insurance.
3. The three insurers' actual policy wordings and written quotes — for determining what you personally would be covered for and what you would pay.

The third is essential: general ratings cannot tell you whether a particular policy adequately protects your house.

Let's narrow it down to your three insurers

Which three home insurers are you choosing between?

If you share their names, I can help you compare them using available New Zealand evidence, including policy differences, customer satisfaction, claims-related complaints and financial strength. We can then identify which differences are genuinely important and what evidence is still missing before you decide.