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If you're buying contents insurance in Marlborough, New Zealand, I'd pay particular attention to earthquake damage, flood and storm cover, gradual damage, and how your insurer values your belongings. The biggest risk is assuming that having a contents policy means you're covered for every kind of damage or loss.

Marlborough has a few considerations worth checking carefully, especially if you're in a rural area, near a river or stream, in a coastal location, or in a home with a history of dampness or flooding.

The key things to check before you buy

1. Earthquake and natural-disaster cover

Marlborough is in a high earthquake-risk area, and the district also faces flooding and land instability. EarthquakeNatural Hazards

• Confirm that your contents are covered for earthquake, fire following an earthquake, storm and flood.
• Check the excess for each event. A natural-disaster excess may be different from your standard excess.
• Ask whether your belongings are covered if an earthquake makes the home unsafe to occupy.

Important: New Zealand's Natural Hazards Commission (NHC) scheme primarily covers eligible damage to insured homes and certain residential land, not your household belongings. You need appropriate private contents cover for those. About natural hazards cover :: Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū AkeCover for storm, flood, and landslide damage :: Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake

2. Flooding, stormwater and water leaks

Don't assume all water damage is treated the same way.

• Check cover for river flooding, surface-water runoff, stormwater entering the house and damage from burst pipes.
• Ask about damage caused by groundwater or rising damp.
• Check whether hidden leaks are covered, and the maximum payout for gradual water damage.

Many policies exclude mould, rot, wear and tear, and gradual deterioration. Some offer limited cover for hidden leaks, subject to conditions. Distinction Contents Insurance / Policy wordingICNZ_Guide_to_Gradual_Deterioration_and_Resultant_Damage_Oct19_Updated

3. High-value belongings and replacement costs

Your total contents sum insured might look generous while individual items have much lower limits.

Check the limits for:

• Jewellery, watches, engagement rings and watches kept outside the home.
• Laptops, cameras, bicycles and sporting equipment.
• Art, antiques, collectibles and musical instruments.
• Cash, tools and business equipment.

Ask whether the insurer pays replacement value (the cost of replacing an item with an equivalent one) or present value after depreciation. Check whether valuable items need to be listed separately or professionally valued. What Home, Contents & Car Insurance Don't Cover (NZ)Contents Insurance Policy

4. Rural properties, garages and sheds

This is particularly worth checking if your Marlborough property is outside a main town.

• Are contents in a detached garage, workshop, shed or sleepout covered?
• Are tools, gardening equipment, outdoor furniture and stored belongings insured?
• Are theft claims subject to specific security requirements?
• If you live in the house only part of the year, how long can it remain unoccupied before cover is restricted?

Don't assume items in an outbuilding or on a lifestyle block receive the same cover as belongings inside your main home. Tell the insurer how the property is actually used.

5. Belongings outside your home

Check whether your policy covers accidental loss and theft when you take belongings:

• Into town, to work or to university.
• On domestic holidays or overseas trips.
• In your car, including items stolen from a locked vehicle.

Cover away from home may be optional, have lower limits, or exclude unattended belongings. A standard home-contents policy may not cover every item wherever you take it.

6. Excesses, exclusions and waiting periods

Before paying, check:

• The standard excess and any separate earthquake, flood or other event excess.
• Whether there is a waiting period when first taking out the policy. Some NZ policies exclude certain disaster losses during the first 48 hours, with exceptions for continuous cover transferred from another insurer. Limited Contents Insurance PolicyNZI Distinction Contents Insurance Policy Wording
• Whether theft requires evidence of forced entry or particular locks.
• Whether temporary accommodation, emergency expenses or replacing locks and keys are included in the contents policy or only the house policy.

What I'd prioritise in Marlborough

My first three checks would be:

1. Natural-disaster cover and excesses, especially if your home is in an area exposed to earthquakes, flooding or slope instability.
2. A realistic contents sum insured, including clothing, furniture, appliances, electronics and everything in storage. Don't calculate it using what you originally paid.
3. The exclusions that fit your property, particularly water damage, outbuildings, valuables and periods when the home is empty.

You can check local hazard information using the Marlborough District Council's natural hazards pages and the Natural Hazards Portal.

I can narrow this down for your situation

The most important details are where your belongings are kept and the type of property you live in.