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Evidence · Home and contents insurance

Every question, every answer, every source

Explore all 372 home and contents insurance questions and the 1,476 answers saved on 11 October 2026. Read the original responses and download the tables behind the study’s comparisons, sources, sentiment and factual checks.

questions
372
answers saved, of 1488 planned
1476
consumer situations
12
named regions
16
AI platforms
4

01

Every question, with its answers

Each question went to the four AI platforms. All were collected with a New Zealand setting. Open a question to read every captured answer in full.

Showing 20 of 372 questions

Show all 372

02

The tables behind the study

Every figure on the study page comes from these tables. They are CSV files, which open in any spreadsheet.

  • Questions

    questions.csv

    One row per question, with its exact saved wording.

    Question ID, source references, question, consumer situation, named regions, question group and collection setting

    372rows

    Download questions (CSV)

  • Answers

    answers.csv

    One row per captured answer, with its full text.

    Answer ID, question ID, platform, collection setting, consumer situation, named regions and full answer

    1,476rows

    Download answers (CSV)

  • Sources by answer

    sources.csv

    One row per website recorded as a source of an answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, assistant, collection setting, website and publisher type

    9,014rows

    Download sources by answer (CSV)

  • Checks against primary sources

    checks.csv

    One row per stated assertion checked, for one platform.

    Check, question and answer IDs, assistant, exact passage, verdict, primary-source finding, URL and date

    97rows

    Download checks against primary sources (CSV)

  • Consumer recommendation coding

    consumer-recommendation-coding.csv

    One row per reviewed provider role in a consumer-selection answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, consumer, platform, provider, role, counted recommendation, exact passage and conditions

    659rows

    Download consumer recommendation coding (CSV)

  • Consumer selection membership

    consumer-selection-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the matched consumer-selection comparison.

    Answer ID, question ID, consumer, platform, question group and full text; twelve home and twelve contents selection questions, with missing captures preserved

    94rows

    Download consumer selection membership (CSV)

  • Ongoing support coding

    support-coding.csv

    One row per reviewed named-provider role in an eligible support answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, consumer, platform, provider, role, support-preference decision and exact passage

    75rows

    Download ongoing support coding (CSV)

  • Ongoing support membership

    support-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the actual consumer-support group.

    Answer ID, question ID, consumer, platform, question group and full text; acquisition validation is excluded

    71rows

    Download ongoing support membership (CSV)

  • Regional recommendation coding

    regional-recommendation-coding.csv

    One row per reviewed provider role in a region-named selection answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, named consumer region, platform, provider, recommendation decision and exact passage

    1,017rows

    Download regional recommendation coding (CSV)

  • Regional selection membership

    regional-selection-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the matched regional comparison.

    Answer ID, question ID, named consumer region, platform and equal-comparison membership; four home and three contents platform answers per region

    112rows

    Download regional selection membership (CSV)

  • Insurer sentiment

    insurer-sentiment.csv

    One row per unique saved claim about an insurer in a selection answer.

    Claim, question and answer IDs, insurer, saved stance, exact passage and original-answer offsets

    3,828rows

    Download insurer sentiment (CSV)

  • Recorded source URLs

    source-urls.csv

    One row per recorded answer, website and URL association.

    Answer ID, question ID, platform, website, URL, source records and presence in the captured answer text

    13,048rows

    Download recorded source urls (CSV)

  • Matched consumer platform membership

    platform-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the identical-question platform comparison.

    Answer ID, question ID, product, consumer and platform; 22 identical questions per platform

    88rows

    Download matched consumer platform membership (CSV)

  • Matched regional platform membership

    regional-platform-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the identical-question regional platform comparison.

    Answer ID, question ID, product, region and platform; 31 identical questions per platform

    124rows

    Download matched regional platform membership (CSV)

Use these tables to trace findings back to the original questions and answers. The full text of each answer is also on this page, under its question.

03

Read in full and checked

Some answers were read in detail or checked against official sources. Those appear on the study page, beside the findings they support.

ChatGPT · New Zealand

Our renewal is up sharply. What should we check before cutting the sum insured?

If your insurance renewal has jumped sharply, the key is to check whether the premium is rising because the insurer's price has changed, the risk has been reassessed, or the sum insured is no longer appropriate before reducing your cover.

In New Zealand, this is particularly important for home insurance. Cutting the sum insured can reduce your premium, but it can also leave you short of the money needed to rebuild after a major loss.

What to check before reducing the sum insured

  1. Get an independent rebuild-cost estimate

Use a current New Zealand rebuild calculator, such as the Cotality Sum Sure calculator, or get a quantity surveyor's estimate for a complex property. Check the floor area, construction type, quality of fittings, number of storeys, site access and slope. Home Sum InsuredHouse & Contents Insurance: Sum Insured Explained

  1. Check every rebuild cost is included

Allow for demolition, debris removal, design and professional fees, council consents, compliance costs, and GST where applicable. Check whether garages, sheds, decks, fences, driveways, retaining walls, pools and service connections are included in the sum insured or covered separately. Home Sum InsuredUnderstanding your home sums insured

  1. Read the policy wording, not just the renewal letter

Confirm whether the policy pays up to a fixed sum insured or offers full replacement cover, and how natural-disaster damage is treated. Check special limits, exclusions, sub-limits and any changes to the excess. A lower limit can leave you funding the shortfall yourself. How to get the best house and contents insuranceHouse & Contents Insurance: Sum Insured Explained

  1. Find out why the renewal increased

Ask the insurer or broker to itemise the change: base premium, risk-related pricing, excesses, government levies and taxes, and any changes in cover. Check the previous and new schedules side by side. The increase may not be caused by the sum insured alone.

  1. Compare other ways to reduce the premium

Get quotes with the same cover from other insurers. Ask for prices with different voluntary excesses, and check whether discounts, payment options or removing unnecessary optional benefits could help. Compare exclusions and limits as well as the headline premium. Consumer GuidesHow to get the best house and contents insurance

A useful decision rule

Before lowering the sum insured, compare three figures:

Figure What it tells you
Current sum insured Your existing maximum cover, subject to policy terms
Estimated rebuild cost What it is likely to cost to reinstate the property
Proposed new sum insured The limit you would have after the reduction

If the proposed figure is below a credible rebuild estimate, don't treat the reduction as a harmless saving. First ask the insurer to price the premium at the current sum insured, a verified rebuild figure and the proposed lower amount, so you can see the actual saving against the additional financial risk.

For New Zealand guidance, see the Insurance Council of New Zealand's consumer guides and Consumer NZ's house and contents insurance guide.

One important question: Is this a home insurance renewal, a commercial property renewal, or another type of insurance? The checks before cutting the sum insured differ considerably by policy type.

Ask anything

ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.

Captured 11 October 2026

Gemini · New Zealand

Our renewal is up sharply. What should we check before cutting the sum insured?

When your insurance renewal spikes—driven by rising reinsurance costs, recent weather events, and general inflation—it is tempting to lower your sum insured to bring the premium down. However, cutting your cover arbitrarily can expose you to severe underinsurance risks.

Before reducing your sum insured, review the following key areas:

1. Rebuild Costs vs. Market Value

  • The Check: Ensure your sum insured is based on current full rebuild costs, not your council rateable value (RV/GV) or what you paid for the property.
  • Why it matters: Construction, material, and labor costs in New Zealand have risen significantly. Cutting your sum insured below actual rebuilding costs means that in a total loss scenario, the payout will stop at your limit, leaving you to fund the shortfall out of pocket.

2. Hidden Demolition and Compliance Costs

  • The Check: Did your previous calculation factor in all mandatory "soft costs"?
  • Why it matters: A proper sum insured must include expenses beyond just framing and drywall, including:
    • Demolition and debris removal
    • Council consent fees and professional services (architects, engineers)
    • Retaining walls, fences, driveways, and outbuildings

3. Alternative Ways to Lower Premiums

  • The Check: Can you adjust structural elements of your policy rather than shrinking your safety net?
  • Why it matters: Reducing a sum insured often yields a surprisingly small percentage drop in your overall premium. Instead, consider:
    • Increasing your excess: Moving to a higher voluntary excess (e.g., from $500 to $1,000 or $2,000) if you have cash reserves can sharply lower your annual bill, provided you are comfortable absorbing smaller claims.
    • Removing redundant add-ons: Check if you are paying for optional benefits or sub-limits you don’t need.

4. The "Average" Clause Risk

  • The Check: Check your policy wording for an "average" or "pro-rata" condition.
  • Why it matters: Under some policies, if you under-insure your property (e.g., insuring it for 80% of its true value), the insurer may scale down every payout proportionally—even for partial claims like a kitchen fire or storm damage.

Next Step: Run your property details through an independent calculator (such as the Cordell Sum Insured calculator commonly used by NZ insurers) or consult a registered quantity surveyor to verify your baseline rebuild cost before making any cuts.

Would you like to explore adjusting your policy's excess options to see how that impacts your renewal premium instead?

Ask Gemini

Gemini is AI and can make mistakes.

Captured 11 October 2026

AI Overviews · New Zealand

Our renewal is up sharply. What should we check before cutting the sum insured?

AI Overview

Do not lower your sum insured until you have checked the hidden costs of a total rebuild. In New Zealand's "Sum Insured" model, if your figure is too low, you are responsible for paying the entire shortfall out of pocket in a total disaster.

Before cutting your sum insured to drop your premium, step through this critical checklist to see where your money actually goes during a rebuild.

1. The "Hidden" Rebuild Costs

Your sum insured is not the market value or rateable value (RV) of your house. It must cover what it actually costs to clear and rebuild the structure from scratch today.

  • Demolition and Debris Removal: Clearing a destroyed house and taking it to a landfill can easily cost $30,000 to $50,000+ before a single brick is laid.

  • Professional Fees: You must factor in architects, structural engineers, surveyors, and council consenting fees (often 10%–15% of the total build).

  • Reconstruction Inflation: Building material and labor costs in NZ historically outpace general inflation. If your sum insured hasn't changed in a couple of years, you may already be underinsured.

  • GST: Ensure your sum insured calculation includes GST.

2. Recalculate, Don't Guess

  • Use the Standard Tools: Run your property details through the independent Cordell Sum Sure Calculator (which most NZ insurers like AA Insurance, Tower, and AMI use to benchmark costs).

  • Complex Sections: If your home sits on a steep slope, has a long/difficult access driveway, or relies on major retaining walls, online calculators will severely underestimate the cost. For complex properties, a professional Quantity Surveyor report is highly recommended.

Alternative Ways to Lower Your Premium First

If your sum insured is accurate but the bill is too high, try these options before stripping away your safety net:

Strategy Financial Impact What to Keep in Mind
Increase the Excess High (Can save 10%–18% annually) Shifts small claims to your own pocket. Ensure you have the cash saved if an emergency happens.
Pay Annually Moderate (Up to 10% discount) Avoids the installment fees tacked onto fortnightly or monthly billing cycles.
Shop Around & Compare Very High (Can save hundreds) Use platforms like Quashed to check competitors. Many NZ insurers have phased out multi-policy discounts, meaning it's often cheaper to split your house, contents, and car across different providers.

To help look at alternative strategies, let me know:

  • What is your current voluntary excess level?

  • Has the property undergone any recent renovations or structural additions?

  • Is your home on a flat section or a hill/slope?

Ask anything

Captured 11 October 2026

Google AI Mode · New Zealand

Our renewal is up sharply. What should we check before cutting the sum insured?

Seeing your insurance renewal spike can be painful, but cutting your sum insured to save money carries a major risk of underinsurance. In New Zealand, the sum insured represents the absolute maximum your insurer will pay to completely rebuild your home from the ground up—including demolition, consents, and rising construction costs.

Before you dial back your coverage, check these critical factors to ensure you aren't leaving yourself exposed:

  • Rebuild Cost vs. Market or Rateable Value: Never base your sum insured on what your house would sell for on the open market, or your local council's Rateable Value (RV/CV). Market value includes the land, which doesn't burn down or blow away. You only need to insure the cost to clear the site and rebuild the physical structure.

  • Current Construction Inflation: Building costs in Aotearoa have risen significantly over recent years due to material and labour shortages. Even if your house hasn't changed, the cost to rebuild it today is likely much higher than it was a few years ago.

  • Professional Rebuild Calculators: Run your property details through an independent, industry-standard tool like the Cordell Sum Sure Calculator (often used by major NZ insurers). If your current sum insured is lower than what the calculator suggests, cutting it further is a high-risk gamble.

  • Demolition, Debris, and Consents: A proper sum insured doesn't just cover timber and concrete. It must factor in professional architectural fees, council consent costs, scaffolding, and the expensive process of tearing down and removing a damaged structure. [AMI Insurance]

  • Special Features and Outbuildings: Standard sum insured figures might omit external structures like retaining walls, large decking, swimming pools, secondary sheds, or fences. Check whether your policy includes these or if they require separate sub-limits.

  • Alternatives to Lowering Cover: If you need to lower the premium without risking underinsurance, ask your insurer about increasing your voluntary excess (the amount you pay out-of-pocket on a claim), or check if you are paying for optional add-ons you don't actually need. [ICIB]

To help figure out the best move, tell me:

  • What kind of percentage increase did you see on this year's renewal?
  • Have you checked your property against a rebuild calculator recently?
Ask anything

Captured 11 October 2026