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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

Give me a shortlist of house insurers for a typical NZ family without assuming my bank is best.

For a typical New Zealand family, I’d compare at least four or five house insurers rather than automatically choosing the insurer offered by your mortgage bank. The best option depends on your home’s location, construction, replacement cost, excess and how much cover you want for events such as storms, flooding and earthquakes.

I’d start with a mix of established insurers and a specialist comparison option, then compare the actual policy wording—not just the annual premium.

My NZ house-insurance shortlist

Six options worth quoting for an owner-occupied family home

  1. AA Insurance

A good all-rounder to include in your comparison. Offers home-only and combined home-and-contents policies, with a combined-policy excess benefit when multiple policies are claimed against for one event. NZ Home and Contents Insurance Online Quotes

Best for: a straightforward family policy and bundling options.

Get a quote

  1. AMI

An established mainstream insurer worth benchmarking against AA and Tower. Compare its available cover, excesses and premium for your specific property rather than assuming the policies are interchangeable.

Best for: a mainstream alternative to compare on price and cover.

Visit AMI

  1. State Insurance

Its comprehensive house policy lists natural-hazard damage, hidden gradual damage from internal plumbing leaks up to $3,000 a year, and temporary accommodation up to $30,000. Check the conditions and limits in the policy wording. House Insurance NZ | Get a Quote

Best for: comparing defined benefits and additional cover.

Get a quote

  1. Tower Insurance

Offers three house-cover levels, from Standard to Premium. The listed benefits vary by tier, including hidden gradual water damage and temporary accommodation. Its risk-based pricing also makes it worth checking against other quotes for your address. Compare House Insurance NZ - Quote & Buy Online

Best for: comparing different cover levels and price points.

Get a quote

  1. Initio

An online-first property insurer worth adding to your comparison, particularly if you prefer obtaining and managing cover online. Check the specific policy limits and eligibility for your home.

Best for: another pricing option outside the traditional bank route.

Visit Initio

  1. MAS

Worth an additional quote if you want to compare a different provider and its approach to rebuilding cover. Check eligibility, as well as whether its available policy suits your circumstances. MoneyHub also includes MAS in its house-insurance comparison guidance. Best Home Insurance NZ 2026: Compare Quotes & Save

Best for: broadening the comparison beyond the largest familiar brands.

Visit MAS

How I would choose between them

Don't rank these insurers by brand reputation alone. I'd request the same cover specification from each and compare the following.

What to compare What matters for a family
Rebuild cover A realistic rebuild sum insured, including demolition, professional fees, debris removal and GST
Natural hazards How earthquake, flood, storm and landslip damage are treated, including exclusions and excesses
Hidden leaks Limits and conditions for gradual water damage from internal plumbing
Temporary accommodation The dollar limit and how long your family can be accommodated
Excess Both the standard excess and any separate natural-hazard excess
Claims and repairs Repair versus rebuild terms, claim support and any restrictions on contractors
Total annual cost Premium, levies, fees and any discount that may expire

A useful independent starting point is Consumer NZ's house and contents insurance comparison, updated in February 2026. MoneyHub also publishes a house-insurance comparison with sample quotes from multiple providers. Its figures are useful illustrations, not reliable predictions of what your own home will cost to insure. Best house and contents insuranceBest Home Insurance NZ 2026: Compare Quotes & Save

My practical recommendation

Start with AA, AMI, State and Tower. Add Initio and MAS to widen the comparison. If your bank offers a quote, include it as another competitor—not as the default winner.

One important point: in New Zealand, the cost and availability of cover can vary substantially by property location and natural-hazard exposure, so the cheapest quote for one house may not be the cheapest for another.

One question to narrow this down: Is the house you want to insure a home you own and live in, and is it a fairly standard standalone house rather than an apartment or rental property?

Ask anything

ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.

Captured 11 October 2026

Gemini · New Zealand

Give me a shortlist of house insurers for a typical NZ family without assuming my bank is best.

When shopping for house insurance in New Zealand as a typical family, it is helpful to look beyond major bank-aligned offerings and compare specialized or independent direct-to-consumer insurers. In New Zealand, policies generally fall under either Sum Insured models (where you choose a maximum cap) or Area Replacement models (which cover actual rebuilding costs regardless of inflation spikes).

A shortlist of notable providers to consider includes:

  • Tower Insurance – Known for competitive sum insured pricing, flexible tiers of cover (Standard, Plus, and Premium), and risk-based pricing that accounts for specific natural hazard exposures.
  • Initio – A popular independent online insurer providing fast, transparent digital quotes and flexible options well-suited for straightforward policy management without bank bundling.
  • MAS (Medical Assurance Society) – Highly regarded for offering full area replacement cover, which protects against sudden spikes in construction costs or heritage material requirements (note: membership criteria or eligibility rules may apply).
  • AA Insurance – Consistently rated high for customer trust, offering comprehensive benefits including temporary accommodation, hidden water damage contributions, and practical member discounts.

Key Comparison Considerations

Insurer Cover Type Notable Features
Tower Sum Insured Tiered protection levels, online calculators, and digital policy management.
Initio Sum Insured Streamlined digital quoting platform with customizable excess options.
MAS Area Replacement Unlimited rebuild protection covering construction inflation and unexpected spikes.
AA Insurance Replacement Cover / Sum Insured Strong local call-centre support, multi-policy savings, and built-in temporary accommodation caps.

Next Steps

If you like, I can guide you through calculating an accurate sum insured rebuild estimate using standardized cordell guidelines for a typical family home size in New Zealand. Do you want me to do that?

Ask Gemini

Gemini is AI and can make mistakes.

Captured 11 October 2026

AI Overviews · New Zealand

Give me a shortlist of house insurers for a typical NZ family without assuming my bank is best.

AI Overview

The best house insurance providers in New Zealand for an independent, family-focused policy generally fall into three distinct categories: specialist mutuals (highly rated for customer satisfaction), major retail brands (trusted market leaders), and digital-first challengers (often providing the best data-driven or cheap pricing).

While mainstream banks dominate the market, choosing a direct or independent insurer often provides better coverage flexibility, dedicated customer service, and bundle discounts.

The Top Independent House Insurers in NZ

Insurer Category Provider Key Strength & Unique Feature
Top Consumer Choice MAS (Mutual Associations Support) Area Replacement Coverage: Consistently wins Consumer People's Choice. Unlike others, they offer true area replacement (rebuilding based on your home's square meter size regardless of building inflation spikes).
FMG (Farmers Mutual Group) Rural & Lifestyle Experts: Excellent for families with lifestyle blocks, larger properties, or outbuildings. They share top-tier customer satisfaction honors with MAS.
Major Retail Brands Tower Insurance Risk-Based Tech & Value: Named Canstar’s Home & Contents Insurer of the Year. Uses precise address-level data to price premiums and features an automatic 20% extra safety cushion for fire total loss.
AMI Insurance Unlimited Fire Rebuilds: Part of IAG (NZ's largest insurance group). They offer a massive network of dedicated repair hubs (AMI HomeHub) and an unlimited total rebuild cap specifically for fire damage.
AA Insurance Strong Multi-Policy Discounts: Highly trusted brand with massive member perks if you already have AA roadside assistance or car policies.
Digital Challengers Initio Fast Online Convenience: Underwritten by IAG, they process everything entirely online and utilize rapid address-based risk reporting, frequently tracking as one of the most competitively priced options for standard homes.

Crucial Things to Watch For

  • Sum Insured vs. Area Replacement: Most insurers use Sum Insured (you choose a hard maximum dollar cap to rebuild your home). Underestimating this leaves a massive gap if disaster strikes. Only MAS widely offers Area Replacement to fully hedge against building cost inflation.

  • Location Pricing: Where you live heavily affects the price. If your home is in Wellington or seismic/flood-prone coastal areas, insurers like Tower will quote higher based on strict risk analytics, whereas others might average out the risk.

  • The "Loyalty Tax": Insurers routinely give the sharpest rates to brand-new sign-ups. Avoid letting a family policy auto-renew without shopping around.

To help me point you toward the right provider, what region is the property in, and are you looking to bundle your contents or cars together for a discount?

Ask anything

Captured 11 October 2026