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Your roof and your insurance: Valuable lessons you need to know.

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 08:37:02 GMT

Dear Reader,

What does your roof look like?
When last did you climb up and inspect your roof for cracks, loose tiles etc?

When last did you clear your gutters?

What condition is it in and has it been properly maintained?

Most of us never look at our roof and we wouldn’t be able to answer those questions.

But knowing those answers will give you an advantage if the day ever comes that you need to submit a claim for your roof.

In my experience, roof claims are very difficult, and claims are frequently rejected . Of course, as your broker, I want to help you ensure that your claim is successful should you ever need to claim for your roof. So, in this month’s newsletter, I am going to tell you the three things you need to know about roof-related insurance claims .

1. Proper maintenance is the secret to a successful claim.

Roofing claims are often rejected because the homeowner didn’t maintain the roof properly or at all. In just the past month alone, I’ve had two roof claims rejected for those reasons. One of those two clients has agreed to let me share his story here:
Following a recent storm, the client noticed some minor damage near the top of his roof. His house is less than five years old, so he assumed that the damage on the roof had to have been caused by the storm and lodged a claim for it.
The assessor arrived and inspected the roof. His findings were a shock to the client. The roof, although only a few years old, was in a terrible state, with dozens of cracked or broken tiles, and cracks found throughout the ridgeline cement. The assessor’s conclusion was that the damage that the client had noticed, was a direct result of poor materials used during the construction. The cracked tiles were likely a result of careless builders walking on the roof during its construction. According to the assessor as well as a second opinion the client obtained, both issues could have been resolved had the roof received adequate maintenance since construction.

The lesson here is that proper roof maintenance is critical to a successful claim. Know the state of your roof and attend to any problems before they become major issues.

Note to tenants: The above lesson is important for you, too. Although the roof is your landlord’s responsibility, if the roof is damaged, your belongings will suffer resultant damage. So, it’s in your interests to inspect the roof and inform your landlord should you spot any problems.

2. Regularly inspect all installations on your roof.

What do I mean by that? Well, DSTV dishes, TV antennae, solar geysers, solar panels, skylights, etc.

Anything that is installed on your roof, must be inspected often, including after the installation. Don’t just take the contractor’s word for it that the installation was carried out correctly. Climb up and inspect it yourself, because if you don’t, and the installation is bad, your roof claim is liable to be rejected. If you can’t/won’t inspect it, I recommend finding someone who will do so on your behalf.

This exact issue came up with a recent claim from one of my clients. Water had begun leaking into the client’s house. The source of the leak was eventually traced back to a mounting screw for their solar geyser on their roof. The screw had not been waterproofed correctly by the geyser installer, and water was getting in.

The insurer, unfortunately, rejected the claim on the basis that the installation of the solar geyser had not been carried out correctly.

The lesson here is that had the client inspected the geyser installation, it’s possible that this issue could have been identified and resolved before it became a problem.

3. Relax - Not all roofing claims are rejected.

Roofing claims are difficult and are frequently rejected. But don’t worry, it’s not all bad news when it comes to these kinds of claims. One of my clients recently successfully claimed for a roofing-related loss of an unusual kind. A solar power panel on his roof actually burst. The claim was submitted and the insurer paid out. So remember that if your roof maintenance is sorted, and your loss falls within the insured perils in your policy, you should have very little to worry about when the day comes to claim for your roof.

And finally:

Please also check your gutters regularly and remove any blockages. The ideal time to do this is obviously before the rainy season. It’s particularly important if you have steel gutters, which can rust and develop leaks. Blocked gutters can cause unintended flooding and other waterproofing issues.

Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed this month’s newsletter. If you have any questions about roofing insurance, please feel free to reach out to me. But in the meantime, please continue to keep yourselves and your families safe.

Always keeping a roof over your head,

Stephan Kruis

Know your Policy Season Finale - Stuff You Take Out of the House

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 08:23:53 GMT

Dear Reader,

I know that it’s a hard pill to swallow, but the sad news is that my epic three-part series is coming to an end this month. But don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of exciting content lined up after this one!

Today it’s the season finale and it’s a subject that is probably one of the least understood amongst policyholders. No, I’m not talking about annual cost increases (sorry).

But if you guessed ‘All Risk Items’, well then you’d be surprisingly correct. Today that’s what we’re covering. Otherwise known as ‘Portable Possessions’ or, as I like to call them, ‘ Stuff you take out of the house ’.

Stuff you take out of the house is exactly what it sounds like - it’s any possessions that you leave the house with and which therefore isn’t covered by your household contents policy section. These possessions are insured under a section of your policy called ‘All Risk’ or ‘Portable Possessions’ .

Statistically, we are all likely to have to claim against this part of our policy at some point. And yet, it’s one of the policy sections that clients least understand . Let’s change that.

What are some examples of insurable stuff that you take out of the house?

Cellphones (mobile phones)

Laptops (mobile computers)

Prescription glasses or expensive sunglasses

Jewellery

Expensive clothing, shoes, handbags etc.

Wearable tech like smartwatches, heart rate monitors etc.

Your bicycle

Expensive training gear and equipment

Any item that you would normally wear on you or carry with you is covered under a section called ‘Unspecified All Risk’ or ‘General & Clothing’. You would have a round amount as the insured amount. That means that the total value of your claim / the total value of the stuff that has been stolen, can’t be more than for example R10,000. But all policies have an item limit as well.

What does that mean?

That means that there is a limit to the amount that your insurer will pay on any one item insured under this part of your policy. For example, on the Discovery Essential Plan, one item can’t be more than R1,500. It differs from policy to policy, so make sure you check what your policy states.

The good news is that this kind of insurance is also applicable to your luggage case when you travel . For example, you get on a plane and when you arrive at your destination, you find that your bag has been stolen . Since most of us wouldn’t necessarily have taken out travel insurance, you can now claim for your bag via unspecified all risk on your policy. As always, make sure that you’re aware of what the item limit on your policy is.

We’re reaching the end of this newsletter, but before we finish, I want to deal with three specific items you might be wearing and what you need to know about insuring them:

Smartwatches

Jewellery

Bicycles

Smartwatches are not watches. For insurance purposes, they are a ‘mobile communication device’ like a phone. Please check your policy and make sure that if you’re wearing a smartwatch, that you specify it correctly on your policy.

Expensive Jewellery must be specified , and it will need to have a valuation certificate that is updated annually if the value is more than R 20,000. Expensive watches (R2,000+) fall into this category as well.

Bicycles are typically referred to in insurance as pedal cycles (this is because e-bikes are insured differently). If you specify your bicycle, always remember that accessories for your bike (for example, your expensive Thule bike rack or your fancy helmet) need to be specified separately since they are not automatically included with your bike’s insurance. This point is especially important because, in the event of a car accident that destroys your bike rack, it will not be automatically replaced unless you have specified it.

What are some other All Risk Items that can be insured?

These three item types can be insured under All Risk but need to be specified:

Firearms

Stamp collections

Contents of Bank Safe Deposit Boxes

Conclusion

In this newsletter, we’ve had a quick look at All Risk items and what that means. We’ve seen what sorts of items can be insured under this category and what you need to know about how to insure them. We’ve also looked at some specific items that need to be specified in order to have proper coverage. If you have any questions, please get in touch with my office immediately.

Always looking after your stuff,

Stephan Kruis

Know Your Policy Part 2: Household contents

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 08:26:34 GMT

Dear Reader,

This month, we continue my riveting series that I began last month. In that newsletter, we looked at all the things you need to know about your vehicle insurance. This month, it’s Episode 2: Know your household contents policy

In other words, we’re discussing your stuff, and the insurance that you’ve taken out (or perhaps haven’t taken out yet!) to protect it.

Household contents cover insures your belongings against various listed dangers (or ‘perils’ as your policy may refer to them). Specific listed perils will vary from policy to policy but generally you can expect your household contents policy to cover your belongings against fire, floods and theft. Additional perils may or may not be covered depending on your policy and on the cover you chose.

But as with most things in life, the ‘devil is in the details’ and you really need to know your policy in order to benefit from its cover.

Before I continue, remember that my team and I haven’t been inside your house and we haven’t seen your possessions, so it’s your responsibility to make sure you check your policy and make sure that it covers your stuff adequately. In particular, please study your policy wording in detail as this is what the insurer is going to use when adjudicating a claim. The policy wording will inform you of what is covered, but more importantly, it will inform you of what is NOT covered - or what is excluded - from your policy.

And now, to help you ensure that any future claim of yours is successful, here are three things you need to know about your household contents cover:

1. Know what perils are and which aren’t covered by your policy.

Perils are, to use another word, ‘dangers’ or ‘threats’. The listed perils mentioned in your policy, are the specific threats against which your insurer has agreed to cover your belongings.

It is really important that you understand exactly which threats your insurer has listed on your policy. If you suffer a loss and it is as a result of a threat that is not listed in your policy, your claim is unlikely to be approved. A very good example is “Mechanical Breakdown” of appliances and electronic devices. Very few policies cover this nowadays as this refers to items that break down due to being old or due to wear and tear. Wear and tear is a condition that is specifically excluded from cover on most policies nowadays.

2. Value your contents correctly and insure them adequately.

When you take out household contents cover, you need to supply me/your insurer with a value for all of the goods you are insuring.

It’s critical that the value you provide is not less than the actual value of the goods you’re insuring.

At the time of a claim, insurers will apply the “Average” principle if the assessor determines that you are under-insured. This means that your claim will be settled as a percentage of the value that you were under-insured for. For example, if your contents are insured for R 50,000 but should be insured for R 100,000 then you will only be paid out 50% of the claim.

On the other hand, we also don’t want you to pay unnecessarily high premiums. So this issue is all about figuring out as precisely as you can, what the actual replacement value of all your insured goods is, and taking out cover for that amount. If you need assistance with this process, or if you’d like to adjust the value of your cover, please contact my office and we’ll be glad to help.

3. Know your policy’s requirements and make sure you’re complying with them.

Do you have a lot of jewellery or even just high-value jewellery? If so, those need to be locked inside a safe when not in use. They can’t just be left lying around. If so, and they’re stolen/lost, you may not be covered. Study your policy wording or policy document if you are unsure about that.

Do you live adjacent to an open field? Do you comply with the minimum-security requirements? Your policy may include ‘endorsements’. These are basically requirements for your policy, for example that you have burglar bars or a monitored alarm system with a response service. If you don’t have a linked alarm but your policy required it, or if your alarm isn’t working or wasn’t armed, your claim is likely to be rejected.

Do you have high-value outdoor furniture? Certain policies state that you need to take out additional cover for “Goods in the Open”. So, if that expensive Weber gas braai gets stolen, then you may not be covered if you didn’t have that additional cover. Once again, the lesson here is to check your policy document and policy wording.

Do you need household contents cover?

I can offer you competitive quotes from various insurers and I’ll give you the best possible advice on which is the right fit for you. If you’d like to know more, please get in touch with me as soon as possible. I’d love to hear from you!

Conclusion

I want my clients to be the best-educated policyholders out there. I hope today’s newsletter has given you some insight into your household contents cover. If you have any questions or need any assistance with getting your household contents properly insured, please get in touch.

Always covering your contents.

Stephan Kruis

Know your policy – Part 1 – Vehicle Insurance

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 08:33:47 GMT

This month, I’m introducing our very own series.

Critics say it is a sleeper hit. Some say Netflix is concerned.

And now, with the series you’ve all been waiting for, I proudly introduce: Know Your Policy , and today is Episode 1: Know your Vehicle Insurance

As you know from my previous newsletters, my priority is to make sure that you aren’t left disappointed by the outcome of your next insurance claim. But I need your help to ensure that your policy reflects your insured assets correctly.

KNOW YOUR VEHICLE POLICY

When you insure your vehicle with us, remember that in most cases we haven’t actually inspected or even seen your car at all, so please don’t assume that your policy has all of your car’s details and features listed correctly .

With that in mind, here are three things you need to know about your vehicle insurance policy so that you don’t have any bad experiences with your next claim.

1. Is your vehicle information on your policy correct?

Open your policy urgently and check:

Is your car’s VIN and engine numbers correct?
Is your car’s registration number correct?
Is the correct person listed as the primary driver? Most insurance companies nowadays have an open driver policy which means that any person with a valid driver’s license can drive your vehicle. However, some insurance companies may have an additional excess payable if the driver was anyone other than the primary driver and his/her spouse.

If you pick up any mistakes on your policy, please urgently contact my office to make the necessary changes to your policy.

2. Are all of your accessories listed?

My team isn’t familiar with every option that is available for every car on the market. So, to avoid problems with your claim, you need to be as specific about your car’s accessories as possible.

Does your car include?

A non-standard radio/cd player?
‘Mag’ style wheels and tyres?
Aftermarket audio equipment such as amplifiers and subwoofers?
A canopy, tow bar or roof racks?
Window tints and/or smash & grab film?
A bulbar or roll bar?
A tracking unit?

All of these items need to be specified on your policy because any non-specified accessories will not be paid out in the event of a claim.

If you have any doubts or questions about whether an item/items must be specified as vehicle accessories, then please contact your vehicle’s closest dealership and enquire from them. For example, you may have purchased an older model BMW that has all the bells and whistles, but the vehicle didn’t come out standard with all that. The best way to find out is from the dealership.

3. Tracking and anti-theft measures

Are you supposed to have a tracking unit in your car? What does your policy say?

Insurers routinely require certain vehicles, particularly higher-value luxury vehicles or high-risk vehicles, to be fitted with a tracking device that is linked to an active monitoring service. Vehicles that require a tracking device will not have theft or hi-jack cover if the device was not installed and in working condition.

Insurance companies will normally supply you with a list of approved tracking devices. If you are not certain, then please contact us and we’ll clarify. The fitment of tracking devices is of such importance that one can’t take any chances.

Conclusion

Today, we’ve looked at all the reasons why it is critical that you understand what’s in your vehicle insurance policy and that it correctly reflects your vehicle’s details and accessories. We’ve asked you to make sure that all of your vehicle’s basic info is there, that all of your accessories are listed, and also that you understand whether or not your vehicle requires a tracking unit and all that that entails.

Remember that it is your responsibility to ensure that your policy is correct . Please don’t just assume that everything is as it should be because that is a recipe for potential disappointment later on down the road when you need to claim.

See you next month for the hotly anticipated next Episode 2: Building Cover and Household Contents.

Always in your corner,

Stephan Kruis

Don’t let your next policy renewal surprise you

Wed, 21 May 2025 08:08:10 GMT

Dear Reader,

Life is unpredictable, but there are a few things that we can be sure of:

Taxes
Government corruption and scandals
Annual insurance policy renewals

Sadly, I can’t do anything about the first two, but today we’re talking about one that I can assist with: Your annual policy renewal and premium update. I’m going to explain what renewals are and how they work, and I’ll give you some top renewal tips hot enough to warm up even the coldest wintery June day.

Why do insurers carry out annual renewals?

As you know, every year, your insurer renews your insurance policy. Why is this necessary? Well, they need to regularly review the risk (you/your home/your stuff) that they’re underwriting and to ensure that the monthly premium you pay them, accurately reflects your insurable risk to them. Your insurer knows that very few people’s lives remain completely static from one year to the next, so your annual renewal is the process of accounting for the difference in how your life and your assets looked last year this time, versus now.

Life happens and it’s your responsibility to keep your insurance updated.

This sounds like a lot of responsibility, and that’s because it is.

During the year, lots of things can happen. Perhaps you start a family and need to buy furniture and appliances to support the arrival of your new additions. Or maybe you pimp out your car with some expensive new accessories. A birthday rolls around and you’re given a fancy new smartwatch, or you get a nice tax refund and splurge it on renovating your kitchen. All of these things represent potential risks that your insurer needs to be informed of and needs to account for, to ensure that your policy and your monthly premium, provides sufficient cover for all of your stuff. The renewal period allows us to adjust for these additions.

So, when your annual renewal time rolls around, it is vital that you carefully read through your policy to ensure that all of your possessions and assets are listed and adequately covered. It is your responsibility to inform me if you want to add, remove or change any items on your policy schedule. If you don’t do so, and you suffer a loss to an item that isn’t included in your schedule, you will bear the financial burden of that. So, it is really in your best interests to take this seriously.

How is your premium increase calculated?

The exact process for this differs slightly from one insurer to another. Some of the factors that may be considered include:

Your payment history
Your driving habits (if you’re a Discovery Insure client with a Vitality Drive unit)
The value of your asset/s, your house contents, your vehicles and their accessories, and the value of your specified items as well as anything else on your policy.
The risk of your vehicles. For example, the availability of parts, the risk of theft of your particular vehicles, and any other relevant factors.
Your claims history. Big claims might increase your risk profile = higher premiums.

My tips for managing your annual renewal premium:

Go through your policy carefully and check that everything listed there, is still accurate.
If you’ve sold or otherwise disposed of, furniture or assets and didn’t replace them, let me know so that they can be removed from your policy.
If you’ve moved home, you should’ve immediately informed your insurer but if you didn’t, now is the time to do it. Your new home may have a lower risk profile than your previous one and if so, you may enjoy a lower premium. Be aware that the opposite may also prove to be true.
If you’re a Discovery Insure client, make sure that you fit a Vitality Drive sensor to your car. Fitment is free and quick at Tiger Wheel & Tyre and other selected locations countrywide. Here’s why you should:

Discovery’s risk assessments are data-driven, and the data from your Vitality Drive sensor plays a large role in how they calculate your risk for your vehicle insurance.
If you’re a safe and reasonable driver, Discovery will take that data into account which may decrease your vehicle insurance premium.
The longer you’re connected to Vitality Drive, the better your chances of ranking up in the Vitality points system. Even if you’re at Blue level, your increase is likely to be less than a client without a sensor.
If you don’t have a sensor, Discovery doesn’t know your driving habits and will automatically regard you as being higher risk and your premium is likely to reflect that, with higher increases than if you had had a sensor.

Next time your policy comes up for renewal, I hope you keep all of this info handy and hopefully, you won’t be in for any nasty surprises! And as always, contact me if you have any questions!

Always renewing your policy knowledge,

Stephan Kruis