AXA SmartHome Home Insurance (Review): Top-level Benefits For High-value Homes

Home insurance plan that provides top-level protection suited to high-value properties.  

With maximum coverage of up to S$3 million, AXA SmartHome Home Insurance is designed to offer protection for owners of high-value properties, or renters with expensive personal belongings.

While you definitely would want to insure your multi-million dollar landed property filled with all manner of gorgeous and pricey stuff (and also, beloved condos or HDBs units that you've lavished a fortune upon), the question is how much should you pay in premiums?

AXA SmartHome Home Insurance does not come cheap, and not only because of its high coverage value. The plan - whether the Essential or Comprehensive variant - is extensive, offering coverage across a wide range of home and household issues that homeowners may encounter. And of course, the wider the coverage, the more expensive your premiums become.

But don’t let that scare you off. 

There’s a promotion right now that offers a whopping 40% discount for new policies, which makes the plan that much more attractive. 

Additionally, there’s a 10% no-claim discount from the fourth year onwards that helps keep the plan affordable.

But even then, is the plan worth it? 

Let’s take a closer look at AXA SmartHome Home Insurance.

Pros and cons of AXA SmartHome Home Insurance

Key features of AXA SmartHome Home Insurance

#1: Caters to expensive properties

AXA SmartHome Home Insurance is one of the rare few plans that offer coverage reaching in the millions, which means it could be one of the few viable options for individuals seeking to insure expensive properties. (The only other being bespoke insurance plans offered in private banking.)

After all, nobody in their right minds would slap a S$100,000 home insurance plan on a S$2 million bungalow and call it a day.

The plan’s policy also requires that you choose a protection level that is equivalent to the full cost of reinstatement of your property, so there’s that. 

However, take note that while the maximum coverage under this plan is S$3 million, that limit applies only for the building. For fittings, furnishing and renovations,

However, take note that while the maximum coverage under this plan is S$3 million, that limit applies only for the building. For fittings, furnishing and renovations, the highest sum assured is S$500,000. 

#2: Separate claims and sum insured for contents

Claims for home contents are treated as a separate category, which should prove useful when trying to replace lost or damaged belongings. 

For further flexibility, you can also choose a different sum insured for home contents and for building, fittings and renovations. 

#3: Extensive coverage for most home and household issues

AXA SmartHome Home Insurance offers extensive cover, which should be sufficient for most common household and home issues. 

These range from the usual items like damage to home and contents, to more contemporary needs such as home quarantine benefits. The plan also comes with personal liability cover with a generous limit, as well as cover for situations arising from actions by your household members or domestic helpers. 

#4 No-claims discount from Year 4 onwards

We hardly ever see insurers offering no claims discounts for home insurance plans, so it’s refreshing to see that AXA offers one. 

Although the discount is a modest 10%, and kicks in only after 3 consecutive claim-free years, it still presents savings for those sticking with the plan. 

#5 Offers 'all risks' coverage

AXA SmartHome comes in two variants, Essential and Comprehensive. 

The difference between the two is that Essential only covers you against the risks specified in your policy. Meanwhile, Comprehensive covers you for all risks, even if they aren’t specified in your policy (apart from incidents, acts or events that are specifically spelled out as excluded).

Hence, the Comprehensive variant is ideal for homeowners who want to be covered against the widest range of possible scenarios that could result in loss or damage. 

Important exclusions to note

To guard against wilful claims and to allow it to function as intended, all insurance policies contain exclusions.

We have highlighted some of the key exclusions for AXA SmartHome Home Insurance, under which any claims will be rejected. For a full list of exclusions, be sure to refer to the policy documents.

• Failure to take due care and precaution to safeguard property or belongings
• Any loss or damage whilst your building is undergoing construction, renovation or repair
• Wear and tear, gradual deterioration, rot, fungus, atmospheric conditions and vermin
• Defective design, faulty workmanship or manufacturing faults
• If HDB town council or management corporation strata title (MCST) is responsible for replacing or repairing the damage
• Illegal or wilful acts or failure to act by you, your family or anyone legally allowed in the Building

Who is AXA SmartHome Home Insurance best for?

As we noted earlier, AXA SmartHome Home Insurance doesn't come cheap. 

In exchange for the high premiums, you get an extensive plan that should cover most, if not all, common home and household hazards, ranging from catastrophic events like fire and flooding, to theft and robbery, as well as accidental damage and injury.

Additionally, this plan offers among one of the highest sums insured for residential properties, maxing out at S$3 million. 

These features make this plan best suited for homeowners seeking a comprehensive insurance plan for high-value homes, who consider the relatively expensive premiums as an investment rather than a cost. 

Plan tiers, premiums and latest promotions

Below, we’ve summarised AXA SmartHome Home Insurance plan tiers for a quick and easy reference. The full details are available here. 

This plan is designed for homeowners, landlords and tenants, offering corresponding benefits towards liability and loss of rent for the latter two classes of policyholders. 

Do note there are two tiers available - Essential (Insured Perils) and Comprehensive (All Risks). The latter tier offers a greater degree of coverage by insuring against a wider range of risks; however, the items covered in both tiers are similar. 

Before signing up, it is best to contact a qualified AXA representative to determine which tier will best suit your needs.  

How much does AXA SmartHome Home Insurance cost?

As an owner and occupier seeking building coverage of S$100,000 and home contents coverage of S$45,000 for one year, the premium is as follows:

• Essential (Insured Perils): S$106.43 (with 8% GST)

Visit the website to generate your own quotes according to your preferred protection levels. 

What promotions are there for AXA SmartHome Home Insurance?

If you’re going to sign up for a plan, don’t miss the following promotions. Do note that relevant terms and conditions will apply:

How to claim 

Should you need to make a claim under your policy, you may do so via AXA’s website. There are several channels available, ranging from an online form, to manual submission, telephone calls and email. 

You may contact AXA via:

• Email: customer.care@axa.com.sg
• Customer Service: 1800 880 4888

Protected up to specified limits by SDIC.

Note: This is only product information provided. You may wish to seek advice from a qualified adviser before buying the product. If you choose not to seek advice from a qualified adviser, you should consider whether the product is suitable for you. Buying an insurance product that is not suitable for you may impact your ability to finance your future healthcare needs.

If you decide that the policy is not suitable after purchasing the policy, you may terminate the policy in accordance with the free-look provision, if any, and the insurer may recover from you any expense incurred by the insurer in underwriting the policy.

Read these next:
Singlife Home Insurance (Review): Basic Home Protection That’s Easy on the Wallet
FWD Home Insurance (Review): Comprehensive Cover At Low Premiums
Home Insurance Promotions And Discounts To Protect Your Home
Home Insurance: Why Is It Important And How Do You Compare The Best Plans?
5 Pieces Of Home Content You Can Claim Under Your Home Insurance (But Didn’t Know You Could)