How to prepare your home for bushfires

By AAMI 25 September 2023

If you're in a bushfire-prone area, you should get your defences ready before summer hits, to keep a potential blaze away. Not sure where to get started? Check out our handy bushfire plan and the top tips we've compiled below.

Update your insurance policy

First things first, check that your home is properly covered in the event of a bushfire. Changes in building standards and the increase in average home rebuild costs means it’s important to regularly review your policy and adjust the amount your home is covered for — also known as the sum insured.

At AAMI, we offer an optional Complete Replacement Cover on our Home & Contents and Home Building Insurance policies to provide your home protection against underinsurance. If your home is affected by an insured event, we’ll offer to repair or rebuild your home as it was or pay you the amount of the assessed quote to repair or rebuild it, without you having to set a sum insured amount. Terms, conditions and exclusions apply, so be sure to read the PDS.

We all want our home and belongings protected against life’s surprises.

But what if there is an insured event and the amount listed on your certificate of insurance isn’t enough to rebuild your home or replace your contents?

This is known as underinsurance.

Underinsurance can happen for many reasons:

If your home or contents are not valued according to their repair, rebuild or replacement costs when purchasing or updating your policy.

If you renovate your home but don’t adjust the building value on your policy – also known as the sum insured.

If you purchase new items, like appliances or furniture, but don’t adjust the value of your contents on your policy.

With the cost of living rising, it may be tempting to have a lower sum insured to save money on your insurance premium.

But if you need to claim, your insurance policy might only cover a portion of the repair, rebuild or replacement costs, leaving you to pay the rest.

When it comes to choosing a set sum insured for your policy, there are a few simple steps you can take to help avoid being underinsured.

Use the AAMI Home Building and Contents calculator to get an estimated rebuild cost for your home and estimated total replacement costs for your contents.

A qualified builder can also provide further help with estimating rebuild costs according to current building standards.

Make a list of your belongings to ensure your contents sum insured is accurate. For particularly valuable items, take a photo, note their value, and save any receipts.

Keep this list up to date by adding any new items you purchase for your home.

No two home insurance policies are the same, which means it’s important to read your policy documents.

Knowing what your policy does and does not cover, and any limits that apply, will help give you confidence that you’re covered if you ever need to claim.

With AAMI, you can also choose our optional Complete Replacement Cover for the home building.

Complete Replacement Cover is our best protection against underinsurance as we’ll repair or rebuild your home as it was or pay you the amount of the assessed quote to repair or rebuild it, without you needing to set a sum insured.

And remember, don’t set and forget. As your life circumstances change, so should your home and contents insurance policy.

Regularly review your policy details to ensure your cover is up to date and meets your needs.

Download the AAMI App or log in online to update your policy.

And for other helpful tips, visit the AAMI Informed site.

Get an AAMI Complete Replacement Cover quote

Keep your yard tidy

In bushfire season, long grass and flammable materials in your yard can be a silent enemy. Keep your lawns short and cut back shrubs or trees hanging over your home.

Keep your yard tidy by removing items like:

debris — such as sticks, leaves and branches
old timber or wooden furniture, and
gas bottles, chemicals and fertiliser.

Clean the gutters, drains and downpipes

Dead leaves and twigs clogging your gutters can pose a serious risk in case of a fire, so be sure to carefully clear your drains, downpipes and gutters. Seek the help of a professional cleaner if you don't feel confident doing it on your own.

Regularly check and update your fire safety equipment

Your smoke alarm and fire extinguisher are your first line of defence. Regularly dust off your smoke alarm and test its battery annually. If your alarm is older than 10 years, it's time for a replacement.

Ensure your fire extinguisher is also ready for action by:

checking for any signs of damage — like corrosions and dents
confirming that the hose and cylinder are securely connected, and
familiarising yourself with its instruction label.

Eliminate gaps around doors, windows and walls

Fit seals around doors and windows and repair gaps in external walls to protect your home against embers from bushfires.

Install metal fly screens

Consider upgrading your plastic fly screens to metal ones for added protection against potential fire threats.

Have the correct size garden hose

Ensure you have a garden hose long enough to reach all corners of your property. Remember to water your garden regularly — dry grass is more susceptible to catching fire.

Prepare an emergency kit

Start building an accessible bushfire emergency kit. You’ll need:

enough drinking water and non-perishable food for three days
a first aid kit
extra clothes and toiletries
a torch with spare batteries
a battery-powered radio, and
important documents.

Store it in an easy-to-reach spot and print your bushfire plan to ensure your kit is up to date.

Print your bushfire plan

Know when to leave

Sometimes, the safest option is to evacuate. Make a plan with your family about when you’ll leave, where you’ll go, and which route will get you there.

Monitor weather alerts

During bushfire season, monitor weather warnings and follow the advice of authorities like the SES and your local CFA.

Remember, no matter how prepared you are, nature can be unpredictable. So rest easy by making sure your home is covered today! And if you’re affected by bushfire season, our straightforward claim process via the AAMI App makes it easy for you to claim.

Explore AAMI Home & Contents Insurance

AAMI has been Principal Community Partner of VICSES for the last twenty years. Through this partnership AAMI has helped equip 150 SES units across the state and provided VICSES with financial and in-kind support to educate the Victorian community about disaster resilience.

AAMI Insurance is issued by AAI Limited ABN 48 005 297 807 trading as AAMI. This advice has been prepared without taking into account your particular objectives, financial situation or needs, so you should consider whether it is appropriate for you before acting on it. Please read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement before you make any decision regarding this product. The Target Market Determination is also available.

The information is intended to be of general nature only. Subject to any rights you may have under any law, we do not accept any legal responsibility for any loss or damage, including loss of business or profits or any other indirect loss, incurred as a result of reliance upon the information. Please make your own enquiries.