Does insurance cover outdoor living spaces?

Your outdoor space can be just as important as the inside of your home. However, the specifics of what items are covered by which insurance policy can get confusing – even though the same policy conditions apply to your house itself and the things inside it.

Explore GIO Home and Contents Insurance

What’s covered by GIO Home Insurance in your outdoor living space?

Permanently fixed structures are included in a GIO Home Building Insurance policy, which means that there is cover for built-in barbeques, plus things like verandahs, decks and balconies.

If you have a separate structure on the insured property, like a granny flat, garden shed or any permanent building, it will also be covered. Just consider making sure that your sum insured is enough to cover everything you need.

Unfixed items, like a portable BBQ, aren’t included in a GIO Home Building policy, but they are covered by a GIO Contents Insurance policy. That goes for deck furniture as well, and other items that aren’t part of the permanent structure of the home.

Just because an area is outside, doesn’t mean that there are separate limitations when it comes to insurance. Of course, wear and tear damage still isn’t covered, like if something rusts or any wood rots, but the sudden loss or damage caused by an insured event that GIO policies are designed for will still be covered.

What isn’t covered by your GIO Home Insurance in your outdoor living space?

While permanent structures are covered, temporary structures like caravans are not included under a GIO Home and Contents Insurance policy, nor are their extensions.

This means that any structural attachments to the caravan, like an annexe, are also not included under a GIO Home and Contents Insurance policy. They instead are eligible for their own Caravan Insurance and optional annexe cover. Be sure to check the relevant PDS for more, including terms and conditions.

Some outdoor spaces may also include plants, hedges and garden beds. These aren’t covered by a Classic level GIO Home Building policy but are included in our other levels of cover. For these, we’ll pay up to $1,000 with Classic Extras or $2,000 with Platinum level cover, each in regard to a single incident. It’s important to note that a replacement plant or tree may not be the same maturity as the original. Check the PDS for more details.

Are you covered when renovating your outdoor living space?

If you’re thinking about renovating your hosting space before summer, plan ahead. Renovating may cause some complications depending on where and what they affect.

You need to inform GIO of your plans to renovate as soon as possible. If you don’t and a claim needs to be made, that claim may be lessened or rejected.

Generally, the area under renovation is not covered. So, as an example, if you were renovating the main house and had a wall open to the elements as you rebuilt an old deck, any damage caused by a storm to the house through the open wall or deck being rebuilt is not covered. Check the PDS for further exclusions.

Damage to other parts of the house, like if a tree falls on the roof, is still covered so long as the damage wasn’t caused as a result of the renovations. Damage that is caused by renovations won’t be covered by your GIO Home Insurance policy, but may be covered by Tradie’s Insurance if you enlisted a contractor’s help.

Need to make a claim?

Making a claim with GIO is easy. You can quickly lodge a claim online or through the GIO App, and one of our consultants will get in touch to help you through the process.

Make a claim today

Read more:

• Home insurance claims: Repair or replace?
• Can home insurance help with repairs?
• What does GIO Home and Contents Insurance cover?

Insurance issued by AAI Limited ABN 48 005 297 807 trading as GIO. Read the Product Disclosure Statement before buying this insurance. The Target Market Determination is also available.

This advice has been prepared without taking into account your particular objectives, financial situations or needs, so you should consider whether it is appropriate for you before acting on it.