Most people file the home insurance email somewhere and forget it. Then a pipe bursts or a laptop goes missing, and the hunt begins at the worst possible moment. This guide is for HDB owners, condo tenants and anyone in between who wants the paperwork sorted before anything goes wrong.
By the end, you will know what arrives when you buy and which records to hold on to. You will also know what a claim typically involves and how to keep it all in one place. This is general information. Each insurer sets its own rules, so your policy wording always has the final say.
Save what arrives when you buy
When you pick a plan on our home insurance comparison, you finish buying on the insurer's own site. The documents then come from the insurer, usually by email. Expect a small bundle rather than one file.
- Policy schedule. The page or two that is specific to you. It shows your address, home type, contents sum insured, period of cover and policy number. You will reach for this most.
- Policy wording. The full terms of the contract. It sets out what is covered, what is excluded and what you must do after a loss.
- Payment receipt. Proof that you paid and when. Useful if anyone ever asks whether cover had started.
- Endorsements. Changes to the standard terms, such as extra cover you chose. Check they match what you selected.
- Your application answers. The details you gave about your home and belongings. Save or screenshot the summary page before you close the browser.
Here's what to check on day one. Is the address right? Does the home type match your HDB flat, condo or landed house? Is the contents figure what you meant to insure? Fixing a typo now takes one email.
Keep proof of what you own
Home insurance covers your belongings against fire, flood, burglary and accidental damage. To claim for something, you generally need to show it existed and what it was worth. Receipts do that well, but they are not the only evidence.
- Receipts and invoices for bigger items. Think TV, laptop, fridge, washing machine, sofa and jewellery. E-receipts count, so search your inbox and save copies.
- Warranty cards and manuals. These show model and serial numbers, which help identify a damaged or stolen item.
- Photos and a short video. Walk through each room with your phone. Open the wardrobes and film the shelves. It takes a few minutes.
- Valuations or certificates for watches, jewellery or art, if you have them.
This inventory does a second job. To estimate your contents value, walk through each room and add up what it would cost to replace things new. Most HDB households fall under S$60,000. If you insure for too little, every claim can be paid less.
Keep each receipt for as long as you own the item. The one for a fridge you sold years ago can go.
Keep proof of your renovation
Renovations and fixtures you paid for can be covered by home insurance. HDB fire insurance does not cover them, because it covers the building structure only. If a fire damages your built-in wardrobes or kitchen cabinets, your renovation records support that part of a claim.
- Contractor quotation and final invoice. Itemised if possible, covering carpentry, flooring, false ceiling and electrical work.
- Payment records. Bank transfers or receipts showing what you actually paid.
- Before and after photos. Handy if the contractor has since closed shop.
- Floor plans or design drawings from your interior designer.
If you rent, your landlord insures the building. Your home insurance covers your own belongings and your liability to others. Keep your tenancy agreement with your policy, since it helps show what came with the flat and what you brought.
If you only have a lump-sum renovation figure, ask your contractor for an itemised invoice now, while they still pick up the phone.
Note when the home is left empty
Losses while the home is left empty for more than 60 days are not covered. That matters for long overseas postings, extended stays with family abroad, or the gap between collecting keys and moving in.
- Travel records. Flight bookings and boarding passes show when you left and when you came back.
- Utility bills. Monthly water and electricity use is a simple record that someone was living there.
- A visit log. If a relative pops in to water the plants, note the dates.
Planning a long trip? Read the section on unoccupied homes in your policy wording before you fly, and ask the insurer if anything is unclear.
Know what a claim usually involves
Each insurer runs its own claims process. The list below is a general picture, not a promise of what any one insurer will ask for. You can find each insurer's claims contact on our Claims page.
- Policy number from your schedule.
- Claim form, completed and signed.
- What happened, with the date, time and cause.
- Photos of the damage, taken before you clean up or throw anything away, where it is safe to do so.
- Proof of ownership and value, such as receipts, invoices and your inventory photos.
- Repair quotations or invoices for damaged items or renovation work.
- A police report for burglary or theft.
- Third-party details for a liability claim. This might be someone hurt in your home, or a neighbour whose ceiling was damaged by water from your flat. Keep their contact details and any letters or bills they send.
- Accommodation receipts if your home cannot be lived in and you stay somewhere else.
Keep every email from the insurer. Note each phone call with the date, who you spoke to and what was agreed. Hold on to all of it until the claim is settled.
Paperwork cannot change what a plan excludes. Wear and tear, gradual deterioration, damage by pets or pests, and business equipment and stock are not covered.
Set up one folder for everything
The filing system matters less than having one. A cloud folder you can open from your phone at a hawker centre works fine.
- One folder per policy year. Name it with the home insurance label and the year the cover starts.
- Four subfolders. Policy, Receipts, Renovation and Claims.
- One printed copy. Put the schedule in the drawer with your HDB or tenancy papers, in case your phone is the thing that went missing.
- Shared access. Give your spouse or another family member the link.
- A renewal reminder. Set it a few weeks before your renewal date to update the inventory and compare home insurance plans again.
What is not worth worrying about
- Receipts for small everyday items. Cutlery, towels and cushions are covered well enough by your room-by-room photos.
- Printing everything. Digital copies are fine for most documents. One printed schedule is plenty.
- A missing receipt. Bank or card statements, photos and even the original box can help show what you owned. Ask the insurer what evidence it accepts.
- Old schedules from quiet years. Archive past years with no claim open. They take up almost no space, so there is little reason to delete them.
The bottom line
The policy schedule, your receipts and your renovation invoices do most of the work at claim time. Spend an evening gathering them into one folder, film each room, and set a renewal reminder. When you are ready to look at plans again, start with our home insurance comparison.