House insurance protects you financially when the unexpected happens to your home, like a fire, flood, or sudden water damage. Without it, you’d need to pay the full cost of repairs or rebuilding yourself, which can be extremely expensive. Most New Zealand homes… Learn more
How do I get a quote with initio? Getting a house insurance quote with initio is quick and simple. Just pop your property address into our quick quote tool and we’ll do the heavy lifting for… Learn more
In most cases, before your loan is approved, and definitely before settlement day. When you’re buying your first home, insurance can feel like just another admin task. But it’s one of the most time-sensitive steps in the process. Most banks won’t release funds for… Learn more
If you’ve never heard of an alluvial fan, you’re not alone. But if you’re a property owner in areas like Otago-especially around Queenstown, Wānaka, or the hills outside Dunedin – it’s worth understanding what they are, and why they matter when it comes to risk and insurance. So, what exactly… Learn more
Is it only used as extra space for your household? If you have two dwellings on your property and the second one is used only by you or your family—without being rented out—it’s important to have the right insurance to cover both spaces. Learn more
If you have two dwellings/units on your property and the second one is permanently occupied by a family member or friend who lives separately to you, it’s important to have the right insurance in place to cover both homes properly. What counts as permanent family use?… Learn more
What is it and when do you need it? House & Contents insurance in New Zealand is designed to protect homeowners from various financial risks, including damage to the home itself, personal belongings, and unexpected liability claims. While most people focus on cover for fire, theft, and… Learn more
When you purchase your first house or vehicle policy with initio, you will create an account as part of that process, giving you access to online management of your policies. At initio we refer to the area where you manage your covers as your ‘dashboard’. Initio’s… Learn more
Running a business from home has become increasingly common, but knowing when your home insurance is enough – and when you need to look at commercial insurance – can be tricky. Here’s what you need to know. Initio’s home products cover your residential home and any domestic… Learn more
Recreational Features Recreational Features are defined as any tennis court or permanently fixed swimming pool or permanently fixed spa pool including its ancillary equipment and pump(s). Recreational features are automatically covered by the policy, but are limited to a combined limit of $45,000 for all recreational features. We can increase… Learn more
Understanding your cover with initio when you own a lifestyle block or a rural property Owning a lifestyle block in New Zealand offers the best of both worlds – the comfort of a home and the freedom of rural living. Knowing your insurance policy well is key to ensuring you’ve… Learn more
Flood risk is becoming an increasingly significant issue for property owners in New Zealand due to the growing frequency and severity of weather events. This risk often translates into financial hardship due to the damage caused and the potential for increased insurance premiums. Certain areas, like Edgecumbe and… Learn more
Picking the right insurance excess can be tricky. Excess is the money you pay when something goes wrong, like a broken window or water leak. Let’s make it simple. High or low excess? If you pick a high excess, you pay less money every year… Learn more
Buying a home or property is a large part of the classic Kiwi lifestyle, and it tends to be the biggest investment most Kiwis will make in their lifetimes. When it comes to arranging house or landlord insurance, New Zealander’s want peace of mind for their asset – and so… Learn more
What Information is important to initio There are 2 main categories of information: Information relating to you, e.g. your insurance history, any claims made, any criminal convictions you have, if you have been bankrupt; and Information relating to your property e.g. if you have tenants in your house, if you… Learn more
For many people, insurance is the ultimate grudge spend. Along with council rates it typically represents one of the most significant expenses associated with home ownership. Because of the intangible nature of insurance, and its status as everyone’s most hated expense, the insurance industry often gets a bad reputation… Learn more
Insurance made simple when you change homes Congratulations! You’ve found your new dream home and the day has come for the big move to your new property. But what if something falls off the back of the truck during the move? Does your… Learn more
The Natural Hazards Commission (NHC) was previously known as the Earthquake Commission (EQC). It changed in July 2024. NHC cover is a type of government-provided insurance that helps with the cost of repairing or replacing residential homes that are damaged by: Earthquake Tsunami … Learn more
Hosting short-term guests introduces unique risks. Most insurance companies are cautious about rented holiday homes so before letting out your home or listing your property on platforms like Airbnb or Bachcare, it’s important that you confirm your policy covers holiday bookings. Effects on insurance costs If you… Learn more
Does Initio Insurance provide cover for damage caused by pets? Yes, your policy provides cover for sudden and accidental damage caused by pets. Key considerations for pet damage claims: Sudden and accidental event: The damage must result from a specific, unexpected incident. For example, if your tenant’s dog was… Learn more
There can be unfortunate scenarios where you may have to pay your excess more than once when you make a single house insurance claim. We try to make insurance transparent for everyone, but there are insurance conventions that we have to work with. Applying an excess per incident can… Learn more
If you have insurance on your house, you most likely have cover for fires. Unlike some countries, New Zealand house insurance policies automatically cover fires. However, just to be sure you should check your policy wording to see if fire damage is not excluded. All of the initio house… Learn more
You’ve found your dream house: it’s a gorgeous bungalow from the 1920’s. It’s picture perfect, but will it be hard to get insurance? Why are older houses harder to insure? Before 1935, New Zealand had no unified set of building standards. Some councils had their own bylaws, but many… Learn more
Floods are the biggest cause of natural damage to property in New Zealand. Much of our country has a high flood risk, meaning many properties lie in or near flood zones. This makes insurers cautious when it comes to flood-prone houses. The 2017 Edgecumbe flood was one… Learn more
The rebuild sum insured is an important part of your insurance policy, so it’s important you take some time to get a good estimate. Rebuild Sum Insured, Not Market Value Your sum insured should equal the cost to fully rebuild your house to its current size and standard, in… Learn more
If you’re doing alterations or renovations to your house you might be wondering if you’re covered by your initio house insurance policy. Depending on the works involved you may need to arrange a Contract Works policy, also known as ‘construction insurance’ or ‘ builders all risks’ cover. Initio does… Learn more
Code compliance is generally required to insure a house. But don’t worry, there are situations where we can potentially provide cover. Most Common Reasons for Non-compliance House or addition built before code compliance requirements The current building code compliance requirements came into force in 1992. Homes built before this… Learn more
As you pay for your insurance you might wonder where your premium is going? And how is it calculated? This guide explains what makes up the cost of house insurance and how it’s calculated. Insurer Premium This is the insurers cut of the pie… Learn more
Here’s what you need to know to insure your main home if it’s also rented to short-term guests. What can be covered? A shared primary residence If the house is your primary residence, we can cover your own home that’s also rented with our Own Home… Learn more
Wondering how to get your first policy with initio started? This guide outlines the entire process from getting a quote to paying for your policy. It takes you through the basic steps of quoting, customising and changing your cover, disclosing other information and… Learn more