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Home insurance replacement value is the cost to completely rebuild your home from the ground up if it were destroyed — not its market sale price. You need to calculate the floor area multiplied by local construction costs per square metre, plus demolition, architect fees, and any special features of your home.
Market value includes the land, which cannot be destroyed and therefore doesn't need to be insured. Replacement value is purely the cost to rebuild the structure. In high-demand areas, the market price may be far higher than the rebuild cost. In regional areas, the rebuild cost can sometimes exceed the market price. Insuring for market value risks being significantly over or under-insured at claim time.
The Insurance Council of Australia provides a free online home rebuilding cost calculator at icca.com.au. Quantity surveying firms can provide a formal assessment for a few hundred dollars — worth doing for high-value or unusual properties. Many insurers also offer their own calculators during the quoting process. If you're unsure, erring on the higher side is safer than underinsuring — just avoid insuring for more than the realistic rebuild cost.
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