Ten sentences circulate around home insurance, and every one of them sounds plausible – and every one of them is misleading. Here they all are in one place, each with a one- or two-sentence rebuttal and a link to the fuller article. If you take away just one thing from this page, make it the last point: at a claim, the insurer's claims line is the first port of call.
In short:
- The common root of these myths: we see the policy first when we sign it, and second at a claim – for years in between, nobody looks at it.
- Most of the mistaken beliefs are about sums insured: market price, a guessed contents figure, “they never pay out anyway” – what they share is that all can be fixed in a few minutes at signing.
- The six most stubborn myths, with longer explanations: common misconceptions.
On trust: 1–2
- “They never pay out anyway.” – The vast majority of payout disputes trace back to underinsurance, a missing cover, or a maintenance-related exclusion – all three can be prevented at signing and at renewal: common claim rejections.
- “Our old policy is cheap, so it's good.” – The premium can be friendly while the sums insured stay stuck in the past: a policy like that quietly becomes underinsured, and turns out to be expensive exactly at a claim: the hidden cost.
On cover: 3–5
- “The condominium's shared policy is enough.” – A condominium policy protects the shared property; the value inside your own flat, the contents and the liability side are the business of your own policy: the dividing line.
- “A good policy covers everything.” – No such product exists: scope of cover, limits and exclusions are always there; the only question is whether you get to know them when you sign, or at a claim: the map.
- “After a burglary, everything gets paid, with no limits.” – Internal ceilings typically apply to valuables and cash, and the security level can matter too: limits.
On sums insured: 6–7
- “Market price is the right sum insured.” – After a loss, a building isn't bought again, it's rebuilt: the right measure is rebuilding value – market price can typically run higher than needed for a panel flat, and lower than needed for an old house in the countryside.
- “Contents can only ever be guessed at.” – An itemised estimate can be put together in about fifteen minutes, and it also serves as a document at a claim: the home inventory template. And the inventory isn't just a number – after a burglary, it's a ready-made list of what's gone missing.
On switching and claims: 8–10
- “Switching in March is compulsory.” – The March window is an opportunity, not an obligation: home insurance can be switched then independently of the renewal date, under the rules in force at the time – how it works. And switching is worth it when the substance is better too, not just the premium.
- “MFO is automatically the right choice.” – MFO is the National Bank of Hungary's rating, which makes comparison easier through standard basic-cover definitions – an excellent starting point, but what suits you is decided by your own circumstances and by comparing offers: what MFO means.
- “At a claim, you call the broker first.” – No: the insurer's claims line or online claim form is the primary route for reporting a loss – that's where the case starts, and where the case number is issued: how it works. The broker's role comes in once a case gets stuck or disputed: that's when I help. And for anything that looks doubtful in your own policy: a review, or 20 minutes together.
A question about your own home? Run the numbers in minutes with the online calculator (in Hungarian), or book a free 20-minute consultation →
This article is for information purposes only; it contains general information and does not constitute an offer or insurance advice. The exact content of insurance contracts is defined by the insurers' terms and conditions in force.
