The needs assessment is the foundation of a home insurance policy: typically twenty minutes on the phone or on video, with no preparation and no obligation. It isn't an exam and it isn't a sales script – its purpose is to build cover around your actual home, not an average one. Here's a transparent look at what I'll ask, and why each question matters.
- Typically 20 minutes, by phone or video – free of charge, and it commits you to nothing.
- Topics covered: the property's details, how it's used, the values involved, your existing policy, your claims history and any optional-cover needs.
- The rule is simple: there's no good comparison table without a good assessment – every question grounds a decision about cover.
What is the twenty minutes for?
The calculator does the sums, the conversation does the sizing. The online calculator (in Hungarian) shows you the scale of the premiums in minutes – the needs assessment adds what the machine can't: your actual life situation. The order is up to you: some people run the numbers first and then talk it through; others start with the conversation and look at the figures afterwards. Both routes work – what matters is that the two meet. You don't need to prepare anything: if you have a live policy, keep it to hand – everything else we'll clarify through questions.
What do I ask? The list
We go through six topics. The property's details: type, year and method of construction, floor area, number of storeys, outbuildings. How it's used: permanently lived in, let out, or a holiday home – a key question for both the risk and the policy terms. The values: the rebuilding cost of the building and a realistic contents figure, together with any high-value items. Your existing policy: when the renewal falls, what it covers, what it's missing. Claims history: whether there's been a claim in recent years, and what kind. Optional-cover needs: garden, solar panels, liability, home assistance. You can prepare for these questions in advance with the quote-request data list. If you don't know something off the top of your head – say, the exact year of construction – that's no obstacle: it can be noted as open, and pinning it down can wait until the quote stage.
Why do I ask exactly these things?
Because a cover decision sits behind every one of them. How the property is used decides which set of policy terms suits you – a let flat and a holiday home are a different game from a permanently lived-in home. The values decide whether proportional settlement kicks in at claim time. Honestly disclosing your claims history matters because whatever the insurer already knows at signing, it can't later cite as a breach of the duty to disclose at claim time – though it can attach a premium, deductible or coverage condition to what you've disclosed, so it's worth checking those on the policy. Your existing policy matters because the renewal date sets the timing for every next step – and because it's worth seeing what's already good in your current cover and worth keeping. There's no question on the list without a reason grounded in cover.
What comes out of your answers?
Based on the assessment, I request competing offers from several insurers and put together the comparison table: amounts, the range of events covered, limits, deductibles, exclusions, premium – side by side, with notes on strengths and weaknesses. You receive the table and I answer your questions – and the table stays with you: you can sleep on it with an easy mind. My role is clear: I assess the need and inform you about the options – the decision always rests with the client. The advice is free of charge; the brokerage remuneration is paid by the insurer. For the whole process step by step, see how it works.
A question about your own home? Run the numbers in minutes with the online calculator (in Hungarian), or book a free 20-minute consultation →
