HomeGR8 Essential
HomeGR8 Essential
Secure essential home coverage at affordable price
With HomeGR8 Essential, you can protect your sweet home and the life you have built around it. This home insurance plan protects your building, renovations and even household contents - from fire, smoke damage, burglary, flood, bursting of water tanks or pipes.
With this plan being a First Loss policy, there will be no penalty for under-insurance.
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Key benefits
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Essential coverage at affordable price
From just S$0.14* a day, enjoy coverage for renovations of up to S$50,000† and household contents of up to S$25,000† due to insured perils‡.
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Enhanced coverage with First Loss Protection
Being a First Loss policy means that you will receive up to the maximum sum insured in an event of a covered loss. There will be no penalty for under-insurance.
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Personal liability coverage
Enjoy worldwide personal liability coverage of S$500,000 against accidental bodily injuries (including accidental death) or accidental property damages sustained by others that you or your family members may be legally liable for.
Your questions answered
1. Who is eligible to purchase HomeGR8 Essential / Plus?
HomeGR8 Essential and HomeGR8 Plus are open to individuals (Landlords, Tenants, Home Owners) or corporations owning any HDB, Condominium or Landed Property use for residential purposes in Singapore. For foreigner owning a property, there must be a Singapore address for correspondence.
2. What is the difference between HomeGR8 Essential and HomeGR8 Plus?
HomeGR8 Essential covers Named Insured Perils only for your Renovation and Household Contents.
Covers loss and damage caused by specifically named perils, such as fire, lightning and thunderbolt or explosion; burglary, when force or violence is used to break into or out of your home; flood; malicious damage; bursting or overflowing of domestic watertank, or pipes; impact by road vehicles or aerial devices; and strike, riot or civil commotion.
HomeGR8 Plus covers all-risks for accidental loss or damage to your Renovations and Household Contents.
Covers insured perils, and any accidental loss/damage from all causes that are not specifically excluded in the policy.
3. I already have mortgage fire insurance from my bank, do I still need to buy Great Eastern HomeGR8 Essential / Plus?
Yes. Your own financial interests such as household contents and renovations are normally not covered by the bank’s mortgage fire insurance. Generally speaking, mortgage fire insurance is meant to protect the bank’s financial interest, and not yours. This is a common misunderstanding that homeowners have.
4. If I am required to take up the compulsory HDB fire insurance, can I still sign up for HomeGR8 Essential / Plus?
Yes, you can. This is because the compulsory HDB fire insurance covers only the internal building structure, fixtures and fittings based on the original standards of HDB flat when it is handed over to the first lessee.
You can take up this plan to cover your household contents and any additional renovations or improvements which you have made to your home.
5. If my condominium is already covered under the Management Corporation Strata Title (MCST), should I still take up Great Eastern HomeGR8 Essential / Plus?
Yes, you can because most MCST insurance covers only the internal building structure and fixtures and fittings done by the developer and not your household contents. You can take up our plan to cover for your household contents or the additional renovations you have made to your home.
6. Who is the Home owner, co-owner and Tenant in the context of home insurance?
Home Owner/ Co-Owner:
- The person who owns the home
- Building Benefit can be applicable
Tenant:
- Does not own the home
- Can only purchase cover for what he owns, e.g. his household contents and personal belongings
- Renovations and Building Benefit are not applicable
Landlord:
- Renting out the home
- Can purchase both the homeowners plan and landlord plan
- Home Owners: For landlords renting out a fully furnished house (e.g. household contents such as coffee table sofa included)
- Landlords: For landlords renting out an un-furnished house
7. If I am a tenant of a rented apartment, can I sign up for this plan?
Yes, you can take up our plan to cover the household contents that belong to you in your rented home.
8. Is my cover active right away or do I have a waiting period?
There is no waiting period and you are covered from the moment you purchase our HomeGR8 policy and make the necessary premium payment.
9. What is Under-Insurance?
You must insure the building, renovations and household contents for their full reinstatement or replacement value, otherwise you will be considered to be under-insuring your premises/household contents.
Example of under-insurance:
| Cover | (A) Full Reinstatement and replacement cost | (B) Insurance coverage you have chosen |
|---|---|---|
| Building and Renovations | S$500,000 | S$200,000 |
| Household Contents | S$50,000 | S$10,000 |
Under-insurance occurs when (B) is less than (A). In the above example, you are under-insured by S$300,000 and S$40,000 for your building/renovations and household contents respectively.
10. What will happen if I under-insure my property?
At the time of loss, if the sum insured is lower than the cost of reinstatement or replacement, the amount payable for the claim will be reduced proportionately.
As this policy is underwritten on a First Loss basis, there is no penalty for under-insurance. However, we highly recommend that you review the cover level purchased regularly, so that you are adequately insured.
Example of claims computation without First Loss cover:
| Actual Reinstatement Cost: | S$500,000 |
| Sum Insured: | S$300,000 (Under-insured by 40%) |
| Loss Amount: | S$100,000 |
| Amount Payable: | S$60,000 (only 60% of the loss amount payable) |
Example of claims computation with First Loss cover (Great Eastern HomeGR8 Essential/ Plus):
| Actual Reinstatement Cost: | S$500,000 |
| Sum Insured: | S$300,000 (Under-insured by 40%) |
| Loss Amount: | S$100,000 |
| Amount Payable: | S$100,000 (No Penalty for Under-Insurance) |
11. What is an “Excess”?
An Excess is the first amount of any claim you have to bear.
For example, if your claim for home contents damaged is S$1,000, and your excess is S$100, you will need to pay the first S$100 and the balance of S$900 can be claimed from the policy.
12. If I am a foreigner, can I still buy Great Eastern HomeGR8 Essential / Plus?
Yes. HomeGr8 Essential / Plus can be bought by foreigners, as long as the property is in Singapore, and with a local correspondence address.
13. What do the terms household contents, renovations and building mean?
Here is a quick reference what the terms refer to:
- Household contents: any movable household items in your home or on the building (such as furniture, electronic appliances) and personal belongings (such as clothes);
- Renovations: Any fixtures, installation, addition, home improvement or decoration in your home (including the building) such as flooring, built-in wardrobes and air-conditioners.
- Building: the physical structure of your home (including renovations within your home).
- For HDB homes: Internal building structures, fixtures and fittings, as provided by HDB and/or its approved developer
- For Private homes: Building structure of the apartment or landed property that you own (including any garages, gardens, gates & fences situated within the landed property premises)
To ensure that you can enjoy a cover that best suits your needs, each product comes with a range of plan types with different coverage levels for the various benefits. You can also further customise your plan by selecting from a range of add-on benefits.
For full definition of the terms, please refer to our policy terms and conditions.
14. How do I determine the appropriate sum insured for Building, Renovations and Household Contents of my private property?
For Building
You can refer to General Insurance Association website as a general guide for the replacement cost of your private property. Alternatively, you can seek professional advice from a qualified property valuator or quality surveyor at your own cost.
For Renovations
The benefit limit should be the current cost of replacing the renovations at your premises. You can use the price you paid for your renovations as an estimate or you can seek professional advice from an interior designer or contractor at your own cost.
For Household Contents
The level of household contents cover you need will depend on the amount of household contents you have. Safest way to estimate this amount would be to take an inventory of the items in your residence. Please note that while there is no “per item” limit for furniture, home appliances and home audio-visual equipment, valuables are subject to a maximum of S$2,000 per article.
15. Are bicycles covered under Great Eastern HomeGR8 Essential / Plus?
Yes, bicycles are covered. This is provided that the loss or damage to your bicycle occurs within your premises. For example, we will not provide cover if your bicycle is parked in a common corridor. The maximum limit of loss or damage to bicycles shall not exceed S$1,000.
16. Are valuables such as antiques, artworks and jewellery covered?
Yes, valuables are covered under household contents cover. Each item, set or pair is subjected to a maximum cover of S$2,000 and up to a total of 35% of the sum insured under the household contents cover for all valuables.
17. What is the definition for valuables?
Jewellery, watches, pens, antiques, paintings, furs, works of art, curios, stamps or coin collections, belonging to you and/ or any member of your family.
18. Do I need a proof of ownership for all my possessions?
There may be certain occasions relating to claims where you may be asked to verify value and ownership. We would advise you to keep receipts for larger items of valuables to assist us in dealing with your claims.
19. Do I need to itemise the home contents that I want to insure?
You do not need to. However, please note that certain valuable items have limits as to how much we will pay in the event of a claim. Please refer to the policy document for full details.
20. Is damage caused by bursting of water pipes or tanks covered?
Yes. We will cover the resultant damage to your building, renovations or household contents caused by bursting of water pipes or tanks within your premises. However, we do not cover the costs for tracing, hacking, repair and replacement of domestic water tanks, apparatus or pipes.
21. How would I be notified on the renewal of the insurance?
A renewal notice will be sent to you about one month before the expiry month of the policy.
22. How do I renew my home insurance?
You can renew your home insurance in the following ways:
| Ways to renew | How to renew | Payment Options |
|---|---|---|
| By Email |
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| By Mail | Send your renewal notice to: Great Eastern General Insurance Limited 1 Pickering Street, Great Eastern Centre, Singapore 048659 |
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| Over the counter | Visit our Customer Service Centre at: 1 Pickering Street #01-01 Monday to Friday: 9.00am - 5.30pm |
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Alternatively, you can inform your servicing agent who can also assist you with the renewal request.
23. Will I receive a refund if I cancel my policy?
Yes, you can cancel this insurance policy by giving us within 30 days’ notice via email at GICare-sg@greateasterngeneral.com or contact or our Customer Service Hotline at 6248 2888, Mondays to Fridays, 9am to 5.30pm (excluding public holidays)
We will grant a short rate refund of the premium paid corresponding to the unexpired Period of Insurance provided no claim has been submitted prior to the cancellation of this Policy.
| If policy is in force | Refundable Premium |
|---|---|
| Up to 1 month | 80% |
| Up to 2 month | 70% |
| Up to 3 month | 60% |
| Up to 4 month | 50% |
| Up to 5 month | 40% |
| Up to 6 month | 30% |
| Up to 7 month | 25% |
| Up to 8 month | 20% |
| Up to 9 month | 15% |
| Up to 10 month | 10% |
| Up to 11 month | 5% |
| Up to 12 month | No refund |
Please note that we will not refund any premium below S$25.00 (exclusive of GST).
24. If I move to a new home, do I have to cancel my current policy and take up a new policy?
No, you do not have to cancel your existing policy. Instead, you can request us to change your existing policy to cover your new premises. You may need to pay additional premium depending on the size of your new premises and the value of your new contents or renovations.
25. I have a household contents insurance policy with another insurer. Will I still be able to claim on Great Eastern HomeGR8 Essential / Plus?
We will assess your claim on this plan together with any other policies you may have. Should you be eligible for claim on this coverage, you will receive a payout from us.
26. I am a homeowner with a Great Eastern HomeGR8 Essential / Plus coverage, can I claim on my plan for the loss to my tenant’s belongings if they are damaged due to an Insured Peril or accidental loss?
No. This policy only covers your belongings (as homeowner) but it does not cover your tenant’s belongings. We will however indemnify the homeowner’s legal liability for damage to the tenant’s belongings under Section 3 of the Policy, subject to the terms and conditions of the coverage.
27. I am a tenant with a Great Eastern HomeGR8 Essential / Plus coverage, can I claim on my plan for the loss to the homeowner’s belongings if they are Insured Peril or accidental loss which occurred at the property (for example, my rented room)?
No. This policy only covers your belongings (as tenant) but it does not cover the homeowner’s belongings. We will however indemnify the tenant’s legal liability for damage to the homeowner’s belongings under Section 3 of the Policy, subject to the terms and conditions of the coverage.
28. How do I file for a claim? If our house is broken into, do I need to make a police report?
Claim in five steps:
Step 1 |
Notify Relevant Parties
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| Step 2 | Mitigate Loss & Collect Information
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| Step 3 | Complete the Claim form |
| Step 4 | Attach copies of all receipts and relevant supporting documents.
Please note that this list of documents is not exhaustive. Other documents may be requested if necessary. |
| Step 5 | Submit your documents
Email your claim to NonMotorClaims-SG@greateasterngeneral.com or mail in to: Attention: Claims Department Great Eastern General Insurance Limited Alternatively, you can inform your servicing agent who can also assist you with your enquiries/ claim. Note: Retain all original receipts and documents for the next 6 months in case they are required for further investigation. |
29. How can I contact Great Eastern General Insurance Ltd if I have any general enquiries?
Please contact our Customer Service Hotline at 6248 2888, Mondays to Fridays, 9am to 5.30pm (excluding public holidays) or email us GICare-sg@greateasterngeneral.com.
Alternatively, you can inform your servicing agent who can also assist you with your enquiries/ claim.
Let us match you with a qualified financial representative
Our financial representative will answer any questions you may have about our products and planning.
Understand the details before buying
* Daily rates are based on the 3-year premium of HomeGR8 Essential, divided by 365 days x 3 years and rounded off to the nearest cent.
† Coverage is on First Loss basis. For renovations including fixtures and fittings, the sum insured is up to S$175,000 under the Landlords plan, while for household contents under the Tenants plan, the sum insured is up to S$35,000.
‡ Named insured perils include but are not limited to: fire, lightning, explosion, smoke damage, bursting or overflowing of water tanks and pipes or flood damage. Refer to policy documents for more details.
1. This brochure is for general information only. It is not a contract of insurance. please refer to the policy documents for the precise terms and conditions of the insurance plan.
2. This policy is subject to the Payment Before Cover Warranty Clause, which requires the premiums to be paid and received on or before the inception date of the policy.
3. This policy is protected under the Policy Owners’ Protection Scheme which is administered by the Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation (SDIC). Coverage for your policy is automatic and no further action is required from you. For more information on the types of benefits that are covered under the scheme as well as the limits of coverage, where applicable, please contact us or visit the General Insurance Association (GIA) or SDIC websites (www.gia.org.sg or www.sdic.org.sg).
4. HomeGR8 Essential is underwritten by Great Eastern General Insurance Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Great Eastern Holdings Limited and a member of the OCBC Group.
Information is correct as at 31 August 2021.