Glass Breakage, Electronic Equipment and Valuables Cover

When people think of home insurance, they picture big events like fire, flood or earthquake. In daily life, though, the most common losses are much smaller: a broken balcony window, a dropped laptop, a TV that stops working or a lost ring. This article looks at the three groups of cover that protect such items in a home policy, and the points to watch.

Glass breakage cover

Glass breakage cover pays to replace fixed glass in your home that breaks suddenly and unexpectedly. Window panes, balcony glazing, glass doors and, in some policies, shower screens or display glass can be included. Points that often come up:

• Movable glass items: glass tables, mirrors or vases are not always treated like fixed glass.
• Scratches and marks: scratches, fogging or surface defects without breakage are generally excluded.
• Double glazing and special glass: laminated or custom-sized panes cost more to replace; check that the limit covers this.
• Common areas: the glass entrance door of an apartment block is usually the subject of the building policy.

Electronic equipment cover

We own more electronic devices every year: TVs, computers, tablets, game consoles, smart home systems and cameras. In a standard home policy, these are usually protected as part of the contents value against events such as fire or flood. But a device being dropped, having liquid spilled on it or failing because of a power surge is not always within the standard scope.

Electronic equipment cover is offered to fill this gap. Some versions cover only electrical faults, others include accidental breakage. Portable devices damaged outside the home are often assessed separately. If you work from home with your own equipment, ask whether business use changes the cover.

Checklist for electronics

1. Note the brand, model and serial number of each device.
2. Keep the invoice and warranty certificate.
3. Remember that faults under warranty go to the manufacturer first.
4. Ask your agent whether high-value devices should be listed separately.
5. If a device was bought abroad, keep proof of purchase, as local replacement cost may differ.

Valuables cover

Jewellery, watches, artworks, antiques, carpets and collections have a special place in home insurance. In many policies they are protected only up to a limited amount within the general contents value, or are excluded unless declared separately. Listing your valuables and having them written into the policy is therefore important. Insurers may ask for the purchase invoice or a valuation report, clear photos, and a certificate or detailed description for jewellery.

Protecting valuables against theft is assessed together with the conditions of theft cover. For details, see our guide to theft cover in home insurance.

How a claim works

The process is similar for a broken pane, a damaged device or lost valuables. Photograph the damage and do not throw away the damaged item, as the loss adjuster may want to inspect it. Then report the loss to your agent. For theft, a report to the police and an official record are required. For electronics, a technical service report showing the cause of the fault is an important document.

Which covers do you need?

Consider three events in one week: a child’s ball breaks the living room window, the TV falls and its screen cracks, and a ring slips down the sink. The first may fall under glass breakage, the second under electronic equipment cover if you have it, and the third is usually treated as loss, which has different conditions from theft and is not covered by some policies at all. Three events, three different covers. That is why it pays to know your policy item by item. Make a short note for each group: what is covered, what the limit is and which documents are needed, and store it with a digital copy of your policy. You do not have to wait for renewal to add a new TV or a piece of jewellery; tell your agent and update the policy.

To build your home policy with the right extras, visit our Maslak home insurance page. Call Ailenizin Sigortacısı on +90 530 375 89 61 or send a WhatsApp message for English-speaking support and quotes from several insurers.