Kelmscott is a well-established suburb in Perth's south-eastern corridor, known for its mix of older character homes and family-friendly streets. If you own a free standing home here, understanding what you should be paying for home and contents insurance — and why — can make a real difference to your budget. This article breaks down a real insurance quote for a 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom property in Kelmscott (postcode 6111) and puts it in context against local, state, and national benchmarks.
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Is This Quote Fair?
The quote in question comes in at $1,072 per year (or around $104 per month) for combined home and contents cover, with a building sum insured of $466,000 and $100,000 in contents cover. The building excess is set at $2,000, with a separate $600 excess for contents claims.
Our price rating for this quote is FAIR — Around Average, and the data backs that up. Compared to the suburb average of $1,241/yr for Kelmscott, this quote sits comfortably below the mean, and it's also slightly under the suburb median of $1,123/yr. That means roughly half of comparable Kelmscott properties are paying more than this quote — a reasonably solid position to be in.
It's worth noting the building excess of $2,000 is on the higher side. A higher excess generally reduces your premium, so part of the reason this quote looks competitive may be offset by a larger out-of-pocket cost if you ever need to make a building claim. If you'd prefer a lower excess, expect the annual premium to nudge upward.
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How Kelmscott Compares
To appreciate what this quote means in a broader context, it helps to stack it against wider benchmarks.
| Benchmark | Premium |
|---|---|
| This Quote | $1,072/yr |
| Kelmscott Suburb Average | $1,241/yr |
| Kelmscott Suburb Median | $1,123/yr |
| Kelmscott 25th Percentile | $781/yr |
| Kelmscott 75th Percentile | $1,358/yr |
| LGA (Kalamunda) Average | $1,810/yr |
| WA State Average | $2,144/yr |
| National Average | $2,965/yr |
Based on 51 quotes collected for the Kelmscott area, this property's premium falls within a relatively affordable band. It's above the cheapest 25% of quotes (which start around $781/yr), but well below the top quartile at $1,358/yr.
The contrast with WA state-wide figures is striking. The state average sits at $2,144/yr — nearly double this quote. Much of that difference is driven by higher-risk coastal and cyclone-prone regions in WA's north, which push premiums up considerably. Kelmscott, located inland in the Perth Hills foothills, avoids many of those risk factors.
Zooming out further, the national average of $2,965/yr reflects the weight of high-premium markets in Queensland, Northern NSW, and northern WA. By comparison, Kelmscott homeowners are getting a relatively good deal — though that's no reason to skip the comparison shopping.
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Property Features That Affect Your Premium
Several characteristics of this property influence how insurers price the risk — and in this case, most of them work in the homeowner's favour.
Double Brick Construction Double brick is one of the most favoured wall types among Australian insurers. It's robust, fire-resistant, and holds up well in storms. Compared to weatherboard or cladded homes, double brick properties typically attract lower premiums, and this Kelmscott home benefits from exactly that.
Tiled Roof Terracotta or concrete tile roofs are considered durable and low-risk by most insurers. They're less susceptible to wind damage than corrugated iron in moderate-wind areas, and they have a long service life. This is another tick in the "lower risk" column.
Construction Year: 1969 At over 55 years old, this is an older home, and age does matter to insurers. Older properties can carry higher risk around plumbing, electrical wiring, and structural wear. However, double brick construction tends to age well, and many insurers are comfortable covering well-maintained homes from this era.
Stump Foundation & Timber/Laminate Flooring Stumped foundations are common in older Perth homes and can be a slight risk factor — stumps can deteriorate over time, particularly in areas with reactive soils or moisture variation. Similarly, timber and laminate flooring can be more vulnerable to water damage than concrete slab floors. These factors may contribute marginally to the premium, though the overall risk profile remains manageable.
Ducted Climate Control The presence of ducted climate control (likely ducted reverse-cycle air conditioning) is a fixed asset that adds to the home's replacement value. It's factored into the building sum insured and is a legitimate reason the coverage amount is set at $466,000 — ensuring the system would be replaced in the event of a total loss.
No Pool, No Solar Panels The absence of a swimming pool removes a common liability risk. No solar panels means no additional coverage complexity around inverter systems or roof penetrations. Both omissions keep the risk profile clean and the premium lower.
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Tips for Homeowners in Kelmscott
1. Review Your Building Sum Insured Regularly Construction costs have risen sharply in recent years. Make sure your $466,000 building sum insured reflects current rebuild costs — not what it would have cost five years ago. Underinsurance is one of the most common and costly mistakes homeowners make.
2. Get Your Stumps Inspected If you haven't had your subfloor and stumps inspected recently, it's worth doing. Deteriorating stumps can cause structural movement and may affect your ability to make a successful claim if the insurer deems the damage to be due to lack of maintenance.
3. Compare Quotes Before Renewal This quote is rated fair, but "fair" doesn't mean you can't do better. The 25th percentile for Kelmscott sits at $781/yr — meaning some homeowners in your suburb are paying significantly less. Shopping around at renewal time is one of the easiest ways to save.
4. Consider Your Excess Carefully The $2,000 building excess on this policy is relatively high. If you have the savings to cover that comfortably in an emergency, keeping a high excess is a smart way to reduce premiums. If not, it may be worth requesting a lower excess option and comparing the premium difference.
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Compare Your Home Insurance Today
Whether you're renewing your policy or buying cover for the first time, it pays to see what's available across multiple insurers. CoverClub makes it easy to get a home insurance quote and compare your options in minutes. You can also explore detailed insurance cost data for Kelmscott to see how your current premium stacks up against your neighbours.