If you own a free standing home in Shelley, WA 6148, you're sitting in one of Perth's more sought-after riverside suburbs — and like many homeowners here, you've probably wondered whether you're paying too much (or too little) for your home insurance. This article breaks down a real home and contents insurance quote for a four-bedroom, double brick home in Shelley, comparing it against suburb, state, and national benchmarks so you can make a genuinely informed decision.
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Is This Quote Fair?
The quote in question comes to $1,701 per year (or $165/month) for combined home and contents cover, with a building sum insured of $991,000 and contents valued at $70,000. The building excess is $2,000 and the contents excess is $600.
Our pricing analysis rates this quote as CHEAP — below average — and the data backs that up convincingly.
Compared to other quotes sourced for properties in the Shelley suburb, this premium sits dramatically below what most homeowners are paying. The suburb average sits at $4,876/year, and even the 25th percentile — meaning 75% of quotes are more expensive — comes in at $4,147/year. In other words, this quote is well below the cheapest quarter of premiums recorded in the area.
That's a significant saving. At this price point, the homeowner is paying roughly $3,175 less per year than the suburb average — enough to cover a decent holiday, or a solid emergency fund contribution.
It's worth noting that the sample size for Shelley is 24 quotes, which gives us reasonable confidence in the comparison data, though it's always worth shopping around to validate any single quote against the current market.
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How Shelley Compares
To put this quote in broader context, here's how Shelley stacks up against WA state averages and national benchmarks:
| Benchmark | Average Premium | Median Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Shelley (6148) | $4,876/yr | $4,752/yr |
| LGA (Canning) | $1,923/yr | — |
| Western Australia | $2,144/yr | $1,944/yr |
| National | $2,965/yr | $2,716/yr |
What's immediately striking is that Shelley's suburb-level averages are substantially higher than both the WA state average and the national average. This suggests that either the properties in Shelley tend to be higher-value (requiring larger sums insured), or that insurers are pricing in specific local risk factors — or both.
Interestingly, the LGA of Canning average ($1,923/yr) sits much closer to the WA state average than to the Shelley suburb average, which indicates that Shelley itself may be pulling the LGA figure upward. You can explore more localised data on the Shelley suburb stats page or browse national home insurance trends for a wider picture.
The quote analysed here — at $1,701/year — actually comes in below the LGA average, the state average, and the national average, making it a genuinely competitive result for a well-appointed property of this size.
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Property Features That Affect Your Premium
Several characteristics of this particular property have a meaningful impact on how insurers calculate risk and, ultimately, the premium they charge.
Double Brick Construction
Built in 1975, this home features double brick external walls — a construction type that is generally viewed favourably by insurers. Double brick offers excellent structural integrity, strong fire resistance, and good thermal performance. Compared to timber-framed or clad homes, double brick properties often attract more competitive premiums due to their durability and lower susceptibility to storm and fire damage.
Steel/Colorbond Roof
The Colorbond steel roof is another tick in the right column. Colorbond is widely regarded as one of the most resilient roofing materials available in Australia — it's resistant to corrosion, performs well in high winds, and requires minimal maintenance. Insurers tend to view it positively, particularly when compared to older terracotta tiles or asbestos cement sheeting common in homes of this era.
Slab Foundation
A concrete slab foundation is a stable and well-understood construction method that carries relatively low risk of subsidence or movement issues, which can be a concern with older pier-and-beam or strip footings.
Swimming Pool
The property includes a swimming pool, which adds liability exposure and is factored into the premium. Pools increase the risk of personal injury claims and can also affect contents and liability portions of a policy. Homeowners should ensure their policy explicitly covers pool-related liability.
Solar Panels
Rooftop solar panels are an increasingly common feature in Perth homes, and they do carry specific insurance considerations. Panels represent a significant asset value and can be damaged by hail, storm, or fire. It's important to confirm whether your policy covers solar panels as part of the building sum insured or whether they require separate endorsement.
Ducted Climate Control
Ducted air conditioning is a high-value fixed installation that should be included in your building sum insured. At $991,000, the building cover here appears to account for the full replacement cost of a well-equipped 244 sqm home — which is prudent.
No Cyclone Risk
Shelley falls outside cyclone-designated risk zones, which is a meaningful premium advantage. Properties in northern WA can face significant cyclone loading charges; the absence of this factor here helps keep the premium competitive.
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Tips for Homeowners in Shelley
1. Don't Underinsure Your Building
With a 244 sqm double brick home featuring ducted climate control, solar panels, and a pool, replacement costs can escalate quickly. Make sure your sum insured reflects current construction costs — not what you paid for the property or what it's worth on the market. Use a building cost calculator or speak with a quantity surveyor if you're unsure.
2. Review Your Pool and Solar Panel Cover
Check your policy documents carefully to confirm that both your swimming pool and solar panels are explicitly covered. Some policies treat solar panels as contents, others as part of the building — and some may exclude them entirely without a specific endorsement. The same applies to pool equipment like pumps and filtration systems.
3. Shop Around — Even When Your Quote Looks Good
This quote is priced well below the suburb average, but that doesn't mean it's the best available. Premiums vary significantly between insurers based on their own risk models, and a quote that's cheap today may increase substantially at renewal. Comparing quotes annually is one of the simplest ways to avoid loyalty tax.
4. Consider Your Excess Strategy
This policy carries a $2,000 building excess and a $600 contents excess. A higher excess typically reduces your annual premium, but make sure the excess is an amount you could genuinely afford to pay in the event of a claim. For many homeowners, a $2,000 building excess is manageable — but it's worth modelling the trade-off against a lower excess option.
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Ready to Compare?
Whether you're a first-time buyer in Shelley or a long-term homeowner due for a renewal, comparing quotes is the single best thing you can do to make sure you're not overpaying. Get a home insurance quote at CoverClub and see how your property stacks up against real market data — in minutes, not hours.