If you own a free standing home in Shelley, WA 6148, you've probably wondered whether you're paying too much — or too little — for home insurance. This article breaks down a real home and contents insurance quote for a four-bedroom, double brick property in Shelley, comparing it against suburb, state, and national benchmarks to help you understand what fair value looks like in this part of Perth.
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Is This Quote Fair?
The annual premium on this quote comes in at $1,504 per year (or $147 per month), covering a building sum insured of $908,000 and $70,000 worth of contents. Our price rating for this quote is CHEAP — meaning it sits well below average for the Shelley suburb.
To put that in perspective: the average home insurance premium across Shelley currently sits at $4,876 per year, with a median of $4,752. Even the cheapest quarter of quotes in the suburb (the 25th percentile) averages $4,147 per year. This quote at $1,504 comes in dramatically below all of those benchmarks — representing a saving of more than $3,000 annually compared to what many Shelley homeowners are paying.
That's not a typo. For a property of this size and specification, this is a genuinely competitive outcome, and it highlights just how much premiums can vary depending on the insurer, the property's risk profile, and how the quote is structured.
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How Shelley Compares
Shelley's insurance premiums are notably higher than both the state and national averages, which makes this quote stand out even more.
| Benchmark | Average Premium |
|---|---|
| Shelley (suburb) | $4,876 / yr |
| WA (state) | $2,144 / yr |
| National | $2,965 / yr |
| Canning LGA | $1,923 / yr |
| This quote | $1,504 / yr |
Shelley's suburb average of $4,876 is more than double the Western Australian state average of $2,144 and significantly above the national average of $2,965. This suggests that insurers are pricing Shelley properties at a premium relative to the broader market — possibly reflecting local flood risk near the Canning River, higher property values, or the concentration of older homes that may carry higher rebuild costs.
Interestingly, the Canning LGA average ($1,923) is considerably lower than the Shelley suburb average, which tells us there's meaningful variation within the local government area itself. You can explore detailed Shelley suburb insurance statistics here.
The sample size for Shelley is 24 quotes, which is a reasonable dataset — enough to draw meaningful conclusions about local pricing trends.
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Property Features That Affect Your Premium
Several characteristics of this property are worth examining through an insurance lens.
Double Brick Construction
Double brick is widely regarded as one of the most resilient wall types in Australian residential construction. It offers strong resistance to fire, impact, and general wear — all factors that insurers view favourably. Homes with double brick walls typically attract lower premiums than those with timber or clad exteriors, and this property's 1975 construction date suggests the brickwork is well-established and solid.
Steel / Colorbond Roof
A Colorbond steel roof is another tick in the insurer's favour. It's highly durable, fire-resistant, and low-maintenance compared to older tile or fibrous cement roofing. It's also less susceptible to storm damage, which is a key driver of home insurance claims in WA.
Slab Foundation
A concrete slab foundation is generally considered stable and low-risk for subsidence or movement — a positive factor for underwriters assessing structural risk.
Timber and Laminate Flooring
Timber and laminate floors can be a double-edged sword for insurers. They add value to the home but can be costly to repair or replace following water damage events. It's worth ensuring your contents and building cover adequately reflects the cost of restoring these floors.
Swimming Pool
A pool adds both value and risk. It increases the replacement cost of the property and may add liability exposure. Homeowners with pools should confirm their policy includes pool equipment cover and check the public liability limits.
Solar Panels
Solar panels are increasingly common across Perth's suburbs, and most modern home insurance policies include them as part of the building sum insured. However, it's worth confirming this explicitly — some policies treat panels as a separate item or exclude inverter damage. With 244 sqm of living space and a full solar installation, ensuring your $908,000 building sum insured accounts for panel replacement is prudent.
Ducted Climate Control
Ducted air conditioning systems are expensive to repair or replace. At standard fittings quality, this system should be captured within the building sum insured, but it's worth double-checking with your insurer that the system is covered under the building (not contents) component of your policy.
No Cyclone Risk
Shelley falls outside designated cyclone risk zones, which is a meaningful factor in keeping premiums lower than properties in northern WA. This is reflected in the relatively modest Canning LGA average compared to areas like the Pilbara or Kimberley.
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Tips for Homeowners in Shelley
1. Don't Assume Your Neighbours Are Paying the Same
As the data shows, Shelley's suburb average is nearly $5,000 per year — but this quote came in at less than a third of that. Premiums vary enormously between insurers for the same property. Shopping around and comparing multiple quotes is the single most effective way to avoid overpaying.
2. Review Your Building Sum Insured Annually
With a building sum insured of $908,000 for a 244 sqm double brick home built in 1975, it's important to revisit this figure each year. Construction costs in Perth have risen sharply in recent years, and being underinsured at claim time can leave you significantly out of pocket. Use a building cost calculator or speak with a quantity surveyor if you're unsure.
3. Check What's Covered for Your Pool and Solar
Both swimming pools and solar panel systems are common sources of coverage gaps. Confirm with your insurer exactly what's included — pool fencing, pumps, heating equipment, and solar inverters can all be excluded or capped under standard policies.
4. Consider Your Excess Levels Carefully
This quote carries a $2,000 building excess and a $600 contents excess. A higher excess generally reduces your premium, but it also means more out-of-pocket costs at claim time. Make sure your chosen excess levels are amounts you could comfortably cover in an emergency — particularly for a property with a pool, solar, and ducted air conditioning, where repair bills can escalate quickly.
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Ready to See What You Could Pay?
Whether you're a long-time Shelley homeowner or you've recently purchased in the area, it pays to know what the market looks like. CoverClub makes it easy to compare home and contents insurance quotes in one place — so you can see exactly how your current premium stacks up.
Get a home insurance quote today and find out if you're getting a fair deal.