Ulladulla is a popular coastal town on the NSW South Coast, known for its fishing harbour, surf beaches, and relaxed lifestyle. For owners of free standing homes in this area, understanding what you should be paying for home and contents insurance is just as important as finding the right policy. This article breaks down a real insurance quote for a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom brick veneer home in Ulladulla (postcode 2539) and puts the numbers into context.
---
Is This Quote Fair?
The quote in question comes in at $1,187 per year (or around $111 per month) for combined home and contents cover, with a building sum insured of $479,000 and contents valued at $50,000. The building excess is $2,000 and the contents excess is $1,000.
Our price rating for this quote is FAIR — Around Average, which means it sits in a reasonable range relative to what other Ulladulla homeowners are paying. It's not the cheapest quote you could find, but it's well below the suburb average and comfortably within what most would consider competitive territory.
To put it plainly: this homeowner is paying less than the majority of their neighbours for a solid level of cover. That's a decent outcome, though there's always room to explore whether a better deal exists elsewhere.
---
How Ulladulla Compares
Looking at the latest home insurance data for Ulladulla (NSW 2539), the numbers tell an interesting story:
| Benchmark | Premium |
|---|---|
| This quote | $1,187/yr |
| Suburb 25th percentile | $874/yr |
| Suburb median | $1,254/yr |
| Suburb average | $1,631/yr |
| Suburb 75th percentile | $2,275/yr |
| Shoalhaven LGA average | $3,439/yr |
| NSW state average | $3,801/yr |
| National average | $2,965/yr |
At $1,187 per year, this quote sits just below the suburb median of $1,254 — meaning more than half of the 24 quotes sampled in Ulladulla came in higher. It's also dramatically lower than both the NSW state average ($3,801) and the national average ($2,965), which is a meaningful saving.
The Shoalhaven LGA average of $3,439 is particularly striking in comparison. This suggests that while Ulladulla sits within a broader coastal LGA where insurers price risk higher (likely due to flood, bushfire, and storm exposure across the wider region), this particular property profile is attracting relatively favourable pricing.
It's worth noting that Ulladulla's suburb-level premiums are considerably lower than the state and national averages, which may reflect the specific risk characteristics of properties in this postcode — or simply a competitive market for this property type.
---
Property Features That Affect Your Premium
Several characteristics of this property work in favour of a lower premium:
Brick Veneer Construction
Brick veneer external walls are generally well-regarded by insurers. They offer solid fire resistance and structural durability compared to timber or weatherboard cladding. This can translate directly into lower building insurance costs.
Tiled Roof
A tiled roof is considered a standard, low-risk roofing material in Australia. Tiles are durable, fire-resistant, and widely used — insurers typically apply no loading for this roof type, unlike materials such as thatch or certain metal profiles in cyclone-prone areas.
Slab Foundation
A concrete slab foundation is a stable and common choice for homes built in this era. It generally presents fewer concerns around subsidence or movement compared to older pier-and-beam foundations, which can be a positive factor in underwriting.
Built in 1989
At around 35 years old, this home falls into a mid-age bracket. It's old enough that some components (like plumbing and electrical systems) may be approaching the end of their service life, but it was built under relatively modern building codes. Insurers may factor in the age of the property, but a well-maintained 1989 build shouldn't attract significant age-related loadings.
No Pool, Solar, or Ducted Climate Control
The absence of a pool removes a common source of liability and equipment claims. No solar panels means no additional cover required for rooftop systems, and no ducted climate control simplifies the mechanical systems that need to be insured. Each of these omissions keeps the risk profile — and the premium — leaner.
139 sqm Building Size
At 139 square metres, this is a modest-sized home, which directly influences the cost to rebuild. The $479,000 sum insured works out to roughly $3,446 per square metre — a figure worth reviewing periodically against current construction costs in regional NSW, which have risen sharply in recent years.
---
Tips for Homeowners in Ulladulla
1. Review Your Sum Insured Regularly
Construction costs on the NSW South Coast have increased significantly since the pandemic. If your home was last valued a few years ago, it may be underinsured. Use a building cost calculator or speak with a local builder to sense-check your sum insured against current rebuild costs — not the market value of the land and property.
2. Consider Your Excess Carefully
This policy carries a $2,000 building excess and $1,000 contents excess. Opting for a higher excess is one of the most effective ways to reduce your annual premium, but make sure you can comfortably cover that amount out of pocket if you need to make a claim. Strike a balance that suits your financial situation.
3. Check Bushfire and Flood Risk Ratings
Ulladulla and the broader Shoalhaven region have experienced significant bushfire and flood events in recent years. Check whether your property has a specific bushfire attack level (BAL) rating or sits within a flood overlay zone. These factors can affect your premium and, more importantly, whether certain events are covered at all.
4. Compare Quotes at Renewal Time
Even if your current quote is fair, the insurance market shifts constantly. Insurers adjust their risk models, and a quote that's competitive today may not be next year. Make it a habit to compare at least two or three quotes each renewal cycle rather than simply auto-renewing.
---
Ready to Find a Better Deal?
Whether you're renewing your existing policy or shopping for the first time, comparing quotes is the single most effective way to make sure you're not overpaying. Get a home insurance quote at CoverClub and see how your premium stacks up against real data from your suburb. It takes just a few minutes and could save you hundreds of dollars a year.