Checking your insurance cover in 2026: the most common coverage gaps and how to avoid costly mistakes
Well insured in 2026? Many customers underestimate these 5 risks.
Severe weather is on the rise: is your insurance cover still up to date?
The images of the past few days speak for themselves: flooded streets, waterlogged cellars, damaged roofs and fallen trees. Heavy rain, flooding and severe thunderstorms are currently hitting many regions of Germany particularly hard. For many of those affected, the crucial question only arises after the damage has occurred: am I adequately insured at all?
When the weather becomes more extreme, the risks rise too
Extreme weather events are occurring more and more often. What used to be considered a once-in-a-century event is no longer a rarity in many places today. The consequences can be considerable: damage to the house, to home contents, to vehicles or even buildings being unusable for longer periods.
Many people assume that such losses are automatically covered by their existing insurance. In practice, however, it often turns out that important components are missing or that the insurance cover no longer suits the current life situation.
A good time to review your cover
As an insurance broker, I recommend that you take the current severe weather events as an opportunity to critically review your existing insurance cover.
The following questions are particularly important:
- Do you have natural hazards insurance (Elementarschadenversicherung)?
- Are your buildings insurance and home contents insurance still up to date?
- Is the sum insured sufficient in the event of a claim?
- Is damage caused by sewage backflow covered?
- Have conversions or modernisations been taken into account?
- Are new risks such as photovoltaic systems, heat pumps or wallboxes correctly insured?
With older contracts in particular, it pays to take a close look, because many risks have changed in recent years.
Businesses should act now too
It is not only private individuals who are affected. For businesses, severe weather can quickly have considerable economic consequences. Damaged stock, production outages, business interruptions or the failure of important IT systems can cause high costs.
A review makes particular sense for:
- Craft businesses
- Retailers
- Logistics companies
- Farms
- Hotels and restaurants
- Property management companies
In addition to insurance cover, the company's emergency and business recovery planning should also be considered.
Prevention remains the best protection
Insurance cover is important. But it is even better to avoid damage wherever possible. Even simple measures can help:
- Check backflow valves regularly
- Keep gutters and drains clean
- Do not store valuables permanently in the cellar
- Keep mobile flood protection measures ready
- Draw up emergency plans
- Back up insurance documents digitally
The better the preparation, the smaller the financial and organisational consequences of a loss often are.
My advice as an insurance broker
Many of my customers use current events as an occasion for an insurance check. The point is not to take out additional contracts, but to determine whether the existing cover matches the actual risk situation.
The recent storms show how quickly considerable damage can occur. Anyone who reviews their insurance cover regularly reduces the risk of unpleasant surprises when it matters.
Conclusion
Extreme weather is increasingly becoming part of our everyday lives. This makes it all the more important to make provisions early and to review existing cover regularly.
Checking your insurance cover today creates security for tomorrow. If you are unsure whether your contract still suits your current situation, now is a good time for an individual review.
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