HomeVital / HomeMax explained: benefits, limits and the fine print
Sompo sells two home insurance tiers, named-perils HomeVital and all-risks HomeMax. Here is what the published benefits state, and where the two plans actually diverge.
Sompo sells home insurance in Singapore as two related but distinct products rather than one plan with add-ons: HomeVital, a named-perils policy, and HomeMax, an all-risks policy with a wider scope. Both are aimed at HDB, condominium and landed home owners or tenants, but the difference between "named perils" and "all risks" is the single most important thing to understand before choosing between them.
Plan type and price
Both HomeVital and HomeMax fall under home building and contents insurance. The insurer's published page lists a minimum premium of S$54.50, inclusive of GST, though this figure is described as a minimum rather than a typical premium, and the actual cost for a specific home depends on property type and the sums insured chosen. Sompo's page also notes 1-year and discounted 3-year plan terms are available.
What the two tiers cover, based on the product page
- HomeVital is described as covering named perils: fire, flood, theft and burst pipes are specifically listed. A named-perils structure means the policy responds only to the perils explicitly listed, rather than to loss or damage generally.
- HomeMax adds all-risks accidental cover on top of the same broad categories, meaning it is designed to respond to accidental loss or damage more generally, not only to the specific list of named perils. This broader scope is the main reason HomeMax sits above HomeVital in the range.
Beyond that core distinction, the published benefits scale up together with the tier:
- Personal liability: S$500,000 under HomeVital, rising to S$1,000,000 under HomeMax.
- Alternative accommodation: up to S$50,000 under HomeVital, up to S$100,000 under HomeMax.
- Home contents: cover from S$20,000, and renovations or fixtures from S$30,000, as starting sums insured across the range.
- Valuables at an agreed sum insured: listed specifically under HomeMax, for specified articles such as jewellery or watches, which is a feature the narrower HomeVital plan does not list.
- Extras common to both: debris removal, lock replacement, temporary storage, and household removal assistance.
- 24-hour home assistance services, listed as a feature of the range generally rather than tied to one specific tier on the retrieved page.
What the published page does not resolve
The starting sums insured for contents and renovations, S$20,000 and S$30,000 respectively, are listed as starting points rather than fixed amounts, so the actual sum insured for a specific home depends on the declared value at the point of quotation. The product page also references a building reinstatement cost basis and a time-limited promotional discount, both of which are date-sensitive and should not be assumed to still apply; a promotion advertised on the page at one point in time is not a permanent feature of the product's pricing.
What actually governs a claim
Sompo has published separate policy wording documents for HomeVital and for HomeMax, along with a general brochure and a claims procedure document. Where a benefit figure or exclusion in this article, or on the product page, differs from what the applicable wording states, the policy wording governs, and it is the document to check for exclusions, the claims process, and any conditions attached to a specific benefit like the alternative accommodation or valuables cover.
What to check before choosing between them
- Would an all-risks structure actually change the outcome of a plausible claim for your home? If most of your realistic risk, fire, flood, theft, burst pipes, falls within HomeVital's named perils, the extra cost of HomeMax's broader scope may not be necessary.
- Do you own valuables that need to be specifically scheduled? HomeMax's agreed-sum valuables cover is only useful if you actually itemise the relevant items with the insurer.
- Is the personal liability limit adequate for a high-rise or landed property, where water damage to a neighbouring unit or a visitor injury could exceed the lower HomeVital limit.
Talk to an advisor
Deciding between HomeVital's narrower, lower-cost cover and HomeMax's broader protection depends on your property type, your contents' value, and what you actually own that might need to be scheduled. A licensed advisor can help you size this correctly. Use the portal's advisor matching to find one, or try our plan comparison to see both tiers alongside other home insurance plans.
Sources
This content is educational information from a licensed advisor, not financial advice. Product details vary by insurer — verify specifics with an advisor.
