Major issue Aussie homebuyers ignoring

New Aussie homeowners are less concerned about wild weather and more interested in finding the best coffee spot when researching their new perspective suburb.

NRMA Insurance found through its Wild Weather Tracker data that just 26 per cent of homeowners who had moved or were planning to relocate researched their new property’s vulnerability to wild weather risks.

The concern about wild weather impacts ranked equal eighth on the list of what Australians researched when moving to a new property, with affordability (78.2 per cent) and public transport (40.2 per cent) ranking first and second respectively.

NRMA Insurance executive general manager for direct claims Luke Gallagher told NCA NewsWire only one in four Aussies were planning ahead by researching how weather could damage their properties compared with the 27.2 per cent of homeowners more concerned about their local cafe options.

He said the data highlighted people were “not cognisant” in understanding the implications weather could cause if a home was damaged or ill prepared.

“Affordability and transport may be at the top of the list but before you start thinking of the local cafes. you really should be considering what it means from a bushfires perspective, flooding perspective or what are the risks associated with east coast lows where you get long periods of rain and flash flooding,” Mr Gallagher said.

He said people living in rural and remote areas seemed to have a “greater understanding” of the impacts of wild weather, with 42.3 per cent of homeowners researching their local areas when buying.

“It’s more tangible for them, if we look at the experiences from places like Eugowra or Lismore … there’s a lot more understanding,” he said.

NRMA Insurance received 10,120 claims for wild weather damage to homes and vehicles nationally this summer, the lowest number received over a summer period in the last six years of tracking claims.

Most of the claims received were for damage to homes (7645), with nearly half (47 per cent) of all home claims across the country caused by severe weather.

Mr Gallagher said it was important people knew how to best prepare for potential damage and urged them to learn more about their area.

The advice comes as the research revealed 62 per cent of Australians don’t know where to find advice regarding weather risks in their local area, and 40 per cent of Aussies say they don’t feel prepared to respond to a wild weather event.

Mr Gallagher said people should consult their local state or territory emergency services for advice and reach out to local councils to learn more about what’s the best response available during a wild weather event.

He said people should also keep an eye on the Bureau of Meteorology for “practical information”.

“There’s things people can do, once you know and understand the risk, there’s things you can do to get prepared,” Mr Gallagher said.

“Autumn is a good time to get out into the backyard and trim low hanging trees and branches which can fall down in windy conditions.”

He also said people should inspect their roofs for blocked gutters to avoid water ingress damage in the future.