One of the victims of this week’s fire in Auckland learned the hard way that it’s a good idea to purchase insurance before moving to a new home.

Website Stuff.co.nz reported that a trio of flatmates – couple Angela Matti and Emir Sert, and their friend Georgia Spears – returned home to find that their flat in West Auckland was destroyed by a fire and 90% of their belongings were severely damaged. The couple also lost their new four-month-old puppy in the blaze.

“It’s sounding more and more like a freak accident,” Matti told Stuff. “It’s just so unreal.”

“Our house was bright and warm and was always open to our friends. Now it just looks like a dark, scary home.”

Fortunately for the couple, Matti is an insurance professional and had insured both the home and their belongings. However, Stuff reported that their friend Spears had only moved into the flat two weeks before the fire – and had not yet sorted her insurance. Now having to incur the cost of what she lost, Spear’s situation shows that putting off buying insurance can have hefty consequences when disaster strikes

To help with the costs, a friend set up a Givealittle page to raise funds for the trio.

“Any funds that are raised are to be spent on whatever the couple and their flatmate need in this time of loss,” the page says.