While no one wants to think about anything bad happening to their home or belongings, the reality is that it happens to people every day. Home owner’s insurance can grant you peace of mind that if anything should happen to your home, you will have the needed financial assistance to get it taken care of. This article will help you get started by teaching you a bit about home owner’s insurance.
When you move homes, be sure that your belongings are insured for the move. This may mean buying insurance from the moving company. Your homeowner’s insurance policy may also cover items that are damaged, lost, or stolen in transit. Check with your insurance agent about a “special perils endorsement”, which will protect valuables during a move.
Be sure to review your policy yearly to check and see if there are any discounts available to you. This may result from additions such as a security alarm tied to a monitoring agency, a fire suppression system, and installation of additional fire alarms. There also may be items in your neighborhood that can effect it such as removal of trees or additional fire suppression outlets.
Always purchase flood insurance for your home. Many times traditional insurance doesn’t cover it, and current events remind us all the time that flooding may occur in locations that don’t expect it. Losing a home to flooding waters and the damage that results can be extremely upsetting; make sure that you have an insurance plan in place in case something happens.
Look for ways to save on your policy. When remodeling, remember that cheaper materials may mean a boost in the cost of your insurance.
Before a flood strikes, you need to know what to do to be sure that your home is insured against floods. The only way to insure against the risk of floods in the US is via the National Flood Insurance Program (NFID), administered by FEMA. Insurance companies work with FEMA to sell coverage to homeowners. Therefore, always have a plan in place to cover flood protection, and know whom to contact at your insurance company in order to arrange for it.
Flood Insurance
If you want to be sure your home and belongings are covered in the event of a flood, the time to buy flood insurance is not the moment it begins to rain. Most flood insurance plans will not cover flood damage incurred within the first 30 days of purchase, so you need to make that call today, rather than putting it off.
When doing an insurance claim, solicit price quotes from trusted area contractors before getting your claims adjusted. Always save all documentation for emergency repairs you do, in case you need to make a claim. You should also keep track of any money spent on places you stay while you are waiting for your home to be fixed.
Value Items
If you have high-value items, they may not be covered completely by typical homeowner’s insurance. For example, expensive jewelry may need to be appraised, and then the insurer will issue a rider to cover the item in case it’s stolen or damaged. Make sure to mention high-value items to your agent, to make the process of filing a claim easier, should you need to do so.
Install a security system to reduce the cost of your home insurance. By installing a burglar alarm that is linked to a local police station you can decrease your home insurance annual premiums by 5% or more. Make sure that you inform your insurance company that you have a security system installed and be aware that they may ask you to provide proof.
Installing a security system in your home is a great way to lower your home owners insurance premiums. A savings of 5% or more is typical with the installation of a system that includes monitoring by local law enforcement or a central security center. Make sure to submit proof of the monitoring contract to your insurance company to ensure you receive your discount.
Make a paper list of your valuables plus take a video or photos of each item. Anytime a claim occurs, your insurance company will require for you to demonstrate proof of your belongings. A complete inventory that you periodically update will be very valuable in avoiding conflicts with your homeowner’s insurance carrier about exactly what you have. Place this list in a safe place.
Always remember to make policy reviews and comparisons to your homeowner’s insurance policy yearly. You can compare your policy costs with others to find the best deal, and you should always keep track of changes that have taken place that may lower your premiums. Changes such as installing a burglar alarm or even just taking down a trampoline could lower your premiums a bit.
If you reside in an area that is at risk for flooding or mudslides, consider looking into supplemental flood insurance. Standard homeowner’s insurance policies don’t cover floods or mud slides, but you can acquire this extra coverage through the government.
One way to save on your home owner’s insurance is to increase the amount of the deductible on your policy. Increasing your deductible can usually help bring your premiums down. Make sure, though, that in the case of a claim you are financially comfortable with paying the deductible amount you are choosing.
Home owner’s insurance is something that we all hope to never need, but in the case of a natural disaster or theft, it can be an invaluable thing to have. Taking into account what you have learned from this article, you now have the knowledge you need to begin protecting your home and family with this important insurance.