Home insurance protects the biggest investment of your life – your home. In the event of a natural disaster, such as a fire, it’s important that you have adequate insurance coverage.
But how do you know how much insurance you need? It’s important to check all the standard coverages on your policy, adjust the amounts if necessary, and consider additional coverages to fill in any significant gaps.
How do you choose the right insurance coverage for your home?
The term “dwelling” essentially refers to the structure of the home. Insurers will pay to rebuild or repair your home if it has been destroyed by a disaster such as fire, hail, or lightning.
Note: The cost of rebuilding or repairing your home is covered up to the maximum amount insured. If your home was not adequately insured, you will not receive enough money to completely rebuild your home.
Standard home insurance.
Homeowners insurance should be based on the cost of rebuilding a home in your area, based on local construction costs and materials. If there is no builder in your family, you won’t know this figure, but your home insurance can give you a rough estimate.
Home insurance coverage amounts should be updated regularly, annually if necessary, to reflect changes in local labor and material costs.
Current standard home insurance policies cover the structure of the home against problems other than damage that is specifically excluded. These exclusions are stated in the policy and typically include floods, earthquakes, nuclear disasters, mold, and other problems.
Getting the best home insurance
Adequate coverage for rebuilding your home is the foundation of good home insurance. However, even the “right” coverage may not be enough. After a major natural disaster, such as a tornado, the demand can drive up the cost of materials and labor. In such cases, insurance can provide peace of mind.
Extended replacement value: Some (but not all) home insurance companies offer extended replacement value services. This feature can provide additional coverage of 10% to 50% or more to absorb a sudden increase in value. Pure, for example, offers an additional 100% replacement value coverage for policies covering expensive homes.
Choosing the right home insurance
Household insurance covers the value of your furniture if it is damaged or destroyed. This includes furniture, jewelry, clothing, electronics, toys, and appliances. A good way to take stock of your possessions and determine how much home insurance you need is to take an inventory of your home.
Replacement cost for better protection
Some policies cover “actual cash value,” but it’s generally advisable to cover “replacement cost.” In this case, you will be reimbursed for the cost of purchasing a new vehicle, not the loss of value of the destroyed vehicle.
Adjusting property insurance coverage
Most home insurance policies have a standard percentage of coverage for household goods. The delay can be 50% of the home insurance. If a home is insured for $300,000, $150,000 is needed to replace the furniture. This amount may not be enough to cover the furniture, carpets, clothing, and other items you want to replace. You can get better coverage by upgrading your homeowners insurance.
Theft limits.
Many standard policies also limit coverage to the theft of certain items, such as jewelry, watches, precious and semi-precious stones, and silverware. In a typical home insurance policy, coverage for jewelry theft is usually limited to $1,500. To account for this, expensive items can be “scheduled” for full coverage.
Property insurance for “open risks”.
Traditional home insurance covers property damage caused by the 16 “perils” listed in the policy. These risks include all possible problems such as fire, lightning, and explosions. However, limiting coverage to 16 perils could result in gaps in coverage.
Instead, purchase an all-risk policy that covers “open perils” or “all risks” to better protect your property.
Getting the best liability insurance
Homeowners often focus on insuring their property as part of their homeowners insurance. But liability insurance is just as important.
Liability insurance pays for court orders and settlements if you, your family, or your pets are sued for an accident or property damage. It also covers legal defense costs. For example, if you are sued because you were bitten by your dog, your liability insurance will pay the costs.
By default, the owner’s liability insurance can only cover 100,000 USD. However, this amount will not be enough if you are faced with an expensive lawsuit.
To get adequate liability coverage, it is easy to purchase umbrella insurance. Umbrella insurance is a supplement to your home or auto insurance, which provides liability coverage. Umbrella insurance can cost millions of dollars and adequately cover your property.
Adequate Loss of Use Coverage
If you are unable to live in your home while repairs are being made due to a disaster, you will receive loss of use or additional living expense coverage to reimburse you for the additional costs of relocating to another location. If you rent a portion of your home, you may be compensated for the loss of rental income.
By default, the loss of use benefit can be up to 20% of the housing benefit. This may not be enough to cover the additional costs of hotels and restaurants. You can increase the loss of use coverage.
Natural disasters not covered by home insurance
Some natural disasters, such as floods and earthquakes, require additional insurance. Both of these natural disasters are generally excluded from homeowners insurance.
- Flood insurance is offered by FEMA and by private flood insurance companies.
- Earthquake insurance is offered by many home insurance companies. In California, many insurance companies offer coverage through the California Earthquake Authority.
- In some coastal areas, such as Texas, homeowners must purchase hurricane insurance separately from their homeowners insurance.
Additional coverage is required.
Depending on your situation, you may need additional coverage that is not included in your standard policy. This can usually be done through additions or supplements to the basic policy.
Home Business Insurance
If you run a home-based business, you may need business liability and property insurance, especially if clients come and go. For example, if a client is injured in your office, you will need business liability insurance.
About Author
Lily Poole is a Property and Home Insurance officer by profession. She is pretty well experienced in the brooklyn renters insurance and accounting field and has an impressive profile in the training and development industry.
