It can happen in the blink of an eye. One minute, your house is intact. You look away from the stove for a minute, and something catches on fire. The flames spread, and you are powerless to stop the damage to your home. Are you prepared for this possibility? Learn how to protect yourself against this (and other dangers) with the following advice about homeowners insurance.
You must buy homeowner’s insurance. If you don’t have it, then natural disasters or thefts can ruin you. Many mortgages require you to take insurance, so be sure you understand your responsibilities.
Have your financial house in order before you try and enter into a real estate transaction. Check your credit report and credit score from the three major credit bureaus. If there are any inaccuracies, you will want to have those fixed. Unexpected hiccups in your financing can derail a purchase you are about to make.
If you are struggling to make the monthly payments on your homeowner’s insurance, considering raising your deductible. Just like with health or auto insurance, having a higher deductible means lower risk to the insurer and lower monthly rates. However, this should only be used with homes that are not likely to suffer small maintenance issues, as the homeowner ends up with those costs.
Take the time to inventory your home’s valuables by taking photos of these items, you’ll be glad you did if you ever need to make a claim. While this might require a bit of work on your behalf, the insurance company will need this information to provide an appropriate compensation value for any destroyed, stolen, or missing items.
When buying a homeowner’s insurance policy, what is excluded from coverage is sometimes more critical that what the policy does cover. Flood coverage, for example, is not typically covered in most homeowner’s policies, but can be purchased as a separate policy. The same is true for other natural disasters such as earthquakes.
When you buy real estate you need to be sure to purchase title insurance. It is a form of insurance which insures against financial losses due to defects in the title. The insurance company will defend the title in a possible lawsuit or reimburse the owner for his monetary loss. The insurance policy costs a few hundred dollars but in case of a lawsuit it can provide you with the protection you need.
If you are purchasing a home, consider purchasing flood insurance. It is not a given that your policy will include flood insurance. It can be very upsetting to lose your home due to flood waters; ensure that this type of damage is covered through your policy.
Get a “guaranteed replacement value” policy. This way, you are ensuring that you’re able to remain in the home you worked so hard to have. That insurance will allow you to completely rebuild a similar, new home.
Documenting and photographing your home and its contents will expedite any future claims. Make a list of all valuables in your home and take extensive pictures of the home itself, then store this evidence in a safe place such as a safe deposit box. If something ever does happen to your home you have all the data you need to back-up any claims and get them processed faster with less scrutiny from the insurance company.
You can reduce the premiums you pay on your homeowner’s insurance by setting up a security or alarm system. These are cheap to install and help you feel safer at home, but also when you are on vacation or working.
Homeowners insurance can help protect you financially in case an emergency occurs. Like the scenario at the beginning of the article, your house can be damaged in the blink of an eye. Apply the advice in this article to make an informed decision about insurance for your house and property.