Owning a home has always been considered part of the “American dream”. However, no matter if this is the first or fifteenth house you’ve bought, you will need adequate coverage for your new investment. Purchasing insurance for your home is an important step in the journey to walking through the front door of your new property.
If you’re new to homeownership, or perhaps it’s been a while since you last purchased a home and you’re interested in refreshing your knowledge, then you’ve come to the right place. This article will cover the types of insurance you can get for your home, how to ensure you have adequate coverage for your home, and how much is homeowners’ insurance. Keep scrolling to learn more!
How Do I Get Adequate Coverage?
One of the most important types of insurance coverage for homeowners is your personal property. This type of insurance pays to replace or repair items in your home. This includes things like furniture, electronics, art, and jewelry. We recommend keeping a home inventory of your personal items, especially items that are of particular value. This can not only help you maximize your claim payment it will also massively help speed up your insurance claim.
Another helpful tip is to not forget about liability coverage. While it’s important to focus on the contents of your home and keep an accurate record, liability insurance helps you pay for legal defense if someone sues you over any property damage or injuries that happen at your property. For example, if someone takes a nasty tumble in your home and sues you. This would be covered under homeowners’ liability coverage.
Another important tip is don’t automatically assume you are covered for natural disasters. Standard homeowners’ insurance policies do not cover events such as floods and earthquakes. If you live in an area that is prone to a certain type of natural disaster, you may need to boost your home insurance with additional policies to get adequate coverage for your home. Also, if you do live in a disaster-prone area, see if your insurance provider offers a “guaranteed replacement cost” or “extended replacement cost”. This will help you cover a sudden unexpected spike in home repair that may not be covered under your standard dwelling coverage. For example, if you like in a region that experiences tornados and your house is severely damaged, this type of coverage will help cover the cost of rebuilding your home.
How Much is Homeowners Insurance?
As with any insurance product, the cost of your homeowner’s insurance will vary depending on a variety of factors such as geographic location and the threat of natural disasters. For example, states in “tornado alley” tend to have higher premiums because the risk of catastrophic damage from summer storms is higher than in states like Oregon or Vermont.
The national average home insurance policy is $1,313 per year for $250,000 in dwelling coverage. However, you may be able to save on insurance premiums by looking into safety and prevention features that often earn a discount. Things like investing in monitored security alarms and installing deadbolt locks can result in savings on your premiums. Be aware that special deductibles might be hidden in your policy’s pages. For example, hurricane deductibles can range from 1% to 5% of the insured value of your home. This means if your house is insured for $200,000 and you have a 5% deductible, your insurance check would be reduced by $10,000.
If you’re looking to purchase homeowners’ insurance for your first home, or you’re looking to switch insurance providers, consider working with the experienced professionals at Dunham Insurance Services. Our agency’s driving mission is to reduce your overall insurance costs by providing the very best business, home, auto/marine, commercial and personal umbrella policies. Contact us today to get a quote and discuss the type of insurance services you need.