Specialty Item Coverage Review: Reappraise & Cover

Whether you are a collector of fine art or you have a garage full of vintage cars that are the envy of the neighborhood, you likely added them to your homeowners insurance when you purchased them and thought your job was done. After all, in the event of a catastrophic event — fire, flood, burglary — you thought your items were fully covered. It is worth delving more deeply into this subject, though, because you might be surprised to learn that your current insurance policy is not providing you with the coverage you thought it was.

Riders for Special Items

When you insure items that are extraordinary, your regular insurance simply might not provide enough coverage. Its limits could be far less than what the item is worth. Instead, ask your insurance agent about a specialty rider that is geared only toward that specific item or collection of items. Depending on the details, such a rider could cost you a few hundred dollars more for your insurance. The peace of mind you gain by adding such a rider is well worth the extra cost.

Reappraise Extraordinary Items

Before your fine art or jewelry was insured, you had it appraised to determine its value. Reappraising items such as this at least every two years helps keep your insurance on pace with their value. Most high level possessions continue to climb in value which means they could easily outstrip their levels of insurance coverage if you do not keep tabs on it. Regular appraisals will help ensure that inflation and valuation are kept to current levels in the event of a loss.