Everyone knows that homeowners insurance will cover any structural damage done to your home inside and out. Your roof gets hit by lighting and has damage? Homeowners insurance will cover it. A nasty storm knocked a tree into your kitchen and destroyed it? Homeowners insurance will cover it. But that’s not all homeowners insurance will cover. There are some surprising little known coverages in your homeowners policy. Such as:
- Any mandated upgrades. If an ordinance passed stating that all homes needed to have solar paneling, and you needed to get your roof fixed, homeowners insurance would cover the addition of the solar paneling. Check with your policy, because there generally is limits.
- Food replacement. Yup, that’s right, your homeowners insurance will replace any food that is no longer edible. Most policies will have a $500 limit.
- Are you getting sued for slander? Your homeowners insurance will defend and cover you.
- Did Marmaduke bite the postal worker? Your homeowners insurance will all damages associated with your pooch.
- Did your neighbor hit run over you with her bicycle? Some homeowner’s policies will cover your medical expenses. Homeowners insurance will cover a number of accidents similar to this. Scurich Insurance Services can help you navigate through the specificities of your policy.
- Rough winters. Rough winters can damage your pipes, the weight of snow on your roof can cause damage and other winter damages, can cause you to have to find temporary shelter with additional living expenses. Your homeowners insurance will cover your additional expenses.
To find out everything else that your policy covers, contact Scurich Insurance Services today.
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Source: http://www.bankrate.com/finance/insurance/things-your-home-insurance-covers.aspx#slide=1
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There are several steps you can take to ensure you are getting the best Homeowners insurance rates possible for the coverage you need:
- Before purchasing a home, it is wise to learn about its insurance loss history. If there have been past losses, be sure to inspect the home closely to determine if proper repairs were made. The CLUE and A-PLUS databases enable insurers to check the claim history of the property as well as that of the homeowner.
- Raising your deductible is a great way to reduce your premiums. Higher deductibles on your Homeowners insurance could produce savings of 25% or more.
- Consider upgrades to your home. Do you need to modernize your heating, plumbing, and electrical systems to reduce the risk of fire and water damage? Are there upgrades you could make that would reduce the risk of damage in windstorms and other natural disasters? You might be able to save on your premiums by adding storm shutters, reinforcing your roof, or buying stronger roofing materials. Older homes can be retrofitted to make them more capable of withstanding earthquakes. If you do make home improvements, be sure to make your insurer aware of the changes.
- Improve your home security. You typically can get premium discounts of at least 5% for installing a smoke detector, burglar alarm or dead-bolt locks. Some companies will cut your premium by as much as 15% or 20% if you install a sophisticated sprinkler system and a fire and burglar alarm that signals the police, fire department, and other monitoring stations. These systems are not inexpensive and not every system qualifies for a discount. Before you buy such a system, find out what kind your insurer recommends, how much the device would cost, and how much you would save on premiums.
- Buy your Home and Auto policies from the same insurer. Some companies that sell Homeowners, Auto and Liability coverage will take 5% to 15% off your premium if combine policies with them.
- Maintain a good credit rating. Most insurers use credit-based insurance scores to determine Homeowners and Auto coverage premiums. All else being equal, a person with a good credit score will pay much less for insurance than someone with a lower score.
Contact our office today for more information.
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Homeowners insurance coverage can be tricky. Some claims that one would think would be considered in the original homeowners insurance policy, are not (i.e. earthquakes, floods, etc.). Here are a few of the possible scenarios that are covered:
1. The sky is falling!
Chicken Little was onto something there. If meteors or UFO’s fall from the sky and crash into your house, your homeowners policy will have “open perils” policies to protect you from anything that isn’t specifically excluded. Falling objects are included in the policy. So if Marvin the Martian crashes into your home, theoretically, you are covered.
2. The volcano is going to blow!
We love the “open perils,” policies. Should Dante’s Peak destroys your house, aside from tremors or earthquakes, your homeowners policy should theoretically, cover your loss. Including if your house gets swallowed in a lava flow.
If you live in Hawaii, chances are you will also have a state-run volcano insurance coverage that you will need to look into.
3. It’s a Stampede!
We are being invaded by goats and cows! The cows just ran through home but the goats came and ate our sofa, gnawed on our furniture and well, destroyed everything.
Your homeowners insurance can over stampeding animals, as long as the animals do not belong to you. The animals must be wild and not domesticated.
4. Your loved ones tombstones.
Tombstones are a reminder of the loved ones we once lost. However, there are pranksters that will deface and defile tombstones, especially around Halloween.
Your loved ones tombstones are covered by your homeowners insurance.
5. The truly frightful
Some homeowners policies will cover certain costs related to a murder, suicide or an unattended death in your home. Not all homeowners policies have this option, best bet is to get a policy review and make any necessary adjustments.
Give us a call today for a complete homeowners policy review.
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Take care of your plugs. Charging our phones, iPads and laptops. Enjoying the big game on your flat screen television and a countless array of appliances for your parties.
Electrical fires are bound to happen. It is important that you should have your wiring inspected, especially if you live in a home that is over 10 years old. Here are some other safety tips to help prevent electrical fires:
- Get new electrical cords. Throw out all the frayed, loose, or damaged cords. Replacing these cords is a fairly inexpensive investment to protect your home from an electrical fire.
- Make sure you run extensions cords in areas that are visible. Do not run extension cords under carpets or across doorways where they can become a serious hazard.
- Child proof your plugs.
- Any electrical work should be done by a qualified, licensed electrician that has a good standing.
- Add more circuits our outlets by a qualified, licensed electrician so you don’t need extension cords.
- Use Instructions. When plugging in an appliance in an outlet, follow the directions of the manufacturer.
- Unplug appliances when not in use. Having too many appliances in one outlet can overload the outlet.
- Call your qualified electrician when you start noticing frequent problems with flickering lights, blowing fuses or if outlets and switches feel warm.
- Make sure all lamps are away from flammable objects and are leveled. Follow the appropriate wattage for each lamp.
- You need to have ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) in the kitchen, bathrooms, laundry room, basement and all outdoor areas.
- You need to have arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) should be installed to protect your electrical outlets.
Feel free to contact our office today for a review of your homeowner’s policy.
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Scurich Insurance Services has proudly served the Monterey Bay area since 1924. Scurich will take care of all of your insurance needs. Are you a business owner, did you get a new car or maybe you are looking to protect your family in the event of a tragedy? Give us a call, we can help!
Let Scurich Insurance Services know if you are a Happy Customer!
We are located at:
Scurich Insurance Services
320 East Lake Avenue, PO Box 1170
Watsonville, CA 95077-1170
Office: 1-831-722-3541
Toll Free: 1-800-320-3666
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