Posts Tagged ‘Improvements’
Worst Case Scenario: Will Your Home Buildings Insurance Cover You?
Nobody likes to consider the ramifications of a worst case scenario, least of all the financial consequence. However, did you know that if a major storm (of the likes we experienced in the UK in the late 1980s) struck the UK today, almost one-half of all homes in the UK would have inadequate home buildings insurance to cover the cost of repairs!
Valuation of your home buildings insurance – is it being done correctly?
Before you consider the value of your home, ask yourself a quick couple of questions:
- what is the principal reason why you have home buildings insurance?
- who assess the value of your home buildings insurance?
In most cases, the answer to the first question is you need to have home buildings insurance because it is a requirement under your mortgage agreement. The answer to your second question is also likely to be your home mortgage provider, because they feel they know the value of your home better than you do. So, what’s the problem? Well, the problem is, each year your home mortgage is going down, but hopefully the value of your home is going up. As your insurance is principally to cover your outstanding mortgage, a disparity - between the value of your home and the outstanding mortgage amount - will rapidly arise. Therefore, it is vital that you keep control of valuing your home for home buildings insurance purposes and always ensure that the insurance relates to the actual value of your home, not the outstanding mortgage amount.
Improvements to your home – are they being included?
Likely as not, over time you are going to do some building work to your home. Maybe you’ll add an extension. Put in a greenhouse. Add a conservatory. Etc. The question is – are all of these add-ons being included in the additional value they bring to your home, or are you only continuing to insure the main part of the home that was part of the original policy?
Increased costs – have you factored these in?
Nearly every insurance policy comes with an excess amount. Essentially what this means is that you have to pay a threshold amount before you can claim against the insurance company. Fine, let’s take an example: say you bought your home in 1980 and set the threshold amount at £500. Would you get more or less in materials and labour today if you were still maintaining an excess sum of £500? Answer, far less and you’d be claiming on your insurance far sooner, which in turn means your premiums are likely to be higher.
As you can see then, home buildings insurance is not as simple as guessing what you think the value of your home is. It takes certain precision and year-on-year upkeep if you want to make sure you’ll be sufficiently insured should the unfortunate worst case scenario occur.
Tags: 1980s, Add Ons, Buildings Insurance, Consequence, Conservatory, Disparity, Greenhouse, Home Buildings, Home Mortgage, Improvements, Insurance, Insurance Cost, Insurance Cover, Insurance Purposes, Mortgage Agreement, Mortgage Amount, Mortgage Provider, Principal Reason, Ramifications, Worst Case ScenarioRelated posts
Home Insurance Rates - They Are Not Getting Any Cheaper
With more and more home insurance rates increasing dramatically, homeowners are wondering if the costs are even worth the coverage. The fact is that you should always keep homeowners insurance. Your home is likely your largest investment. Therefore, it is extremely important to make sure it stays insured. You would never drive around in your car without insurance, so don’t live in your home without insurance. Tornados, hurricanes, and earthquakes are things that are rarely predicted with much warning, so home insurance is vital. To get better home insurance rates, consider these tips.
Anytime you do things that will protect your home more, your home insurance rate will likely decrease. You don’t have to do anything drastic to get the decrease, but you do need to prove to your insurance company that your improvements are helping to protect your home better. One thing many people choose to do is install a home alarm system. Most home insurance companies will lower your rates if you have a working home alarm system. You can get one installed professionally, or visit your local home safety store for a do-it-yourself kit.
Another thing you can do is update your home’s structural components. For instance, if you live in a hurricane zone, you may want to consider adding a hurricane roof to your home. These safety roofs are designed to hold up much better during natural disasters. Your home insurance rates may decrease after adding something like this to your home.
If you are thinking of improving your home in order to get lower home insurance rates, you might want to contact your insurance company before you make any changes. Find out what improvements will allow your rate to decrease and focus on those changes. Your insurance company will be happy to work with you on planning the most appropriate changes. After all, they want to see your home stay in shape as much as you want to.
Tags: Car Insurance, Contact, Earthquakes, Home Alarm System, Home Insurance Companies, Home Insurance Rate, Home Insurance Rates, Home Safety, Homeowners Insurance, Hurricane Roof, Hurricane Zone, Hurricanes, Improvements, Insurance, Insurance Company, Insurance Homeowners, Natural Disasters, Roofs, Safety Store, Shape