As a homeowner, you know how important it is to have home insurance for your Atlanta house. It’s important to protect yourself financially in case something happens. (Houses can be very expensive to repair, after all.) But sometimes certain homes can be more difficult to insure than others, and that’s because they face risks that make many insurance carriers reluctant to insure them. For that reason, they’re sometimes referred to as “hard to place” homes. We’ll go over some of the reasons that a home might be considered “hard to place”.
4 reasons a house might be a hard to place home.
1. Natural disasters.
Though we don’t necessarily have many natural disasters in the metro-Atlanta area, natural disasters are one reason that a house could be a hard to place home. Homes in areas that are likely to experience a disaster like a wildfire, hurricane, or earthquake can be difficult – and/or expensive – to get insurance for. If you make some changes to your home to help it stand up to the weather, like reinforced shutters or a sturdy roof, that can help protect the house from severe weather. By taking steps to strengthen your home, you can help prepare the house accordingly for any ordeals it may face.
2. If it’s a vacation home.
Vacation homes can also be tough to insure. That’s because, since they’re not permanently lived in and remain empty for a lot of time, the owner probably wouldn’t know if there’s damage to the house. For instance, what if a pipe bursts or someone breaks in? The owner wouldn’t know about it right away. That’s why it’s so important to have a security system to alert you to any damage to the house. A vacation home is a special case when it comes to insurance.
3. “Dangerous” features.
If your house has equipment or entertainment that could be considered dangerous, that could make home insurance more difficult. So, if your house has a playset, pool, or trampoline, you could be liable if someone is damaged – err, hurt – on the property. The same goes if there’s a steep drop or body of water. That’s why it’s really important to have fencing to protect against natural hazards that might be on your property. And to keep people from trespassing.
4. If the home is on the older side.
Okay, we’re not trying to insult your home, but the reality is that older homes might have electrical or plumbing systems that are outdated. And if there are aesthetic architectural features, these can be very expensive to replace. Keep your agent posted about any updates or improvements you make to the home. This is important.
FAIR Plans.
Now, it still might be super difficult to find a policy on the standard insurance market. But every state has what’s called a FAIR plan (a.k.a. fair access to insurance requirements) program. However, these plans are sort of a last-ditch effort. And you can probably only get a FAIR plan if you’ve tried to get other insurance and taken steps to mitigate risk at your home. So, that could be a Plan Z when all other avenues are exhausted.
Getting home insurance might seem impossible, especially if your home has features that make it tricky to insure. But we would love to see if we can help. Not to brag, but we’re fairly decent at helping people get Atlanta home insurance. Get started with your quotes by filling out our online form, giving us a call, or messaging us on LiveChat. Reach out to us and we’ll help you go over insurance options that might work for you.