How to insure a haunted house

How to insure a haunted house

How to insure a haunted house

We all know that home insurance can cover some pretty scary stuff, but what if your house is scary all by itself? If you’ve got creaky doors, bubbling brews, and spooky, scary, skeletons, you might need more than your average coverage. So, here are some of the things you may consider when insuring a haunted house.

How to insure a haunted house.

Liability

Let’s start with the basics: A heck of a lot of liability coverage. Liability coverage for your home is the part of your insurance that can help you pay for medical bills, legal fees, and settlements if someone is hurt in your home. Considering there would probably be a lot of ghosts scratching people, making people fall people down stairs, throwing objects at people, and generally exacting their vengeance on all who dare to enter, the house would probably have to have a high limit of coverage, to say the least.

Personal property

On the same token, whoever owns that house (the living ones) should have plenty of personal property coverage, which can help you cover damage to your belongings due to:

A haunted house would be particularly prone to these types of risks, especially if the “throwing plates” thing is considered vandalism. So, the homeowners will need a lot of overall personal property coverage. They may possibly need high-risk home insurance carrier because of the heightened risk, since it may be tough for them to get normal home insurance.

Jewelry & valuable items coverage

The homeowners may or may not need this type of coverage, depending on if they have expensive items lying around or if the poltergeist was brought into the home through a valuable item. If they did need this coverage, though, they would need to add it to their policy. Homeowners’ insurance policies typically only cover valuable items up to a certain amount – and that amount is usually low. So, if a haunted ring was somehow destroyed by a covered loss because of the dark energy inside it, it might be a good idea for the homeowner to have valuable items coverage so that they could replace the ring with a similar, less haunted one.

Loss of use/Additional living expenses

If the situation got so out of hand that the homeowners were forced out of the home by the activity, they’ll want to check their policy for Additional Living Expense (ALE) coverage. ALE coverage can help give you additional funds to keep up your quality of living while you’re forced outside of your home due to a covered loss. For example, after a house fire, your property coverages could help you replace your items and rebuild your home. Your loss of use coverage, however, could help you bridge the gap between the cost of paying your mortgage for the month and renting an extended stay hotel room while your home is repaired.

Vacant home coverage

It would also be a good idea for the homeowners to read their insurance policy through to see how long their home insurance covers a vacant house. Even if the house is full of spirits, a carrier would probably still consider the home empty, which poses a huge risk for them. If a person isn’t living in the house, it becomes more prone to squatters and vandalism. If there were a fire, there would be no one to “alert the media” and protect the homeowner’s and the carrier’s investment.

Even if the homeowner was trying to sell the house, they may still need vacant house coverage if the home is on the market for longer than their home insurance policy will cover. Depending on the level of the haunting, it may take a long while before anyone takes the house off the owner’s hands.

Are perils that exist only inside of the home covered under a home insurance policy?

One of the more interesting questions our horror movie buffs had are from movies like 1408. When perils like fires or earthquakes happen inside of the home, but there are no visible signs of the event outside, are they covered by home insurance?

First and foremost, flooding and earthquakes are typically excluded from home insurance coverage. So, unless the homeowner specifically had policies for those perils, they wouldn’t even be able to start this conversation. That being said, what if the homeowner did have an earthquake or flooding policy?

One could argue that the damaged items inside the home could be covered. You could also argue that there’s no proof of widespread damage in the neighborhood. So, a carrier couldn’t be sure that the damage was due to a covered loss or just the actions of the homeowner. Either way, we suppose they would have to check with their carrier about if and how they would file a claim.

And so marks the end of our basic theories. These coverages may be the absolute minimum a homeowner should worry about if their house was haunted. Still, there could be a lot more coverage needed or a few more caveats that your homeowners’ insurance carrier might have about insuring the haunted house.

For now, you don’t have to be haunted by the thought that you don’t have enough home insurance. Just call our agents today! We’ll get you quotes from different carriers on the affordable home insurance coverage that fits you. To start getting your free quotes, just give us a call, fill out our online form, or LiveChat with a professional today!

10 questions an insurance agent may ask when you get home insurance

Be prepared to answer these questions from an insurance agent when you get home insurance quotes.

Be prepared to answer these questions from an insurance agent when you get home insurance quotes.

When you’re on the road to getting great homeowners insurance, you may be a little hesitant to disclose a few details about yourself. And we’re not talking about your favorite color. A home insurance agent sometimes needs certain, sensitive information that many people have been taught to hold near and dear.  The good news is that insurance agents know how to keep your information safe and use it to get great rates on your home insurance. So, here are some of the questions you’ll have to be prepared to answer to get home insurance.

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What to do if you’re moving and have to leave your Atlanta house vacant

If you're moving and you're trying to sell your old house, you may need vacant home insurance.

If you're moving and you're trying to sell your old house, you may need vacant home insurance.

If you’re moving, you might have to leave your current house vacant when you pack up all of your stuff and get it to the new house. But what happens then? You still need to sell your old Atlanta house, and it’s still a large investment. It’s worth money, so you want to protect it…but what’s the deal with home insurance? Will it still protect the empty house from loss? We’ll explain what you need to know in this situation.

First things first – look at the home insurance policy.

It’s important to look at the home insurance policy of the house that you’re moving out of. Typically, a home insurance policy will specify a certain amount of time that the home can be vacant. (For example, this limit might be 30 days or something like that.)

There is a reason for this. Vacant homes present more risk to the insurance company because there’s no one home to deter trespassers or vandals. There’s also no one to raise the alarm if a fire breaks out. Insurance companies don’t really like risk, so that’s why they tend to place these limits on vacancy.

Anyways, it’s always a good idea to know what your policy says. A claim could be denied if that time limit is up. And that would be bad – then you’d be on the hook to repair the home and recover from the loss. That could turn out to be a real financial hit without insurance to help cushion the blow.

But that’s not the only reason to know how long you can leave the home vacant if you’re moving and selling the house.

If your Atlanta home insurance carrier were to find out that your home was vacant and it’s past the allowed time, they may cancel or drop the policy. And that’s also not a great situation to find yourself in.

Moral of the story: stay in touch with your insurance company and let them know about your situation. They can help you.

How to insure a home if you’re selling the house and have to leave it vacant.

So, you’re probably wondering what you can do to protect that vacant house while you’re selling it. As we said, talk to your insurance company. They’ll be able to take a look at the specifics of your policy. You can talk about your situation with them and get some guidance as far as how to proceed.

For example, you might have someone moving into your house in a week and it’ll only be vacant for that long – and then it won’t be yours anymore. In that case, you might be fine to just leave your home insurance as-is.

But you might not have someone ready to move into the house. Maybe it appears that it’ll take a good amount of time to sell the home. (That can happen.) That might be a situation where you need to consider a vacant home insurance policy. What’s that? We’ll explain.

How does a vacant home insurance policy work?

To start, you might not be going through one of your super well-known insurance carriers with commercials on TV every ten minutes. You might have to find a different carrier that specializes in writing “riskier” homes – meaning they might write vacant home insurance. (And again, this might not be through the carrier that wrote your original, primary home insurance.)

But what about when someone buys the house and moves in? That’s kind of the goal, right? You don’t want to be in the position where you’ve gone and bought a vacant home insurance policy…only to not need it a month or two later. Insurance carriers are, fortunately, prepared for this very situation.

The first thing to know is that you might be able to get a vacant home insurance policy with a shorter policy period – for example, one month, three months, or six months. That way things are a little more flexible.

The other thing you should know is that you’re probably going to be able to get a prorated refund if someone ends up buying the house during your policy. You’d get reimbursed for the insurance that you didn’t need because the house sold. Ask about how the refund works with the vacant home policy you’re considering – and if you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask. At any rate, knowing ahead of time how you would be refunded for the extra vacant home insurance if the house sells can help put you at ease when you’re getting your policy.

So, that’s what you need to know about your vacant home in Atlanta if you’re moving. Make sure that it’s properly covered with the right insurance so you can avoid a major financial loss. You may need a vacant home policy to make sure that the house you’re trying to sell is covered.

Get Atlanta home insurance quotes by filling out our quote form, messaging us on LiveChat, or giving us a call.

8 things to check on your Atlanta home insurance policy this summer

It's important to check over your home insurance policy.

It's important to check over your home insurance policy.

The summer months are upon us, and that means it’s a great time to give your Atlanta home insurance policy a once-over. (Well, you could do that at any time of year, but why not sooner than later?) It’s important to keep an eye on your home insurance policy to make sure it still suits your needs. To help you with doing an insurance check, we’ve come up with a list of eight questions to ask yourself. (Don’t worry – this is an open notes quiz. We encourage you to dust off your home insurance policy and use it.)

8 things to check on your home insurance policy.

1. Have you taken a home inventory?

A what now?

A home inventory is basically just a list of all the belongings in your home, plus their value. It’s generally easiest to organize it by room. We know that the idea of wandering around, writing down a list of all your stuff might sound excruciatingly boring, but hear us out.

A home inventory can be extremely helpful. If you ever have to file a home insurance claim, you’ll know exactly what needs to be replaced. It can help make the entire process easier. You can even use your phone and create your inventory in Google Drive.

Plus, if you do file a claim, having a nearly-organized inventory can help add credence to your situation. It’s not that the insurance company doesn’t want to trust you and take your word for it; they’re just leery of insurance fraud.

Pro tip: Include photos and/or videos in your inventory.

2. Do you have enough coverage?

It’s also important to make sure you have enough insurance. It’s a good idea to cover your home for its replacement cost, which is the amount it would take to completely rebuild your house from the ground up. (You have to consider things like materials and construction cost.)

Also, make sure that you have enough coverage for your personal belongings. Replacement cost coverage can help you replace your belongings at today’s prices while actual cash value coverage gives you their depreciated value (which may not be enough to replace them.)

And, of course, you can’t forget about liability coverage. Your liability coverage can help you cover your legal responsibility to someone if they get hurt on your property or if you accidentally damage their property. It can help cover things like their medical expenses and your legal bills if they sue.

3. Do you have all the endorsements you need?

You may need to add endorsements (which are simply additions to the policy that amend coverage) to your home insurance to cover certain losses. For example, sewer back up is typically not covered by home insurance – but you can add a sewer backup endorsement to your policy so you’re protected from this, ah, unpleasantly smelly situation.

4. Are your valuables insured properly?

Many home insurance policies have a limit on the amount of coverage offered for valuables such as jewelry. (Sometimes it can be as low as $1,000.) If you have any expensive jewelry, artwork, valuables, or collections, it’s really important to make sure they’re covered. Have you acquired anything recently that might warrant getting some more insurance?

5. Have you thought about bundling your home and auto insurance?

Your home insurance and auto insurance can be bundled together if you get them from the same company. Bundling, or getting multiple types of insurance from the same carrier, isn’t just convenient – it’s also a way to score some possible savings. That’s because many carriers offer a decent discount for bundling. It’s definitely something to think about.

6. Do you have all possible discounts?

Speaking of discounts, have you gone on an epic quest for home insurance discounts? You might be able to save money just by qualifying for a discount. Talk to your insurance agent and see if you’ve added all discounts you’re eligible for. Has anything changed recently that could help you get a discount – for example, have you had a security system installed? (This is a common discount.)

7. Have you had lifestyle changes?

Have you had any recent life events happen? Maybe getting married? It’s important to let your agent know about that sort of thing. Also, if you’ve made any significant renovations to your home, it’s a good idea to let your agent know. It may mean your coverage needs to be adjusted.

8. Have you put together a disaster kit?

Okay, maybe this one isn’t strictly insurance-related, but it’s still important. If you don’t have a disaster kit, now’s a great time to put one together! A disaster kit is basically a bag of all the emergency necessities you would need in case a severe storm happened. Include things like non-perishable food, water, clothes, blankets, a flashlight and batteries, a first-aid kit, and so on.

It’s important to ask questions about your Atlanta home insurance policy and make sure that you have the coverage you need to protect your house. So, take the time this summer to go over your home insurance policy!

Get home insurance quotes by filling out our online quote form, messaging us on LiveChat, or giving us a call.

How to get insurance for an Airbnb in Atlanta

It's important to get the right insurance for your Airbnb.

It's important to get the right insurance for your Airbnb.If you’re thinking about turning your Atlanta home into an Airbnb, you’d be in good company. Tons of people in the U.S. alone have decided to start earning fairly easy money by renting out their homes to travelers. However, many Airbnb hosts start their experience without truly knowing the risks. So, how can you protect yourself as an Airbnb host? How do you insure an Airbnb? Let’s take a look.

Will my home insurance cover me as an Airbnb host?

A typical Atlanta home insurance policy is only built to handle everyday risks, such as visitors getting hurt or disaster perils. Even if your policy does allow you to have temporary tenants, insuring any space in your home as an Airbnb will be a bit different because of the sheer volume and variety of visitors you’ll have.

This means that you’ll likely need to insure the Airbnb as a type of commercial rental property. There are a few ways to go about insuring your home as an Airbnb. Each way, though, will depend on how much of your home is being rented out and how often you plan on listing the location.

Host Protection & Host Guarantee vs. Insurance for your Airbnb

It’s important to note that Airbnb does offer host protection and host guarantee plans per guest booking.

However, Airbnb specifically states that these plans DO NOT take the place of insurance. In fact, there are tons of conditions and exclusions that must be fulfilled for Airbnb before a host can be compensated using the guarantee.

At any rate, it’s usually better all around to talk to your insurance agent first so you can get the coverage you need and not depend solely on the host guarantee.

Make sure you have the right insurance for your Airbnb.

How can I get insurance for an Airbnb?

The type and cost of commercial property insurance you’ll need for your Airbnb will mainly depend on your house’s primary use.

  • If you still live in the home and are renting out a few rooms: Some carriers may require you to add an endorsement that lets them cover the risk of increased occupancy.
  • If you’re using the property solely as an Airbnb: You’ll probably need a separate commercial rental property policy. Remember, though, that insuring a single house or rental unit usually isn’t as expensive as insuring an entire apartment building, even if you rotate guests on a regular basis.

How much insurance do I need for an Airbnb?

When insuring personal belongings or decorations inside of your home/Airbnb, your carrier may let you choose how high your property damage coverage limit is. This is why it’s vital to take an inventory.

(Also, keep your deductible in mind if you do want to file a claim in the future.) In any case, check with your agent about your insurance requirements, what your policy already covers, and how high of a coverage limit you’ll need to choose to properly protect your home.

What will an agent need to know to get a quote for Airbnb insurance?

An Airbnb will face more risks than a typical owner-occupied house. So, there are specific details that your insurance agent may need to know when signing up for insurance or adding coverage to your policy. These are some of the questions you should be prepared to answer when insuring your Airbnb:

  • Is the property deeded in your name or under a business organization?
  • How many units are you renting out in the home?
  • How long will each guest be staying on average? What is the minimum amount of time a guest will stay?
  • What is your address?
  • What is the square footage of the home?
  • How many bathrooms are in the home?
  • What kind of finishes are in your house? (i.e. custom, builder-grade, etc.)
  • If the home is over 40 years old, have the plumbing, electrical, and A/C systems been updated? When?
  • How old is the roof?
  • What deductible would you like?
  • How much personal property coverage would you like?

Local laws and regulations.

As Airbnb and other sharing services grow, more and more city governments are regulating their practices. Some cities and towns may require specific notice or permits when running a short-term rental. Other towns may not allow Airbnbs at all. So, check your local laws on short-term rentals before setting up your home as an Airbnb.

Overall, Airbnb can be a great way to earn money and open up your home for travelers to experience more of your city. As a homeowner, though, it’s important to keep your house, as your investment, safe. While Airbnb’s host protection and guarantee plans may offer extra protection, it’s important to have the right insurance for your short-term rental so that any hosting-related claims aren’t denied when you need it most.

our agents can help you find affordable rates on Atlanta home insurance whether you need a typical owner-occupant policy or you need to add specific coverages. LiveChat with us, fill out our online form, or give us a call today to stop missing out on great home insurance coverage for the rates you deserve.

What is an HO-5 insurance policy?

An HO-5 policy is slightly different than an HO-3 policy.

An HO-5 policy is slightly different than an HO-3 policy.

When you’re talking about home insurance with your agent, they may mention a series of letters and numbers that can make your head spin. To start off, they may mention an HO-3 insurance policy, which is one of the most common in the U.S. However, what if you want more coverage than that policy has to offer? Introducing the HO-5 policy! Here we’ll tell you what it is and what exactly it can cover.

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What is a home insurance declaration page?

Your declaration page can give you an overview of your home insurance.

Your declaration page can give you an overview of your home insurance.

Home insurance policies can be complicated and overwhelming. There are a lot of pages, a lot of words, and a lot of insurance-speak. It would be super helpful if your Atlanta home insurance policy came with a summary that functions like a cheat sheet. Well, good news – that’s actually a thing! It’s called a declaration page, and it’s basically an overview of your home insurance. We’ll explain what this insurance cheat-sheet does.

Where’s the declaration page?

The declaration page (a.k.a. dec page) should be towards the front of the paperweight that is your insurance policy. It’s generally one of the first things you’ll find. And it should be conveniently labeled “Declaration page.”

What is in a declaration page?

Okay, that sounds all fine and good, but what stuff is actually included in this insurance cheat sheet? How do you read it? We’ll explain.

A home insurance declaration page generally includes:

The policy number:

The policy number should be listed on the dec page to make things easier for everyone.

Your name and address:

Well, that makes sense, right? The dec page should have your name and address on it, as it’s your house (and you) being insured. The dec page tells who and what is insured.

The insurance company’s information:

You may have to get in touch with your insurance agent or insurance company at some point, so their name, address, and contact information should be on your dec page.

The coverages you have:

This is the part of the dec page that gives you an overview of what coverages you’ve got for your home. The declaration page might break the coverages down into dwelling, personal property, other structures, loss of use, and liability.

Your limits of coverage:

The declaration page will outline the limits of insurance you have, meaning how much money your insurance will pay out for a covered loss. It’s important to make sure that you have enough insurance to fully cover the cost of rebuilding your home from the ground up, replace your possessions, and cover your liability.

Deductible:

The declaration page should also provide your deductible. The deductible is the amount you agree to pay in the event of a claim. Basically, you pay your deductible and the insurance company covers the rest of the claim. For example, let’s say you have a $1,000 deductible. If a falling tree causes $4,300 of damage to your home, you’d pay $1,000 and the insurance company would pay $3,300.

Endorsements:

Your declaration page should also list any endorsements on your policy. (An endorsement is an addition to your policy that can alter or add coverage.) For example, if you have an endorsement for sewer backup coverage, that will likely be listed on the dec page.

The effective/expiration date:

The dec page should also list the effective date and expiration date of the policy – which are two dates you should pay attention to.

Discounts:

The dec page can also list any home insurance discounts that you have for your policy. There are a lot of discounts out there that could help you save money on your policy.

Price:

The dec page should also give a breakdown of your premium and how much your home insurance costs. We understand that you might not want to think too much about how much you’re paying for home insurance, but if you’re ever wondering, you can check out your declaration page.

Limits of liability:

Your declaration page should also list your limits of liability insurance.

Additional insured:

If you have a mortgagee or a lending company, they should be listed on the declaration page. They have an insurable interest in the house because they’re the ones who have been lending you money for it.

Check over your declaration page.

It’s important to look over your declaration page to make sure that all the information listed there is correct and as it should be. If you happen to notice any typos or mistakes, kindly ask to have them corrected. It’s just for the best to have the mistake fixed so that your policy reflects all the coverage you purchased, the discounts you have, and so on. Make sure your name is spelled right, your deductible is what you asked for, your coverage is correct, and so on.

If anything’s unclear or you need some decoding on your declaration page, don’t hesitate to reach out to your agent. It’s important to make sure all the ducks are in a row.

So, if you have a quick question about the coverage you purchased for your home, the declaration page is a good place to start. As we said, it’s essentially the cheat sheet for your insurance policy. Just don’t forget to make sure all the information on your cheat sheet is correct.

Get Atlanta home insurance quotes quick by filling out our online form, giving us a call, or messaging us on LiveChat.

Source:

https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-an-insurance-declaration-page-2645728 

Atlanta Home Insurance 101

Find out the basics of home insurance in Atlanta.

Find out the basics of home insurance in Atlanta.

So, you’re looking into buying a new home. You, as well as your bank, will want to protect your investment. If you’re a first-time home buyer, insurance companies can throw a lot of terms and paperwork your way that you may not understand the basics of. So, to help you make an informed choice about the home insurance you need, here’s a crash course in homeowners’ insurance 101.

What is home insurance?

When a disaster or unfortunate accident happens, home insurance is a great way to make sure you have the funds to rebuild. There are plenty of different types of home insurance, but at their core, most homeowners’ insurance policies will include ways to help you cover the costs of property damage, medical expenses if someone is hurt on your property, and legal fees if that person decides to sue. So, let’s dig a little deeper into home insurance in Atlanta:

What does home insurance cover?

There are multiple types of home insurance, but most plans will provide these basic types of coverage:

Liability

Homeowners’ liability coverage is built to help you cover the medical expenses and legal payments that might come up if someone was hurt at your home. If a court determines that the injury was caused by your negligence, your home insurance’s liability coverage could help you pay out the friend’s medical fees, the legal fees of defending your case in court, and your legal obligation to the other party that may arise out of the case.

Physical Structure

What would home insurance in Atlanta be without being able to actually cover damages to your home? The property damage portion of your homeowners’ policy can help you cover damages to the actual structure of your home caused by:

  • Fire
  • Lightning
  • Windstorms
  • Hail
  • Theft
  • Vandalism
  • Falling Objects
  • Explosions
  • Damages from vehicles/aircrafts

Depending on your particular home insurance policy, you may be covered for more perils than those that are listed here. Some policies, like HO-3s, have a strict list of named perils, which means that the plan won’t cover damages caused by anything outside of the listed situations on the policy. However, some policies – like HO-5s – can also include an open perils section, where your insurance could help you cover damages due to anything that isn’t explicitly listed on the policy as not covered.

Home insurance in Atlanta covers a variety of perils.

Personal Property

Homeowners insurance can also usually help you replace the personal belongings inside your home if they’re damaged by the above perils. There are two ways to insure your personal property – for its actual cash value (ACV) and for its replacement cost value (RCV).

If you insure your belongings for their actual cash value, your insurance can only reimburse you for the value of your belongings at the time of loss – meaning its depreciated value. However, if you insure your personal property for its replacement cost value, your insurance can help you cover the cost of replacing the item at today’s prices.

However, there’s only so much that your insurance company can help you replace if they don’t know what they have to replace. So, make sure you make a home inventory of your personal belongings so you’re not stuck replacing everything in your home in an unfortunate situation.

Other Structures

Your home insurance can also help you cover the other structures on your property if they’re damaged. The other structures portion of your policy can help you cover damages to things like:

  • Detached garages
  • Fences
  • Sheds
  • Gazebos
  • And even your driveway

Loss of Use

Your homeowners’ policy can also help you with expenses and a place to stay when you can’t physically live in your home. Additional Living Expense (ALE) or Loss of Use coverage can help you with the additional costs of living somewhere else if your house is uninhabitable due to a covered loss. This part of your home insurance can help you cover costs such as:

  • Extended hotel, motel, or AirBnB stays
  • Eating out at restaurants
  • Doing laundry
  • Storage costs for your personal belongings
  • Moving if you’re displaced by a natural disaster
  • Boarding your pet if they can’t live with you during your temporary living situation
  • Gas costs for relocation
  • Renting furniture that you’re used to having every day

Keep in mind, though, that your insurance company will want proof of the cost of your normal standard of living. They’ll also want proof of the additional costs gathered while you’re not living in your house. This is because ALE is only built for the cost of maintaining your lifestyle outside of your home. So, if you’re used to making and eating modest meals in your home, your ALE probably isn’t going to cover ordering lobster dinners every night while you’re away. So, keep plenty of receipts, especially for things like groceries, hotels, gas, etc.

It’s also important to note that your ALE coverage can only help cover the additional amount you’re paying while you’re away. For example, if your mortgage payment is $1,200/month and you have to live in an Extended Stay hotel that charges $1,800/month, your insurance can only help you cover the additional $600 you would be paying for shelter per month, not the full $1,800.

Home insurance in Atlanta can cover other structures.

What doesn’t home insurance cover?

So, with everything that home insurance in Atlanta can help you cover, you may be wondering what home insurance policies exclude. Usually, home insurance policies won’t include coverage for:

While most homeowners’ insurance policies may not include these types of coverages normally, you can usually add on an endorsement or purchase a separate plan for perils and objects you would like to cover.

How much home insurance do I need?

When considering how much home insurance you’ll need, you’ll want to make sure that your coverage limits can help you restore your home and your belongings back to normal. So, it’s important to know the ways that carriers can choose to cover your structures and belongings.

Market Value vs. Replacement Cost Value

The first thing to know is that your home’s market value is not the same as its replacement cost.

Your home’s market value is the amount that your home would sell for. Your home’s replacement cost is the amount it would take to rebuild your house from the ground up – including the building materials and the labor of the contractors. That’s why you might end up getting home insurance for an amount that’s different than what you bought your house for.

Generally, you’ll want to insure your house for its replacement cost value to make sure that you have the right amount of home insurance. You’ll also want to talk to your agent if you’re considering an addition to your house, a structural addition to your property, or if you’re thinking about upgrading your pipes or your electrical system (which may even qualify you for a discount).

How much does home insurance cost?

So, here’s the big question – how much does home insurance in Atlanta actually cost? The true answer is that there are tons of factors about your individual house and situation that will determine your home insurance rate. So, your individual rate depends on:

So, it’s important to shop around for your insurance. Different carriers assess risk differently, so one carrier may price you differently from others.

So, these are the basic facts you’ll need to know about home insurance! Hopefully, you feel armed with knowledge when you’re shopping around for coverage. However, there’s a lot more that goes into getting your perfect home insurance for a great rate. That’s where our insurance professionals can help!

We have tons of experience with home insurance in Atlanta. So, we can take the hassle out of finding customized home insurance quotes. We’ll help you get the exact types of affordable coverage and limits you need. All you have to do to get started is call us today or fill out our easy online form.

Deductible, premium, and limit: 3 Atlanta home insurance words to know

It's important to know about your premium, deductible, and home insurance limit.

It's important to know about your premium, deductible, and home insurance limit.When you’re dealing with your Atlanta home insurance, there are a lot of vocab words – and numbers – that are important for you to know. You know that you need to get home insurance, but what do all those numbers and words mean? What are some of the things that you need to pay attention to? We’re going to explain three home insurance terms you should know: premium, limit, and deductible.

What is a home insurance premium?

Okay, let’s be real – this is probably the number you’re most concerned about.

And for good reason:

To put it simply, your home insurance premium is basically your home insurance rate. It’s what you pay for home insurance. So, yes, it makes perfect sense that this would be a number you’d want to pay attention to.

Now, you might be wondering how the insurance company decides how much your bill is going to be. Believe it or not, it’s not some sort of trick or mumbo jumbo like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat. It’s not a random number that comes from midair.

The truth is home insurance companies look at a lot of different factors about you and your house when they’re setting your premium. They don’t exactly do “random” or “detail-free” when it comes to insurance rates. For example, they may look at the following factors when setting your home insurance rates:

  • Your location
  • The crime rate where you live
  • The building material your home is made of
  • Your credit score
  • How close you are to a fire station
  • Your roof
  • Whether or not you’ve bundled
  • How much it would cost to rebuild
  • How old your house is
  • Any discounts you qualify for

So, that’s home insurance premium in a nutshell. The best way to find out how much your home insurance will cost is to get insurance quotes – and you can do that by filling out our online form or giving us a call today.

What is a home insurance deductible?

Another word to know (and number to be aware of) is deductible.

Your home insurance deductible is the amount you agree to pay towards a claim if you have a loss to your home. You have your portion of the “bill” per se and your home insurance will help you cover the rest of your claim. (You might feel better about the whole thing if you consider that they’ll probably be paying a lot more than you will!)

It’s easiest to explain the concept of how a deductible works by giving an example.

Let’s say you have a $1,000 deductible on your home. A tree very rudely decides to fall and hits your roof. Thankfully no one is hurt, but the tree did cause $5,500 worth of damage. You would pay your $1,000 and your insurance company would pay the remaining $4,500.

Your deductible can also play a part in your Atlanta home insurance rates. It can affect your premium (see, using those vocabulary words already!) because if you choose a higher deductible, you’re less likely to file a claim. And that means you could see lower premiums. However, you don’t want to set your deductible so high that it would be a huge financial burden to pay if you had a claim. You need to consider how much you could comfortably afford to pay if you had a loss.

What is a home insurance limit?

Your home insurance limit is simply how much your insurance would pay out for a claim. (It’s essentially how much home insurance you’ve purchased.) Your home insurance would tap out if your claim hit that amount.

When you’re setting your home insurance limit, it’s important to make sure you have enough home insurance to:

  • Completely rebuild your home from the ground up (meaning you should insure your home for its replacement cost)
  • Cover your liability
  • Replace your personal belongings

Again, it’s important that you have enough insurance. Protecting yourself financially means making sure you have a safety net that will actually catch you – not let you crash to the ground. So, make sure that your limits of Atlanta home insurance are high enough.

Protecting your home with the right Atlanta home insurance is easy when you work with our team. Get started with quotes by filling out our form or giving us a call today.

7 Atlanta home insurance questions: Am I covered?

You may have some home insurance questions.

You may have some home insurance questions.

When you’re getting Atlanta home insurance, you might have a lot of questions about what’s covered and what’s not covered. Home insurance doesn’t cover everything. (Which is why it’s important to read your home insurance policy carefully and comb through it with a fine-toothed comb.) Anyways, we’ve compiled a list of seven home insurance FAQs to give bite-sized answers to some common home insurance questions.

Atlanta home insurance questions

1. Am I covered if there is heavy rain and water seeps into my basement?

Flooding is not covered by home insurance. (And by flooding we mean a rapid and unusual accumulation of water on the ground where there is usually not water.) So, if your area is hit with some heavy rain and some water infiltrates your basement, creating a big soggy mess…unfortunately, it’s not covered.

You can, however, purchase a separate flood insurance policy, which can cover flooding and surface water from heavy rain. You can get flood insurance through an agent from the NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program) so that your house can be protected from flood-related losses.

2. If my sump pump fails, am I covered?

Home insurance policies usually exclude sewer backup and sump pump failure. However, you can add a sewer backup endorsement to your home insurance policy so that this kind of loss can be covered. (Sewer backup is not something that is very pleasant, so you may want to think about adding this coverage to your home insurance.)

3. Is my boat covered?

If boat theft occurs away from your residential property, no, the loss would not be covered by home insurance. You would need a boat insurance policy to cover the vessel and any accessories you have for it.

4. If my neighbor’s tree falls through my fence and ruins it, does their insurance pay for it?

No. Your Atlanta home insurance, though, should cover the claim. If it’s your fence or your home that gets damaged by your neighbor’s tree, your home insurance would be the one paying the claim, not theirs. Now, if your tree fell through your neighbor’s fence, the neighbor’s home insurance would cover it.

(However, if your neighbor’s tree falls as a result of their negligence, it’s possible that your insurance company could subrogate against the neighbor’s home insurance company to get your deductible back.)

5. Do I really need to take a home inventory?

It’s definitely a good idea to take a home inventory (which is basically a list of all your belongings, room by room.) First of all, it’ll help you know that you have enough home insurance to cover all of your belongings. Your inventory will also help if you have to file a home insurance claim because you’ll know exactly what needs to be replaced. And you’ll also have a bit more proof for your insurance company that you’ve lost what you’ve said you’ve lost. (Insurance fraud is a big deal.)

6. If my iPod is stolen from my car, is it covered by home insurance or car insurance?

Well … neither.

Most home insurance and auto insurance policies specifically exclude sound transmitting equipment (yes, including iPods) that are used in cars. So, if your iPod or sound equipment gets swiped from your car…unfortunately you might be out of luck. (You may, however, be able to add extra coverage to cover this sort of loss, but you’d have to talk to your agent to find a solution.)

7. How much home insurance do I need?

Ideally, you should have enough Atlanta home insurance to completely rebuild your home from the ground up, cover all of your personal belongings, and cover your liability. When you’re getting home insurance, it’s important to make sure that your limits of coverage are high enough to fully protect you from a loss.

These are some common questions about home insurance with convenient answers in bite-sized form. As always, it’s important to read your home insurance policy carefully to find out what it will cover and how it will protect you. And ask questions if you need to – questions are great!

If you need Atlanta home insurance quotes, we can help. Our agents can get you multiple home insurance quotes all while making insurance as easy as possible. To get started with your quotes, fill out our online form or give us a call.