Home insurance can get complicated. There are a lot of big, fancy words, exclusions, additions, and fine print to contend with. Sometimes it seems beyond the comprehension of mere mortals. And that’s okay. We’ve got ten things you need to know about home insurance.
You might have heard that insurance companies will deny coverage for homeowners who have “dangerous” dogs – dog breeds that are on the insurance doggie blacklist. That can leave people in the dilemma of choosing their pet or their home insurance, which is a position that no one wants to be in. Your four-legged pal is a member of your family! We’ll tell you what you need to know about why insurance and dogs don’t always get along and what it means for you.
You’ll have to check with your insurance company to see which specific breeds they classify as dangerous, but the most common ones are…
It’s not that insurance companies don’t like dogs, and you may never have had any problems with your pet. It’s not personal against your four-legged friend, or against you. It’s the fact that dogs with tendencies of aggressive behavior are a major risk – they could bite and seriously hurt someone. Many of those bites require medical attention. Bites could mean lawsuits, which insurance companies don’t love.
If you have a dangerous dog, you might have a hard time finding home insurance, and if you do it might be more expensive than if you didn’t have the dog.
Of course, it all depends on your insurance company. If you’re shopping around for insurance, be sure to ask about your dog and what that means for your home insurance. Keep in mind that if you don’t tell the insurance company about your pet when you’re applying for insurance or if you get a canine friend without informing your current insurance company, they could deny future claims.
(You may also want to consider getting additional liability insurance – just in case.)
You might be a dog lover and experienced trainer who can handle one of the above breeds. You need to do your research by calling your insurance company and telling them what kind of canine you’re planning on bringing into your home. You need to ask about any consequences of adopting your new best friend. If they say that they won’t cover you anymore if you get the dog, you’ll need to research how expensive it will be to insure your home and canine elsewhere. The cost may be significantly higher.
Regardless of your pet’s breed, it’s important to be a responsible doggie parent. You need to reduce the risk of aggressive behavior, even if your buddy has never been mean in his or her life. There are a few things you can do to lower your risk.
When you’re walking your dog, use a leash that’s strong enough for your dog. Make sure that you’re always focused on your pup and their behavior. Also, put tags on the dog’s collar – you can even consider microchipping them.
The fence has to be tall enough to keep your dog in. It should be six to eight feet depending on how big your pooch is. Make sure that the fence is in good repair and that there aren’t any ways for your dog to stage a great escape – i.e. holes in the fence or ways they can burrow under. Just be sure that you choose a reputable fencing company to install or repair your fence.
Make sure that your puppy gets familiar with both people and other dogs. Take them to puppy obedience school to ensure that they’re trained properly – the point of the classes is to train the owner, too!
Getting your pet fixed can curb their territorial and aggressive instincts. Plus, it’s just being responsible.
If your dog starts growling or chewing, distract them by clapping your hands. Present them with a toy that’s appropriate for them to play with and chew on. You need to redirect their attention. Praise your dog’s good behavior and don’t reward bad behavior.
Show your canine friend love and kindness while also being a leader for them.
If your dog seems anti-social or unusually aggressive, talk to your vet. They can refer you to behavior professionals that can help you work through the problem. Take extra care when taking your dog out.
If you have a “dangerous” dog breed, you might have a harder time finding insurance. You might face higher premiums. It’s not that insurance companies have anything against dogs or pets. It’s just that they see certain breeds as coming with more risk than others. That’s why the “dangerous dog” list exists.
Need a quote for your home insurance or renters insurance? We’d love to help you out with that. All you have to do to get your free quote is fill out our quote form or give us a call today. We’d be happy to help you with any of your insurance needs and answer any questions you might have.
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How well do you know your home insurance policy? Are you best buddies, or casual acquaintances that only talk when they need something from each other? The reason that we ask is that it’s important that you’re familiar with your policy. See, there are these things called exclusions, meaning things that aren’t covered by the policy. We encourage you to reach best-buddy status with your policy so that you aren’t surprised by any losses that aren’t covered. It’s better to know what isn’t covered before one of those not-covered things strikes.
We’ve come up with a list of ten things that aren’t usually covered in your home insurance policy. You might be surprised at some of them!
Your Atlanta home is one of your greatest assets. A house is a big investment, but we know that it’s more than that. Your house is your home, your shelter. Sure, you might have the occasional maintenance issue, but you wouldn’t trade it for anything. And to protect your home, you need to make sure that you have the proper home insurance.
But that begs the question – how much home insurance do you need?
The answer depends on several things, but a lot of it comes down to how you choose to insure your home in the first place. You have different options. Let’s break it down into two parts – insuring the home itself (meaning the structure) and your personal belongings.
To make sure that you have enough insurance for your home, you need to check that you have enough coverage to handle rebuilding your home entirely if it were destroyed by a disaster like a fire. Now, you also have to take into account the cost of the contractors’ labor and building materials. This is your home’s replacement cost.
To figure out how much your home would cost to rebuild or replace, you need to consult a trustworthy builder. Find a builder that’s reputable to give you an estimate of what it would cost to rebuild your home, taking into account the materials it’s made of.
Okay, so here’s the thing – you need to let your agent know anytime you make a significant change to your home. These could be home improvements, like an addition or renovation. By renovating or doing home improvements, you could be altering the value of your home and thus how much home insurance you need. You might be changing the value of your home enough to need to adjust your limits of coverage. Another time to consult with your agent is when you have a significant lifestyle change, like getting married.
It might be tempting to go with a lower premium for your home insurance, but it’s worth it to get robust insurance with plenty of coverage. Besides, there are other ways to lower your insurance premium while still keeping high levels of coverage.
When it comes to insuring your personal property, again, you have options. You can insure your belongings for their actual cash value or their replacement value.
Actual cash value means that your home insurance company can reimburse you for the price of the items at today’s value, minus your deductible.
Replacement cost value means that you get reimbursed for the full cost of replacing the items, minus your deductible.
That might not seem like a big difference. But it is. You might want to insure your belongings for their replacement value because of depreciation. Basically, the value of your belongings might have gone down since you bought them, so the cost of replacing the item might be more than its current worth. With replacement cost, you’ll be able to replace the item with a new one without worrying about depreciation. With actual cash value, you might not get enough money to replace the item.
The easiest way to further explain is with an example.
Say that you bought some furniture a couple years ago. At the time it cost $4,000. It’s nice. Your home gets burgled and the thieves take off with your furniture. The only thing is that it is only worth $3,000 today. With actual cash value, you could get the $3,000 (minus your deductible) … but it might not be enough to replace the items that were lost.
Now, depreciation depends on the type of possession and its age, of course, but things sometimes lose their value over time. You need to be prepared for that.
Taking a home inventory is a great way to get an idea of the total amount of coverage you need. This will give you an idea of the value of all of your belongings.
Don’t forget about your expensive jewelry, silverware, furs, and antiques. You need to make sure that you have enough coverage for your jewelry and other valuables. They might exceed the limits on your home insurance policy, which means that you need to consider adjusting your insurance to ensure coverage for these items. You might need to get an extra floater or rider (basically an addition to your policy) to cover them.
To figure out just what insurance you might need, you have to have your treasures appraised. That way you’ll find out what they’re worth in today’s market and know how much they need to be insured for. Remember, you’ll need to have these valuables appraised every couple years to take changing prices into account.
Remember, the name of the game is making sure that you have enough insurance to cover everything, including the home itself and its contents. Peace of mind is worth it.
Insuring your home might seem like a headache. There’s a lot to think about and a lot of factors at play. But we can help you make sure that you have the insurance you need to protect your home and your family. Just give us a call or fill out our quote form and we’ll help you create a customized insurance plan that will protect your family from whatever life might throw at you.