Why You Should Calculate Your Home Insurance

Introduction

Home insurance is something most homeowners take for granted, but it's actually a really important part of your overall financial plan. One reason is because this investment provides you with the financial protection you and your family need in case something unexpected happens. For example, if you lose your income or property due to natural disaster, windstorm, fire or theft — your home insurance provider will step in to cover your losses. But there are also other reasons to calculate your home insurance on a regular basis. Here are just a few reasons why:

When you ask most homeowners what they're looking for in a home insurance policy, they usually want one thing: to pay as little as possible. They want to save money on their insurance premium. And while that's probably the case, it's only because they don't understand how much they should be paying to get their property covered.

What is Home Insurance

Home insurance protects your dwelling from damage or destruction due to natural disasters, such as tornadoes, earthquakes, floods and hurricanes. It also covers damage to your home caused by theft, vandalism, fire and other disasters.

Your home insurance policy can help pay for repairs if a covered event occurs. However, you may want to consider additional coverage options that may be available at an additional cost.

How Much Homeowners Insurance Do You Need

How much homeowners insurance do you need?

When it comes to insurance, there are two main questions you'll need to answer before purchasing it:

How much coverage do I need?

How long will I be covered for?

The first question is straightforward. The amount of coverage you need depends on a number of factors, including:

What type of property your home is (e.g., single family or multi-family)

How many people currently live in the home (or how many are expected to live there in the future)

The value of the property and its location (e.g., a high-value home in a low crime area may require more coverage than a low-value home in a high crime area)

When Should You Recalculate your Home Insurance

When should you recalculate your home insurance?

If you have a change in your lifestyle, it's worth looking at whether your home insurance policy is still as good as it was. Changing jobs or moving home may mean that you need to adjust the amount of cover you have.

It's worth comparing quotes and getting professional advice when you're considering making any major changes to your home insurance.

What To Consider When Buying Homeowners Insurance

Buying homeowners insurance is a smart first step in protecting your home and its contents. Homeowners insurance protects you from financial losses due to perils that could occur during a covered period.

Here are some things to consider when buying homeowners insurance:

What's covered? Your homeowner's policy provides coverage for various perils that are covered under state law, such as fire, lightning and windstorm; theft; vandalism; smoke damage; accidental injury (including slip or trip); and more.

How much do I need? You can get supplemental coverages — like "umbrella" liability, umbrella property damage and vehicle replacement — from your homeowners policy if you have extra coverage needs or want more protection than what basic coverage offers. Just make sure the amount of premium doesn't exceed the value of your home (or its contents).