3 Tips for Understanding Home Insurance

After you first buy a home, the process of getting together all of your paperwork and funds is exhausting even without the need to consider home insurance. It's why many people end up choosing a policy that's based on little more than convenience and cost. They only learn more about their plan when they're forced to file a claim. Here are a few tips that may be able to put home insurance into perspective for you.

Home Insurance Is Not Necessarily Required

If your home has a mortgage or other financing, then that lender will likely require you to have home insurance. The parameters of the coverage may vary. The idea is the lender is not going to allow a covered event to destroy their investment in your property. However, if you own your home outright, you don't necessarily have to buy coverage. You should still have a policy to avoid serious damage, and some HOAs even require it. But it's worth knowing that not every homeowner has to have a policy.

Home Insurance Does Not Always Cover Personal Property

Some policies will cover the grounds and structure of your home only. That leaves you to replace your personal property should it become damaged. When home buyers first move in, they may be furnishing the home with secondhand furniture and clothing. But as you accumulate more things, you need to consider the possibility of how you'll replace them should they get destroyed or stolen. Generally, it is easy to add personal possessions coverage to your policy.

Home Insurance Is Flexible

There are certain things that home insurance generally does not cover. If you live in a state like California for instance, it's not going to cover earthquake damage unless you get a specific rider for it. Riders are essentially additions to your policy that give you special coverage for certain types of damage. Your policy will usually list what incidents are and are not covered. It pays to research what's protected before you assume.

Home insurance is a complicated matter. When there are so many unforeseen ways for property to sustain damage, it's impossible to list or even predict every event. Staying practical about your policy starts by asking questions to get a better idea of how your carrier can handle a complicated claim. Each company will have its own rhythms that contribute to the final benefit of your coverage.

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