Deacon & Hoover Real Estate Advisors LLC
Alex Deacon, Deacon & Hoover Real Estate Advisors LLCPhone: (412) 613-4435
Email: [email protected]

Homeowner's Insurance Coverage: The Basics

by Alex Deacon 12/30/2022

Homeowner's insurance is an important piece of the home ownership puzzle. Because almost all mortgage lenders require proof of insurance, having a policy is more of a necessity than an option. However, many potential homeowners aren't clear about what a homeowner's insurance policy covers. While each policy is customizable and has varying details depending on the insurer, there are a few basic commonalities to remember:

Damage to the Interior or Exterior of the House

A homeowner's insurance policy will compensate you financially for damage to your house. Damage from fire, lightning, hurricanes, vandalism and other disasters are typically included in a basic homeowner's insurance policy. However, they usually don't include flood damage, earthquakes or damage from poor home maintenance. These other situations require additional customization or even separate policies depending on where you live.

The personal contents of your home are also covered by homeowner's insurance if lost in a disaster. While this can certainly help recoup losses from damaged appliances, clothing, furniture and other belongings, there's usually a dollar limit on how much the insurer will cover.

Personal Liability for Damage or Injuries

Personal liability coverage helps protect you from lawsuits filed by other people. It covers everyone in the household, including your pets. This helps you avoid paying the bill for accidents suffered on your property in case the other party decides to sue. This part of your policy usually comes with a cap you can increase by paying a higher premium.

Temporary Housing in Case of Rebuilding or Repair

Part of your homeowner's insurance policy includes "additional living expenses" which can pay for a hotel or house rental if your home needs to be repaired or rebuilt. This part of the coverage will reimburse you for rent, hotel rooms, restaurant meals and other costs you might incur while waiting for your home to return to a habitable state. Additional living expenses covered by insurance have a daily limit you can increase by paying more for your coverage.

As with any type of insurance, homeowner's insurance is different from one policy and provider to the next. However, keep these basic things in mind as a place to start when looking deeper into your options.

About the Author
Author

Alex Deacon

Why work with The Alex Deacon Team?

More than six decades of combined team experience
Combined sales over 1,100 in 20 years
The average agent works by themselves or is inexperienced
The average agent is in and out of the business in less than 5 years
The average agent according to national statistics sells less than 8 homes a year
Our team concept allows us to do a large volume of business, keeps our finger on the pulse of the market by doing such volume, giving our clients outstanding service because everyone on the team has a certain skill set and experience level and we all work together to give you the best of each of our individual skills.
Unique programs like our Guaranteed home sale or commission free program just as one example.
We can cover a large area being a team verses one agent.
Huge personal data base of past, present and potential clients that we will expose your home.