I’m currently working with several Dallas area families on their home insurance. These families include three families who are wanting me to evaluate their current insurance and see if we can provide them with lower cost insurance options than they currently have. The other two are first time home buyers that were referred to me. They want me to find the right level of insurance for them, save them money, and educate them in the process.
After gathering information on each of their homes, I prepared quotes for each family and am currently reviewing the quotes with them. Whether you’re a first time home buyer or wanting us to save you money on your existing home’s insurance, here’s how I explain the coverage outlined in each quote.
There are 10 broad parts outlined in each home insurance quote I present including:
- The home (dwelling)
- Contents or personal property
- Other / detached structures
- Personal property off premises
- Loss of use
- Medical
- Liability
- Foundation access
- Water leaks & back ups
- Deductibles
Home Coverage: This is the amount of coverage on the home. Each company I work with utilizes a replacement cost calculator to determine how much coverage is needed to replace the home in the event of a total loss. This number is generated from the data input into the system that Ben or any other homeowner provides me. It’s usually different from the purchase price and the value assessed on the home by the local tax authority. It should be enough to cover three things:
- Demolition
- Debris removal
- Rebuilding the home
Personal Property:Â Everything the homeowner moves into their new home is covered under personal property or contents coverage including:
- Furniture & decorative accessories
- Clothing
- Dishes & cookware
- Electronics, computers, tablets, etc.
- Jewelry, artwork & collectibles
- Lawn & garden equipment
The amount of coverage provided varies by insurance company and typically ranges from 40% to 70% for the home’s insured value. After explaining what this covers, I ask two key questions:
- Is this enough?
- Are there any items that need to be covered for their face value?
Most homeowners do not know the value of what it would take to replace everything in their home, so I suggest they review what they own and estimate what it would take to replace everything. If they own any jewelry, artwork or collectibles with a value over $2,000, I suggest they schedule that so these items will be protected for the full value.
Personal Property Off Premises: This coverage protects personal property that is not located in the home such as items in the car on a trip or items in a storage facility. The amount of coverage is usually 10% of the personal property coverage.
Other Structures: Coverage for other or detached structures applies to swimming pools, detached garages, fences and any other structure that is not attached to the primary home. The minimum amount of coverage required on Texas home policies is 10% of the home coverage, although some companies provide 20% as a standard offering. In cases where there’s a studio, pool home or guest quarters, this amount should be raised to fully protect it against loss.
Loss of Use: Most people could afford to stay in a hotel for a night or two if something happened to their home. How many people, though, could afford to stay in a hotel or rent an apartment or home for two weeks, a month, or even a year if their home were badly damaged or destroyed? Loss of use provides funds to rent a temporary home while your primary home is being repaired or rebuilt
Medical & Liability Coverage: Stuff happens and it sometimes happens in your home or yard. People fall or get hurt, a dog bites a neighbor’s kid, someone walks into a sliding glass door, etc. These two items are designed to protect the home owner financially when life happens.
- Medical coverage is designed to provide medical care for someone who gets hurt on your property (other than those who live in the home). Coverage ranges from $1,000 to $5,000.
- Liability coverage protects the homeowner if they are sued for negligence.
Understanding a prospective client’s life helps us recommend appropriate levels of coverage to protect them against the unexpected.
Optional Coverage:Â There are three optional coverage items I add to each policy if they are not included with the base home policy.
- Foundation coverage
- Water coverage
- Sewer backup
- Jewelry
Foundation coverage applies when there is a leak either in or below the slab. It covers the home owner when there’s a need to cut through the slab to access the water leak and then egress, fill it back in when the leak is repaired. This coverage does not apply to a slab that cracks or breaks due to erosion or soil movement.
Water coverage usually applies to sudden and accidental leaks and the damage caused to carpet, wood floors, sheet rock, etc. Sudden and accidental leaks that are spontaneous events such as a pipe that freezes and bursts, a water heater fails, or a dishwasher seal malfunctions. A few policies still provide coverage for slow leaks, either as part of the policy or as an option. When it’s available, I recommend that too.
Sewer backup is a separate coverage from water leaks. This is designed to cover a backup of the sewage or drain system into the home. As you can imagine, it can be a real mess when it occurs making this an invaluable coverage in such an event.
One of the items I like to discuss includes owning nice jewelry, artwork or collectibles. It is pretty common for a home owner to have an engagement ring or wedding set with a value greater than $2,000. The best way to protect such an item or items like artwork and collectibles is by scheduling them. This covers them at their stated value with little or no deductible and protects them if they become lost or stolen.
Deductibles: The deductible is the amount paid out of pocket by the home owner before the policy begins to pay. Texas home insurance policies have either two or three deductibles.
- Wind and hail
- All other perils
- Coastal areas may also have a separate deductible for hurricane
Most of these deductibles are a percentage of the home’s amount of coverage, either 1% or 2%, although I’ve seen as high as 5%. Some insurance companies do offer a dollar deductible for all other perils such as fire, theft, smoke damage, water leaks, etc. but all start with a 1% deductible for wind and hail claims.
Do you have a question, comment, or suggestion? Share them on the comments section of our blog or on our Facebook page. I’d love to hear from you!
