As a home buyer in our beautiful city of Vancouver, you have plenty of things to shop for: a home, lender, home inspector, and movers, just to name a few. Adding homeowners insurance to your list can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! Homeowners insurance is an important cost to consider when purchasing a home, but most people aren’t aware of what they need to look for in coverage options. As appealing as “bundling” your homeowners insurance may be with your car insurance, you should do your research and consider all options before signing on the dotted line.
I’ve outlined below the most important factors you should consider when shopping for homeowners insurance coverage, to help keep your home and family protected.
𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 –
Most people mistakenly think that their homeowners insurance covers more losses than it really does. Although standard homeowners insurance will protect you if a major storm hits, earthquakes, hurricanes and floods typically aren’t covered. When shopping for a home, make sure you know whether or not it is in a flood zone, as this can add a few hundred dollars per month to your policy. Live in an older home? Make sure you get exterior sewer and water line coverage, as most insurance companies don’t cover this, & repair or replacement could cost upwards of $10-15,000.
𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀 –
The deductible is the amount you have to pay out of pocket on each claim, and applies only to coverage on your house and personal property. Make sure when choosing a policy that you are comfortable paying the deductible if you have to make a claim.
𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 –
Replacement cost is the amount it would take to replace or rebuild your home, or repair damages with materials of similar kind and quality, without deducting for depreciation. Check the local cost of building a home like yours, not just the market value of your home. You could be responsible for the difference if you are underinsured!
Thinking about buying or selling in Vancouver? Reach out, let’s chat!
Courtenay Gayda
Real Estate Advisor – Engel & Völkers Vancouver
604-250-7063
courtenay.gayda@evrealestate.com
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