What Is the Right Amount of Homeowners Insurance?
Choosing the right amount of
seguro de viviendas is essential for protecting your property. When it comes to homeowners insurance, there is no one-size-fits-all policy. The home insurance policy you need to protect your home may be different than the amount of coverage your neighbor may need.
There are a variety of things to consider when choosing the right coverage, including:
- The structure of your home
- The value of your belongings
- Your current amount of liability protection
- The cost of living expenses
- Local construction costs
- The size of your home
- The age of your home
- Special characteristics or materials used in your home
How Much Is Homeowners Insurance?
The cost of a
seguro de viviendas policy depends on many factors, including where your home is located and its age.
Your rates could be higher if your home is:
- Older, because it may be more costly to rebuild.
- Near a body of water, where there’s a higher risk of flood damage.
However, if your home is near a fire department or emergency response services, your homeowners insurance rate may be lower.
How Much Homeowners Insurance Do I Need to Rebuild My Home?
Homeowners insurance typically covers damage caused by fire, lightning and explosions. These types of covered events are called “perils.”
Homeowners insurance policies don’t protect your home from every peril. For instance, damage caused by
floods or earthquakes aren’t generally covered by a homeowners insurance policy.
Homeowners insurance policies can help protect your home if:
- It’s destroyed by a fire
- A tree falls during a storm and damages the roof
- Someone crashes into your fence
Check your policy’s coverage limits to ensure you have enough, because if the total cost to rebuild your home is higher than your homeowners insurance policy limits, you’ll have to pay the difference.
The replacement cost of your home is the amount it would take to rebuild your house with similar materials. Replacement costs vary from state to state, and typically include the materials to rebuild the walls, ceilings, floors, windows, doors, and roof. This cost also includes the construction labor, as well as clean-up and debris removal.
If you need a rebuilding estimate, the Insurance Information Institute recommends multiplying the total square footage of your home by the per-square-foot construction cost.** So, if your house is 1,700 square feet and the local construction costs are $150 per square foot, you may need at least $255,000 in coverage.
To get an accurate estimate for how much your home will cost to rebuild, consider working with a licensed appraiser. An appraiser will not only inspect your home, but will look at local construction and labor costs to provide you with an accurate rebuilding estimate. They will also note any unique characteristics of your home, such as custom pieces or special materials used, and factor that into the rebuilding estimate.
You can also get a free estimate from a representative at The Hartford. We’ll gather information about your house and use a replacement cost tool to give you your estimate. Llámenos al
800-624-5578 to get started.
Things to Consider When Buying Homeowners Insurance
Does Your Home Have Special Features?
Take note of whether your home contains unique characteristics or features that can make it more costly to rebuild. Common examples would be special moldings and hand carvings, or unique building materials like plaster or rockwork.
Is Your House Up to Code?
Building codes and regulations are updated all the time, and they can vary based on location. If you live in an older home, it’s possible the codes and regulations have changed since it was built. If your house needs to be rebuilt after a covered event, your homeowners insurance policy may not cover the additional costs to bring it up to code.
However, if you have an old home, there are additional coverages you can add to your homeowners insurance policy that can help. Choosing the ordinance or law endorsement coverage will help cover increased construction costs that result from ordinances, laws, present zoning or required building codes. For example, if your stairs are too steep to meet code, and you need an architect to redesign your space, your ordinance or law endorsement can help cover the extra costs to do it.
Have You Done a Home Inventory?
It’s important to have a home inventory if a disaster strikes. This inventory list should include everything inside your home to help you figure out what needs to be repaired or replaced.
If you have an accurate and up-to-date home inventory, it could help get your claims settled faster, verify any losses for income tax returns, and figure out how much homeowners insurance coverage you need.
** Insurance Information Institute, “How Much Homeowners Insurance Do I Need?”, https://www.iii.org/article/how-much-homeowners-insurance-do-you-need