Home insurance protects you against many perils, including theft, fire, vandalism, and so forth. Unfortunately, just like other coverages, home insurance isn’t entirely perfect- it has limitations and exclusions. For this reason, you need add-ons (endorsements) to boost your home insurance coverage. 

If you are in The Woodlands, TX, and would like to get the most out of your home insurance policy, Outdoor Insurance Services shares add-ons to consider for your home insurance coverage.

Flood damage

Typical home insurance doesn’t protect your home against natural water flooding. If you live in a flood-prone area, you need to invest in flood insurance to protect your home against flooding that can cause costly damages.  

Umbrella insurance

Umbrella insurance provides extra protection when your home insurance liability coverage runs out. For instance, if someone falls off your balcony and sustains severe head injuries, umbrella insurance can help cover medical costs and possible lawsuits when your liability coverage is exhausted.

Jewelry and valuables coverage

While your home insurance protects your high-value items like art, jewelry, and fur, the protection is limited. As such, you need to consider a rider to protect your high-value items from perils like theft and fire. 

Underground services line

If damage occurs from the underground utility lines on your property, home insurance doesn’t cover you. That said, you need an endorsement to protect you when tree roots or over-age service lines cave in and cause damage to your home. 

Earthquake coverage

Without an earthquake endorsement, you may have to incur out-of-pocket expenses to repair your home and remove debris when an earthquake strikes. If your house is located in an earthquake-prone area, you need this endorsement for optimal protection. 

Home insurance in The Woodlands, TX

Would you like to boost your home insurance plan with additional riders? Please contact Outdoor Insurance Services for an affordable quote.

Choosing proper home insurance is not easy, especially because you have to make sure that it will pay for rebuilding your house, replacing your belongings, and defraying the costs if you are unable to live in your house. Outdoor Insurance Services serving clients from The Woodlands, TX has prepared a brief guide for you on how to decide how much home insurance coverage you need: 

How Much Home Insurance Should I Get?

The first and most important thing you need to understand when purchasing home insurance is that there is no one-size-fits-all policy. In order to figure out how much home insurance you need, you should estimate how high costs would be in the situations where your property or personal belongings are damaged, destroyed, or stolen. In order to make sure that you have enough insurance, you need to figure out how much home insurance you will need in four different areas: 

• Home. That depends on how much it will cost to rebuild your home from scratch. You can always ask a local construction company and a contractor to calculate the costs for you. 
• Personal belongings. They include furniture, clothing, appliances, electronics, and jewelry. To make sure you are not underinsured, you should create an inventory list. 
• Liability protection. It covers the costs of a lawsuit if someone is injured on your property and then decides to sue you. You need to calculate your assets (investments, savings, and property) and get more liability protection than the minimum, which is usually $100,000. 
• Additional living expenses. They are expenses that you may have if your home becomes uninhabitable and you need to move somewhere temporarily. It is recommended to talk to your agent to decide how much exactly you need. 

It is not easy to choose the right insurance and decide on how much home insurance you need because there is a risk of being underinsured. Outdoor Insurance Services serving clients from The Woodlands, TX is ready to help choose the right policy and proper coverage. Do not hesitate to give us a call and talk to one of our agents. 

Homeowner’s insurance is something that must not be taken lightly. You will want to talk to an expert such as someone from Outdoor Insurance Services of The Woodlands, TX so that you have help navigating the complicated matters.

Have Your Insurance In Hand Early On

Yes, it’s ideal that you have your home insurance before you close on your new house. If this just isn’t possible or you already have one and are looking to change companies, consider a small local agency. They’ll provide you with one-on-one personalized services to help you find the insurance policy and terms that you need.

Be Proactive with Your Home Insurance

You don’t want to give up your decision on which company to go with for your insurance. Your lender may pressure you to choose quickly and even tell you which agency if you don’t already have one. The problem with this is that they might not be suited to your particular situation, and you won’t have the benefit of knowing for sure that they have your best interests in mind.

Knowledge of the Community

It’s great if you get insurance through an agency that already has strong ties to the community. If they’ve been in business for a while, know your neighborhood or city well and can anticipate changes, this is a definite plus. You should work with an agent who can explain coverage gaps and if certain riders would help your situation.

Reach Out to Your Local Independent Agency

Contact an agent at Outdoor Insurance Services for an agency that will work with you to customize a home insurance policy. Use the online form or give the office a call to get a quote.

Buying home insurance can be as daunting as buying a home itself. It’s not unusual to get frustrated and overwhelmed through the processes. To save you the trouble, Outdoor Insurance Services in the Woodlands, TX recommends shopping for a home insurance policy as soon as your offer for purchase has been approved. We have lined up a few tips to guide you through the process.

Determine how much insurance you need

Probably the first step is to check your budget alongside the amount of home insurance you need. Different homes have different quotations. This is profoundly affected by the home value and the content value inside the house. Therefore, it is prudent to speak with one of our insurance experts to help you buy the correct coverage for your home.

Buy insurance immediately

Most first time home buyers aren’t often keen about purchasing home insurance. Some have the idea that a new home doesn’t need insurance immediately. However, those buying on a mortgage are required to produce insurance documents before the loan is serviced. Buying insurance is time-consuming; if you wait till the last minute, you may end up scrambling to get insured or dealing with delays on providing the bank with your insurance details.

Check for discounts

Make sure you are receiving as many discounts as possible. One smart way to do this is bundling up multiple policies with one provider. For instance, you could bundle a car, boat, motorcycle, umbrella, and home policy from Outdoor Insurance Services. You will need to ask whether such discounts are available.

Buying a home is the largest financial step one can take. Protecting it and its occupants should be your prime priority. At Outdoor Insurance Services, we are here to help. Visit us in The Woodlands, TX today, and our service team will be happy to help.

 

Many of The Woodlands, TX residents have homeowners insurance– also known as HO-3 that covers multiple perils in case of accidents that may cause massive damage. However, very few individuals are aware of what the basic policy covers and what it doesn’t. It is quite critical to know some of these exclusions in order to look for alternative solutions. Outdoor Insurance Services will help you go through the list.

What is covered

• The dwelling: This coverage covers the structure of the home where you live.
• Other structures: If there are other structures like the garage, shed or fence, this coverage helps protect them.
• Liability protection: In the event that someone not living with you is injured, this coverage helps pay for the legal fees as well as the medical costs.
• Personal property: Your clothes, furniture, electronics and basically most items in your house are covered in this coverage in case of a fire or theft

What is not covered

• Water damage and earthquakes: Most insurance policies do not cover earthquakes or sinkholes and other water-related damages like floods. Sewers are also not covered.
• Maintenance: If you break your sofa, your insurance company cannot replace it as it is not covered.
• Jewelry and expensive art: There are limitations on how much coverage you can get for expensive items. However, you can purchase separate insurance for these items.
• Dog attacks: If your dog is hurt or hurts you, you will be responsible for the medical costs as dog bites are not covered.
• Destroyed or stolen cash: It is quite difficult to convince your insurance company that you had cash without valid evidence

If you still feel you need to cover some of the above perils that are not covered, you can still find alternative ways of securing them. For instance, some private companies offer flood insurance. Visit us at Outdoor Insurance Services located in The Woodlands, TX to help you with more alternatives.