Sunday, December 18, 2011

Unoccupied House Insurance Advice

This article aims to provide advice on finding the best unoccupied house insurance. There are several reasons why a person may find himself or herself in possession of an unoccupied house. While there are those who say that it's not important to get home insurance for these homes since they're not in use, these are actually properties that need more coverage more so than the ones that are occupied.
What is unoccupied house insurance?
Unoccupied house insurance is a specific kind of property insurance. What property owners may not be aware of is the fact that an ordinary homeowners insurance policy can become invalid if the property is not occupied for more than 30 to 60 days.
While there are some who have attempted outright lying to their insurance providers that there are people who are living in the house, it can spell trouble once they find out that you're deceiving them. It is a much better plan to get proper unoccupied home insurance to cover your property.
There are many possible reasons why you end up possessing an unoccupied property. These include:
  • Inheritance. A relative may bequeath you a home in his or her will. While this can be a blessing for you, it may not be that advantageous if you already have a home that you're living in, requiring you to purchase unoccupied house insurance.
  • Vacation home. You may have a holiday home that your family visits only a few times in a year. Since it is not your permanent domicile, you will need to get insurance for this property.
  • Renovation. Major property renovations that force people out of their homes for a period of time can actually make the home considered as an unoccupied property if it has been left vacant for more than 30 to 60 days.
  • New property. It can also be new property that has been recently purchased and is still undergoing through some design changes to fit the style of the new owner.
  • Death of the previous occupant. Property that has been left unoccupied due to the death of the occupant is subject to probate. Even if the will specifically stipulates who the property will go to, there will be a span of time wherein the home will be left unoccupied.
  • Rental property. Even if you allow tenants to live in your property, you may still need to get unoccupied house insurance if the span of time between tenants stay in your house is longer than 30 to 60 days.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Cheap House Insurance

Getting cheap house insurance involves many factors. By evaluating different companies, knowing the level of protection you need, and assessing your personal risk factors, you can get cheap house insurance with the best coverage rates for you. The only way to know exactly what rates you'll get is to shop around between companies, whether you're moving or just renewing your policy. Knowing what property and/or contents you need insured can allow you to get cheap house insurance by eliminating unnecessary coverages. Risk is the overall liability assumed by the insurance company when they insure you.
Different companies will offer different levels of protection at different rates, period. Some companies have multi-policy discounts that go into effect when you insure multiple things. For example; Your RV, home, automobile, and term life insurance. Go out and get quotes of multiple companies' rates to get competitive pricing. Companies put a large emphasis on your personal credit score(s) when determining how much to charge you. This is one of the several risk factors; This brings us, now, to risk.
Cost will vary the most in accordance to your personal and property risk factors. The items, which you own, that tell the insurance company what kind of lifestyle you live; Home items, automobiles, technology, they all factor into the risk level. Environmental factors which include, but are not limited to, floods, earthquakes, fires, hurricanes, and tornado's have a great impact on your potential risk. These are things to consider when moving into a new house, but not much can be done when renewing your policy, as few people are willing to move just to get cheaper insurance. What is the crime rate where you live? The burglary rate? Theft? These are things the insurance companies will look at when evaluating your risk, and are obstacles to getting cheap house insurance. There are ways to lower your potential risk factors when shopping for coverage. Security alarms, deadbolts, fire retardant furniture, roof materials, and structural materials can lower your insurance costs. For example, brick houses won't burn nearly as badly as wood homes. Of course, the security devices are obvious ways to reduce burglary risk, thus reducing your liability to need reimbursement from the insurance company.