Home Insurance in Decatur, GA
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Is Your Home Underinsured?
A Quick Guide to Insuring Your Home
Homeowners policies can be simple or complex, but all should cover three areas: structure, belongings, and liability.
- Not all forms of water damage are covered.
- If you have concerns about flooding or earthquakes, you’ll need riders or separate policies for these.
- Damage from things like pets and termites are almost never covered.
The things to be aware of:
- For full coverage, you should make a home inventory.
- Anything high value must be properly documented.
- When it comes to vandalism and theft, expect an investigation to ensure there is no fraud taking place.
Remember, at Focus Insurance, we offer more than just homeowners policies! Talk to us about all your insurance needs, including landlord and personal insurance in Decatur, GA. To find out everything about what these can do for you contact us today.
FAQs About Homeowners Insurance in Decatur, GA
How much coverage do you need when purchasing coverage?
Two things to be aware of:
House prices rise and fall but the cost of building materials in labor is always going up.
Will Home Insurance Cover Damaged Patio Furniture After a Storm?
Storms can be intense, causing damage to the structure of your home. You may walk outside to find your patio table shattered into pieces or it may be in the neighbor’s backyard.
When this type of damage occurs, contact your home insurance agent. Your agent will work closely with you to better understand what occurred. You may be able to file a claim for it. When does it apply?
When Does Home Insurance Cover?
Home insurance does not provide coverage for normal wear and tear on these items. If your patio table suffers a crack as a result of age, that will not have protection. It also does not apply if someone in your home causes the damage.
This might include a child hitting it, for example.
Rather, it applies in unexpected events including storms. It should provide financial protection for your patio furniture if it suffers damage due to lightning, fire or wind. If large hail hit the structure of your patio table shattering the glass, your coverage applies here, too.
What About Your Deductible?
Before you can obtain compensation for the losses, you must consider the deductible. Home insurance policies nearly always have one. This is the amount you are responsible for paying before the insurance company kicks in to pay the rest.
The key here is to know what your deductible is. Then, consider the value of your patio furniture. If the value isn’t significantly below the deductible, there is no benefit in filing a claim. You will not receive funds for it.
How Much Is Your Patio Furniture Worth?
Whether you have a wicker patio set or an elegant set of Adirondack chairs, your home insurance policy usually pays out based on the value of the items before the storm occurred. This takes into consideration depreciation since you purchased them.
If your policy offers replacement cost coverage, on the other hand, they may pay enough for you to purchase a new piece of furniture similar to the one you have now.
When an event like this occurs, take pictures of what happened. Then, contact our insurance agency. We will walk you through the process of determining if you have coverage, what your deductible is, and how much you could receive for the loss. Storm damage is a typical type of coverage for most policies.
Slow Down And Make Good Decisions Contractors or Cons?
Your home may be destroyed by a fire, flood, storm or other catastrophe. You’re scrambling around to get your life back in order and you may think that things couldn’t get worse. Well, they can and often do because of people who can’t spell contractor without c-o-n.
The period after a serious loss is hectic, emotional and disorienting. Your major concern is to get your home repaired or rebuilt. These elements make you very vulnerable to “CONtractors” – people who specialize in victimization instead of construction and in rip-offs rather than repairs.
Keep in touch with our agency during such trying times. We’re already committed to providing genuine help and guidance.
Your Definitive House Hunting Checklist
1. Check your credit score
Unless you are buying a home outright, you will need a mortgage—and lenders won’t let just anyone borrow. If your credit score is low, consider putting off house hunting until you get it higher. Also, go over your credit report and look for any mistakes that could be bringing your score down, then get them fixed.
2. Protect your finances with a renter’s insurance policy
Most likely, you are renting for now until you buy your home. The risk here is if you don’t have a renter’s policy, one bad day could ruin your chances of affording a home. Renter’s policies are affordable and help set you up for a better future once you buy.
3. Quality and location of the fire department
Houses that are located near highly rated, permanently staffed fire departments usually cost less to insure. This also holds true for homes that have a hydrant nearby.4. Proximity to the coastline
Houses located on or near the coast will generally cost more to insure than those further inland. They will also likely require a separate hurricane or windstorm deductible. In some coastal communities, private homeowner’s insurance coverage may not be readily available. Instead, you may need to purchase insurance through a state-run insurance program.5. Age of the home
A stately, older home can be quite beautiful but ornate features like plaster walls, ceiling molding and wooden floors may be costly to replace and can raise the cost of insurance. And plumbing and electrical systems can become unsafe with age and lack of maintenance. If you are considering buying an older home find out how much it will cost to update these features and factor that into the cost of ownership.6. Condition of the roof
A new roof matters to insurers and keeps you and your family safer. Make sure to check the roof’s condition. Depending on the type of roof and whether or not it’s made with fire and/or hail resistant materials, you may even qualify for an insurance discount.7. Quality of construction
Find out whether the house has been updated to comply with current building codes. Homes well built by careful craftsmen and those constructed to meet modern engineering-based building codes are likely to better withstand natural disasters.8. Risk of flooding
Damage from flooding is NOT covered by standard home insurance policies. If you are buying a home in an area at risk from flooding, you will need to purchase separate flood insurance, which is available from the federal government’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and from a few specialty insurers.9. History of earthquakes
While earthquakes are most frequently associated with California, they occur in the majority of states and are not covered under standard home insurance policies. Earthquake insurance is available from private insurers as an endorsement to a homeowner’s policy, and in California from the California Earthquake Authority.10. Swimming pool or other special features
If the house has a swimming pool, hot tub or other special feature, you will likely need more liability insurance. You may also want to consider purchasing an umbrella liability policy to provide added protection in the event someone gets injured on your property and decides to sue you.Take precautions and understand the house’s history, current condition, potential trouble spots—and costs.
1. Check the loss history report
Ask the current homeowner to obtain a copy of the loss history report on the home. Homeowners can obtain either a Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (C.L.U.E.) report, which is available from LexisNexis, or an A-PLUSTM property report from ISO®. These reports provide a record of the type of loss on the home and can provide extremely valuable information. For instance, if there was a claim for water damage on the home, it is important to find out the source of the damage (such as a burst pipe) and whether it has been properly repaired. On the other hand, a claim for wind or hail that resulted in a new roof makes the home stronger and is very attractive from an insurance perspective.
2. Get the house inspected
You’ll need to have the house inspected by a credentialed home inspector in order to get your mortgage approved. Accompany the inspector to make sure he or she is thorough and makes sure to:
- Check the general condition of the home
- Look for water damage, termites and other types of infestation
- Review the electrical system, plumbing, septic tank and water heater
- Show you where potential problems might develop
- Double-check that past problems have been repaired
- Suggest important upgrades or replacements
If the inspector raises questions, your insurance company will as well. Be sure to find out if there is an underground oil storage tank, as many insurers will not provide policies for homes that have one.
3. Estimate maintenance costs
Routine maintenance is your responsibility as a homeowner so be sure to factor these costs into the overall price of owning the home. Losses caused by failing to properly care for your home are not covered by standard homeowner’s insurance policies.
4. Call our agency
Don’t wait until the last minute to think about homeowner’s insurance and don’t be shy about asking for estimates on more than one house. Ask if the house will qualify and get an estimate of the premium. The sooner you speak with one of our insurance professionals, the smoother the process will be. If you’re uncomfortable with the cost of insuring a particular house, look for one that better fits your financial situation.
Contact Info
- 2373 Lawrenceville Hwy, Decatur, GA 30033
- (404) 633-3333
- susan@focusins.net
- steveg@focusins.net
- Mon - Fri 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
