When was the last time you reviewed your homeowner’s insurance policy?
If you haven’t for quite a while, now would be a good time to do it and find out whether your house has decreased or increased in value. In fact, it is one way to prepare you for the due property taxes.
Although you may have kept the coverage in place, it may increase your homeowner’s costs if you have made any purchases or upgrades such as trampoline or an aboveground pool.
Of course, the purchases seem like good additions and make your home more relaxing and livable; however, they often lead to higher homeowner’s insurance cost. This is perhaps the reason why professionals emphasize on considering your insurance policy before adding these fun elements to your home.
If you’re interested in learning more about how home improvements may increase your homeowner’s insurance costs, keep on reading.
Home Improvements and Homeowner’s Insurance Costs – What is the Connection?
As mentioned above, home improvements such as getting a trampoline in the yard or a pool may affect your homeowner’s insurance costs. It’s because it affects the value of your home, especially if it increases the risk on your property.
Though the upgrades are not a bad idea, they may have financial consequences. This is why insurance companies make sure that homeowners keep them in the loop when making any upgrades and purchases for the home. It is extremely important to reduce the risk on the property.
Purchases that Trigger the Insurance Cost
Replacement Cost
Any extension in a home including an additional bedroom, backyard kitchen/entertainment center, finished basement, or screened porch can add to value of your home. It’s because it increases the usable square footage such as a finished deck.
In the same line, additional bedrooms may also expand the square footage and increase coverage. These upgrades would be expensive to build or rebuild if any loss were to occur. That is why they increase the cost of homeowner’s insurance for these types of upgrades.
Contents Coverage
According to NW Insurance Council, the more you invest in something, the more it will take to change or replace it.
Though the insurance policy of your home covers a percentage of the contents of your house, you may need to buy extra coverage for costly personal possessions. This may add to your homeowner’s insurance cost.
Liability
While big purchases are great, they may make your house riskier in the eyes of insurance companies.
These may include:
- Swimming pools
- Tree houses
- Trampolines
- Archery ranges
- Playground equipment
- Skate parks
- Homemade ice rinks
- Waterfront floating dock
If anyone is injured while using these items, they can sue you. That is why insurers consider them riskier and charge you more premium for these home improvement upgrades.
Summing Up
The home improvements mentioned above can increase your homeowner insurance. However, it is important to speak to your insurance professional and ask him if it is included in your policy.
The professional will also tell you about the state-mandated safety precautions you can take to reduce liability that may include adding a fence around a swimming pool or a net around your trampoline.
Links
https://www.valuepenguin.com/how-pool-affects-your-homeowners-insurance