Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Safeguarding Your Possessions With Home Insurance Katy TX

By Joanna Walsh


For many people, their biggest investment is their home. They spend large amounts of money and time on improving or constructing their homes to suit their personal taste, so that they have a space that is pleasing not only to them but also to their circle. Both the structure and contents of the home require attention and expense, and both are also sometimes subject to risks. Home insurance Katy TX provides protection against the costs arising from loss or damage.

The common threats to household security and physical assets are well known and easy to understand. They fall into two broad categories, namely natural damage (such as by water or fire) and man-made problems, such as arson or burglary. Home insurance offers a shield against the massive cost of dealing with these unfortunate events.

A home insurance contract or policy should handle all of these threats. Yet the homeowner still needs to understand how the policy operates, by paying attention to the established, fundamental rules in the insurance industry, so that they are able not only to comply with the policy but also to make successful claims, should the need arise. They will then also be able to understand how the amount of the monthly premium is arrived at.

As a rule, the premium increases with the value of the insured property and/or goods, so the more expensive your home is, the higher your monthly premium. This is why people sometimes try to reduce their premium through the exclusion of valuable assets, such as family heirlooms or authentic art pieces that cannot be replaced and which are very high in value. The attitude is that a duplicate of the asset cannot be purchased if it is destroyed, so there is no point in trying to insure it. The asset is then omitted from the policy, thereby reducing the premium.

Insurers also take into consideration the security in the home. Sometimes, they insist on certain security features as a minimum requirement of the policy. These features may be burglar bars or alarm systems. The greater the possibility of crime, the less likely the insurance firm is going to be to grant the policy. An unsafe property does not merely equate to a higher premium - it may actually scupper the proposed policy entirely.

Concerning the physical structure of the home, the insurer may also impose requirements. As a basic principle, municipal building regulations need to be adhered to. Otherwise, the policy is invalid and the insurer won't pay out in the event of (avoidable) fire or other damage, or even issue the policy. Household fires or water damage are not unusual, but if the property has not been properly inspected and certified then the insurer is not going to interested in paying the claim.

At all times, the insured party should remember that, legally, an insurance contract is supposed to be concluded in the utmost good faith (bona fides). This requires absolute integrity on their part. All information provided to the insurer should be entirely accurate. The latter should not have to confirm every minute detail of such information. This is why an inaccurate policy is automatically invalid, or may even be investigated for insurance fraud.

The substantial expense of repairing damage and theft can be reduced or eliminated through a sensible insurance policy. As homeowners are aware, it is not a cheap exercise to establish and maintain their homes, and so insurance is an option that they should take seriously.




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