Owning a home is a great idea for those throughout the Westerville, OH area. Property owners in this part of Ohio can enjoy the stability of owning a home and the chance to build long-term equity. When you purchase a home here, you do need to make sure that you get the right insurance. A full home insurance policy will protect someone here in many ways. 

Ensure the Dwelling is Covered

One way to be assured your home is covered with home insurance is to receive coverage for your dwelling. If a fire or bad weather ever damages your home, the costs to repair it can be extremely significant. When you are insured with a home insurance plan, you will have the financial support that you need to repair or even replace the property. 

Manage Liability Risks 

All people need to properly consider and address personal liability risks. One way to manage your personal liability risks is by getting home insurance. When you have a proper home insurance plan, you will receive a provision for liability insurance. This should help ensure that you have the financial resources to fight and settle some types of personal liability claims, which will also offer peace of mind. 

There will always be good reasons to have a home insurance plan in the Westerville, OH, area. When you are ready to start looking for this coverage, you can contact our team with Associated Insurance Agencies Inc. to learn more. Our team will give you any support you need to build a new plan and ensure you remain appropriately covered. 

More homeowners are opting to install solar panels on their homes to help them produce clean energy. As such, people often wonder if these types of panels are covered by their home insurance policy. Here at Associated Insurance Agencies Inc., serving the greater Westerville, OH region, we want to provide you with the answer to this question. Read on to learn more. 

Does Your Home Insurance Policy cover Solar Panels? 

Most home insurance policies will cover your solar panels as long as they are installed on your home, such as mounted to your roof. If you have standalone solar panels installed, which is more common for commercial spaces and pretty rare for homeowners, your panels may not be covered. If your policy covers your panels, it is important to understand that the panels are only covered with covered events for your policy. For example, earthquake damage is typically not covered by a standard homeowners policy, so damage to your solar panels by an earthquake would not be covered. 

Do You Need to Notify Your Home Insurance Company You Installed the Panels? 

You do not need to notify your home insurance company if you install solar panels on your home. However, solar panels are pricey, so you may need to increase your home insurance policy limit after installing solar panels. 

Your home insurance policy generally covers rooftop solar panels, but many homeowners need to increase their policy limits to ensure they have enough coverage after installing solar panels. Suppose you are preparing to install solar panels and need to up your policy limit or find a new home insurance policy. In that case, Associated Insurance Agencies Inc., serving Westerville, OH, would love to help you. Contact us now to get started. 

The Westerville, OH area has continued to be a great place to own a home. If you purchase a property here, you will want it to be a place that you can enjoy for a long time. One of the ways that you can protect this asset is by getting a home insurance plan. There are various situations in which someone should have home coverage here. 

When Looking to Protect Assets

A situation when someone will want home insurance is when they want to protect their assets. A proper home insurance plan can cover your dwelling and any personal belongings up to the policy limits. This will help protect against various risks, including bad weather damage, fire, theft, or vandalism. If you own valuable collectibles, they can be separately insured by a rider to the plan. 

When Trying to Mitigate Liability Risk

Another scenario in which you should get home insurance is when you want to offset your liability risk. If you are going to own a home, there will always be a risk that an accident could occur that you will be responsible for. If you have proper insurance in place, you will be able to mitigate this coverage with liability insurance. 

Having a home insurance plan should be a top priority for anyone in Westerville, OH. As you are evaluating your options, you may find that you have questions about this type of coverage. To ensure that your questions are adequately answered, it would be a good idea for you to call Associated Insurance Agencies Inc. The team with Associated Insurance Agencies Inc. understands the value of this coverage and will help someone build a plan that is right for their situation. 

When you buy a home one of the first things you do is to buy a home insurance policy. Your mortgage holder is going to insist on proof before they loan you the money. Most home policies renew yearly and your insurance company will send you a declaration page. This is your policy in a nutshell and it holds valuable information that you should look over carefully. If you live in or near Westerville, OH and are looking for a locally owned and operated independent agency, Associated Insurance Agencies Inc. has a knowledgeable team to answer your questions. 

You should update your home insurance any time there is a change in your home or your financial situation. You should review your policy yearly when you get your new declaration page. 

Your income goes up

You might wonder why a raise in your income would affect your home insurance but part of your home insurance coverage is liability insurance. This protects your assets in the event you are sued. If you make more money you are a larger target and your liability coverage should rise accordingly. 

Major repair or updates

If you do major home repairs that increase the value of your home, you should update the replacement value of your home. Things such as a new kitchen, bathroom, siding, or central air conditioning can add considerable value. 

When you add safety equipment

Adding a home security system or smoke detectors is something that you should let your insurance company know about. It can lower your premium. 

Having valuables

The coverage on most home policies is quite limited and if you have expensive electronics, art, antiques, or jewelry you should consider adding additional coverage to your personal property coverage. 

At Associated Insurance Agencies Inc. in Westerville, OH we suggest a yearly policy review. If you haven’t reviewed your policy in a while, you are overdue. Give us a call or stop by our office and let us review your policy. 

As a new homeowner, you may not be aware of the importance of home insurance in protecting your new investment. The right home coverage from Associated Insurance Agencies Inc. can save you a substantial amount of money in the event of a disaster. Here are some important home insurance facts every new homeowner in Westerville, OH should know.

• Home insurance covers damage or destruction of your home, theft, or loss of personal effects and liability issues that may arise when people have accidents on your property. This protects you from having to pay for damages or liability claims out of pocket.
• If you have a mortgage on your new Westerville OH home, your lender will probably require you to have home coverage. Otherwise, home insurance is optional. Wise homeowners, however, will take advantage of home coverage to protect their property.
• Home insurance coverage and costs may vary depending on your insurance company. By shopping around and comparing what different insurers have to offer, you can obtain a good deal on your coverage.
• Factors like the age of your home, home type, home condition, and location can affect your premium costs. Working with a reputable insurer in Westerville OH will make it easier to make wise home insurance choices. You’ll also benefit from quality services and home coverage.
• Standard homeowner’s insurance covers a wide range of perils to include theft, fire, water damage from broken pipes, rain, wind and hailstorm damage, lightning strikes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and vandalism.
• Home insurance DOESN’T, however, cover damage caused by flooding. To protect your home from flood damage, you need to purchase a separate flood policy.

To learn more about home insurance or to purchase a home policy, contact your insurance experts at Associated Insurance Agencies Inc., serving residents in Westerville, OH, and surrounding communities.

What Affects my Home?

Several things can affect your home insurance premiums in Westerville, OH, and an agent at Associated Insurance Agencies, Inc. can help you make sure you are getting adequate coverage for your home.

• Age of Home and Materials: As your home and roof age, the structure is more susceptible to damage. This causes the replacement costs to go up over time, which can increase your premium.
• Trampolines and Pools: These and other attractive nuisances, as they are called, are fun things to have, but they can also cause premiums to increase. You are liable for injuries people have while using them, whether or not you permitted them to do so.
• Certain Dogs: Certain dog breeds will raise premiums or make it even more challenging to get insurance. Dog bites can account for one-third of all insurance claims.
• Previous Claims: If you have more claims made over time, then you are considered more of a risk, and it can lead to higher premiums. With too many claims, you run the risk of not having your policy renewed.
• Home Security: A home security system can reduce your premium because it adds an extra layer of protection for the home and your belongings. Another thing that adds additional security is by replacing old locks with deadbolts.
• Credit History: Insurance companies can use your credit history to determine your insurance score, which can affect your premium. Some of the items they look at include outstanding debt, credit history length, payment history, and credit mix.
• Home Remodeling: Remodeling, whether it’s a bathroom or kitchen, is likely to raise the value of your home, which means this should be reflected in the policy. Materials and construction costs need to be taken into consideration, which could increase premiums.

Contact Associated Insurance Agencies, Inc. serving Westerville, OH, to get a quote on home insurance.