A fire can quickly spread throughout a home. If you can't get the flames extinguished, you could lose your home and your most precious possessions within minutes.
While losing everything in a fire can be devastating, home insurance can help you pick up the pieces. Your policy can help with a variety of needs, including cleanup.
Yet, many homeowners don't recognize when or how to take action to reclaim all of their coverage. Read on to learn more about what you can do to protect yourself and your assets.
What Does a Home Insurance Policy Cover After a Fire?
Your policy is unique. Be sure to read through it to better understand what risks are covered. Generally, the policy will cover the costs of:
- Rebuilding the home, although some policies cap how much of the rebuilding costs they'll cover
- The contents of your home, including personal belongings and other items lost in the fire
- The cost for you to move out or rent another home while repairs or reconstruction occur
- The cost of cleaning up the fire, including demolition work and debris removal
Take a closer look at your coverage, as most home insurance policies will only provide a basic level of coverage after a fire. That means the policy has a limit. Once the repairs or cleanup occur and you've reached that policy limit, you might not have additional coverage.
Be sure to factor in the cost of cleaning up or replacing your home and make sure you have the funds available for such a procedure, should it ever be necessary. If you don't, consider increasing your home insurance coverage to fill that gap.
What Can You Do to Improve Your Policy?
Be proactive. Speak with to your home insurance provider about your current policy. Does it offer enough coverage to rebuild your home? Ask a local builder to give you an estimate on how much it costs to rebuild a home similar to your own. Then, factor in additional costs, such as fire cleanup.
Be sure your policy offers plenty of coverage. It needs to be able to reimburse the substantial costs that can arise in the aftermath of a fire.
Recovering from a fire can be draining. However, home insurance generally provides financial protection to help you get back on your feet. Make sure you have enough coverage in place now, in case you ever need it.
Are you covered? Call Heritage Insurance, LTD at (800) 667-7640 for a free Moose Jaw SK home insurance quote.