Home Renovations Can Impact Your New Bedford Home Insurance
Some home remodeling projects are good and can even lower your Massachusetts homeowners insurance premium. However, other projects might actually cause your New Bedford home insurance premium to go up to cover the new addition or changes. Not sure what will help and what will hurt? You can always contact a friendly agent at Borden Insurance Agency in New Bedford. We can answer any questions that you might have about homeowners insurance in New Bedford and the surrounding area, as well as provide tips that can help you improve your coverage and protect your investment. The more you can learn about home insurance, the better equipped you will be to make smart decisions about renovations and policy coverage options.
When to Call Your Agent
The best time to call your agent is before you start a project. Let them know what you will be doing and ask if there is any additional coverage that you should get to protect your home. Your agent might tell you that they will need to come out to inspect after the project is completed so they can take photos or make notes in your file about the changes. Increasing the square footage of your home in any way, as well as adding upgraded or customized materials to a kitchen or bathroom renovation, are just some examples of home remodeling projects that can result in changes to your Massachusetts homeowners insurance policy. You want to make sure that these changes are included in your coverage so you can be properly compensated in the event of a claim.
Indoor and Outdoor Remodeling
While most people think about kitchen and bathroom renovations when they think about home remodeling, there are other projects that qualify in this area as well. Pretty much anything that changes your home or increases its value in any way should be reported to your local insurance agency in New Bedford. High-quality building materials will cost you more money, which means that they are more costly to replace in the event of an accident, incident, or another type of claim. While these expensive materials will mean a more significant investment in the beginning, they will also provide you with better, longer-lasting results, which is why they typically add value to your home.
Some examples of outdoor remodeling include adding on a brand new patio or deck. Outdoor living spaces are very popular right now, and a lot of homeowners in the northeast are looking for new ways to expand the amount of usable living area that they have by going outside. Beautiful outdoor living rooms, dining areas, and fully-equipped kitchens are a great way to increase the value of your home and add more room for entertaining or just enjoying a quiet warm-weather evening with the family. Fire pits, built-in grills, outdoor-rated appliances, water treatments, hardscaping elements, and much more all qualify under the heading of outdoor remodeling. Make sure to include this type of renovation with your homeowners insurance in New Bedford.
New Household Items
Sometimes you don’t even need to have a construction crew on-hand to make changes that should be included with your New Bedford home insurance. New household items, such as high-value appliances for the kitchen and other areas of your home should be added to your itemized list of assets as well. Refrigerators, freezers, under-the-counter ice makers and wine chillers, stoves and ovens, microwaves, and high-tech kitchen items are more available to everyday homeowners in today’s market. Other electronics, such as flat-screen televisions, projector screens for home theaters, and related furniture items, should also be included with your Massachusetts homeowners insurance.
Speak with your agent at Borden Insurance Agency in New Bedford about details regarding coverage. There’s a difference between the actual cash value of an item and the replacement cost. The actual cash value is the cost of the item that you added to your home, minus any current market depreciation. What that means is that if you spent $1500 on a brand new stove two years ago, the value of that stove might be $1200 or less due to depreciation. A payout from the insurance company would be done according to the depreciated value, not the initial purchase price. Replacement value, on the other hand, provides a complete payment for the full amount of money that you spent on the new item. As you might guess, replacement value homeowners insurance in New Bedford has a higher premium than actual cash value coverage.
Get a FREE Quote for Homeowners Insurance
If you are looking to purchase New Bedford home insurance for a new property or if you would like to get a quote so you can compare your current coverage with a new policy, give us a call at 508-999-3636. We can help match the best options in Massachusetts homeowners insurance with your unique needs, requirement, and budget.