Most homeowners get lulled into a false sense of security after they purchase an insurance policy on their property investment. Unfortunately, your homeowner’s policy does not cover everything that could happen to your home. In fact, most people would be shocked to discover all of the potential issues that are specifically excluded from the average policy. Your best recourse is to make sure that you fully understand what your insurance will cover, and you should also find out if you are able to add optional coverage to protect you from specific high risk issues.
Fortunately, everything that is listed below will usually be covered if you buy an additional home emergency assistance policy.
Five Things Your Home Insurance Will Not Cover
1. Plumbing Issues – The standard homeowner’s policy will not provide any coverage for plumbing issues, so if you are looking to purchase your policy through a comparison site such as Monkey.co.uk, you need to check the policy wording first to understand just what you are covered for. If you are not covered and you have a massive backup or leak from any aspect of your home’s plumbing, you could be left with all of the expenses unless you have an emergency assistance policy.
2. Pest Infestation – When most people think of pests in their home, they only consider the possibility of being temporarily inconvenienced while a pest management company performs the eradication process. However, there are some pests that pose a much greater risk to your home. For example, woodworm can cause extensive damage to your home’s woodwork, and even bees can end up costing you thousands if they set up residence inside your walls.
3. Internal Water – If a flood causes your home to become filled with water, most insurance companies are not going to assist you. Unfortunately, whether the flooding is caused by an outside source or a massive plumbing issue, the internal water clause that is in most policies will allow your provider to deny your claim. Again, this is a good reason to consider buying a home emergency assistance policy in addition to your standard homeowner’s policy.
4. Damage Caused by a Radiator – Many policies will not offer coverage for damage that is caused by a radiator or other heating source. In other words, if one of these items starts a fire or causes any other type of damage to your property, you are unlikely to receive any financial assistance without a special policy.
5. Electrical Damage – The electrical system in any home could become fried due to a faulty appliance, bad wiring or even a thunderstorm. This issue is especially prevalent for homeowners who live in a building that was built more than a couple of decades ago. Sadly, without the proper additional coverage, most people could lose everything if an electrical issue causes the entire house to burn down.
The best way to make sure that you receive the coverage that you need is to carefully read through the entire homeowner’s policy before you sign it. If there is something specific missing, you need to discuss whether or not it can be added before you move forward. Being proactive by adding on additional coverage options or a home emergency assistance policy is the best way to protect your investment.
Georgina Clatworthy is a freelance writer and homeowner who understands the importance of ensuring comprehensive coverage when it comes to home insurance. Insurance comparison websites such as Monkey.co.uk, provide a good way to search a wide number of providers and review the additional coverage options available.
Georgina, thank you for this excellent information. Understand your coverage. Better to be safe than sorry! pb
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