No matter where we live, there’s really no denying that we need to keep our homes safe. You probably won’t find anyone arguing with that, especially when we take personal belongings into account. Who wants to lose all their stuff due to a natural disaster or fire without having some sort of a backup plan?
The answer to that question is no one. Unfortunately, that’s a real possibility for a lot of folks out there. As we can see on pages like this one: https://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/atlanta/georgia/united-states/usga0028, we’re up against all sorts of threats in this sense. Preparing and planning ahead isn’t always an easy task.
What is Home Insurance?
When it comes to making a plan for a potential hurricane, flood, fire, or other potential disaster, for a lot of people it starts with homeowner’s insurance. We see commercials and advertisements for it all the time, but that doesn’t really explain what it is or how it works.
Simply put, it’s a type of insurance that exists to protect the policy holder’s home, including their personal belongings or assets that are held inside the property. If you’re not certain how that will work or have questions, you could consider talking to a local company to see what advice they would give.
White Oak Insurance Services
345 Creekstone Ridge
Woodstock, GA 30188
678-569-0113
How Does it Work?
Now that we’ve covered the definition, and you’ve got some more resources to check out if you’re still not sure, let’s turn our attention to how home insurance works in practice. Although we would probably prefer not to have to use it, it’s definitely a great thing to have to lean on in those times of crisis.
As we mentioned earlier, here in Georgia there can be some risky weather.
That said, if your home does end up flooding or if there is some other incident that results in property damage, you’ll want to start by documenting any of the damage you see. The key to a successful insurance claim is having plenty of proof, so photographs can be a great place to start.
If you’ve got Homeowner’s Insurance Woodstock, GA, then you’ll probably have an insurance deductible as well. The compensation you receive will be based on your policy limit, but minus that deductible. A lot of these companies also offer auto and life insurance, so that’s something to think about as well.
Potential Roadblocks
As with any policy in this vein, there’s a chance that we’ll encounter some hiccups along the way. Certain incidents may not be fully covered, for instance, or you could hit the limit of your policy. These things are to be expected, of course, but we’d like to explain how we can handle them as they crop up.
Although most of the circumstances in which you’d need to use your home insurance will probably be stressful, do your best to keep a level head. Most likely, you’ll want to call your agent to discuss how to proceed. They can walk you through the process up ahead and let you know if anything you’ve described isn’t necessarily covered by your policy.
Blogs like the one on this page can give you an idea of what we mean by this, but for the most part, just keep in mind that each company has different requirements for filing claims. Additionally, what is covered can vary between them, and may even depend on the policy that you hold and how much you pay for it each month.
What Else Should We Know?
There are a lot more questions that policy holders tend to have in relation to their insurance, so let’s delve into them. For one thing, most of these policies will need to be renewed on an annual (twelve month) basis. While we can cancel them beforehand, there’s usually a contract involved, so take that into account if you’re thinking of cancelling earlier than in the twelve-month cycle.
Another thing that many holders wonder is whether or not home insurance is tax deductible. In most circumstances, the answer to this is “no,” but you may be able to figure something out with your accountant. A lot of landlords can make the case, for instance, but don’t rely on the expense being tax deductible.
For any lingering queries or concerns, you may want to chat with a local insurance agent and see what they have to say or recommend. There are a ton here in Georgia, so you’ll have your pick of the cream of the crop, so to speak.
Ask the folks in your neighborhood, family, or friends if they have recommendations as far as a company to work with goes if you don’t know where to start! Word of mouth is powerful after all, so it doesn’t hurt to tap into that resource sometimes.
