Like dogs, there are no good or bad home insurance policies. There are just policies that provide the coverage you need for your structure and property, and those that don't.
Now when it comes to good or bad advice from an insurance agent, that may be another discussion.
An insurance agent with your best interest in mind is going to seek first to understand before writing a policy for you.
Knowing your situation as it stands today, an insurance agent should want to make sure you have protection in place. He/she may also dig into some of the goals you have for the year. Are you looking to add the pool before the summer, rent out the property, or add a couple of Rottweilers to the family?
Having an idea ahead of time of things that matter to insurance carriers and could affect your policy is important when helping you. Knowing what insurance carrier to match you with is also just important. There are several things to consider.
Carrier
Not all carriers are built the same. Nor do they all offer the same products, i.e., policies. Though you will find many carriers offering a similar policy, you will also find those that specialize in providing policies for more risky or specific types of situations.
When it comes to a policy for you, you will have a couple of options. You can go with some of the "big box" agencies that sell a common policy because that is what they have to offer, or you can work with an independent insurance agency that has access to many different carriers to better customize an home insurance solution for you.
We get it. Some people like one cheese and one cheeseburger to put it on. At Insurance For Texans, we are offering up a little more variety for different palates. The last thing we want is for a client of ours to have a bad taste in their mouth when it comes to not having the right carrier.
Coverage
If you're not covered, why pay the premium for the insurance policy?
Making sure you can rebuild your property, replace your entire roof, protect you from injury claims of your neighbor and others on your property - these are all things you should have protection for. Many in Texas find out they don't have protection in place for certain flooding events or sewer backup. It's important for your agent to make you aware of the risks and claim histories within your area and neighborhood to match your home with the right protection. At times, we will advise adding a "rider" or additional coverage to your policy to protect against some situations (flooding, mold, sewer backup) that may not be offered in a carrier's standard home insurance policy.
Here's where the cost comes into play for many. In order to make their insurance premium more budget friendly, some will sacrifice coverage. This is willingly leaving yourself exposed to Murphy and his laws. Expect what can go wrong to go wrong.
Claims
Having to make a claim usually involves stress because a stressful situation has occurred. The home meant to protect you is in need of repair or replacement. You are already vulnerable in this situation and all you want is a smooth sailing when the waters have become rough.
As an independent insurance agency, we work with a lot of carriers and we know what that experience will be like for you when it is time to file a claim. First, we want to make sure it starts off as a good experience by advising you if you should file the claim. Sometimes the repairs will cost less than the 1% deductible you pay to have your insurance cover the cost.
We also want to pair you with a carrier known for good customer service, a history of approving claims, and timely claim payments. This will help to calm the waters a bit.
Making sure you are covered well by a good carrier with a good history of paying on claims is our goal when it comes to home insurance.
It all starts with getting to know you and your situation. We'd like to do that.
Feel free to give us a call or text and as always, if you are in the Grapevine/Colleyville area or somewhere near, drop on in.
Keep it covered, Texas.