You hear about all of the things that can alter and affect your insurance coverage- speeding tickets can hike up your auto insurance, smoking can significantly increase your life insurance premiums, etc. But perhaps the most ‘affected’ insurance policy out there is CT homeowners insurance because, well, think about it- think about ALL of the factors that play into a homeowners insurance policy. In fact, there really are no two policies that are the same because we all have different living situations.
Now obviously a large family with a two story, 3,000 square foot home with a pool and two car garage is going to have a different ct home insurance policy than a newly married couple that has just purchase their starter home- a lovely little two bedroom ranch. But besides the physical difference of the home itself, there are a host of other factors that go into deciding the insurance coverage for the home and family. Below are the five most common factors that can lead to a premium increase in your ct home insurance coverage:
Our four legged friends: I know, many of us are dog lovers, but unfortunately, certain types of canines will lead to a pump in your home’s insurance policy. Why? Well first of all, about a third of all annual homeowners claims are in reference to dog bites. So that’s why the size and breed of your new pup may increase your premiums because of the likelihood of a bite and thus a claim.
Man, it’s a hot one- time to jump in the pool: While pools are SO clutch during hot summer days like today, the risk of injury is an obvious factor into the increase in ct home insurance premiums. Unfortunately the liability of drowning and other pool-related injury is significant, so insurers will likely bump the premiums.
Bounce, bounce, bounce: While trampolines are AWESOME, they are another item in your yard that can lead to serious injury. Moreover, chances are your children will invite their friends over to jump around on the trampoline, so now you’re also liable for those children as well. See what we’re getting at?
Here comes Mother Nature: This was an obvious one for anyone who follows our blog, as hurricanes, blizzards, and floods can pump your rates up if a storm does some serious damage to your home and you didn’t do much prior to the storm to prevent or lessen the loss. Just make sure that you have additional coverage if say, for example, you live in an area that is prone to flooding, because a standard CT home insurance will NOT cover you for flood damage.
Break ins: Depending on where you live, rough neighborhoods could lead to an increased risk of a break in. Conversely, if you’re fortunate enough to live in a gated community, the risk of burglary is less.
