When you think about protecting your family, you likely think about putting them in right neighborhood, getting the right health insurance, and making sure that they understand basic safety skills. What you likely don’t consider is how home insurance can be a major factor as well. If you live in Austin, TX, consider the following tips as to how home insurance can keep your family safe from Southwest Insurance Center.

Stress and Safety

Home insurance may not be the people to fix a broken leg if you suffer one after a major storm, but they may be the ones to help you the care that you need. Insurance can also be a lifesaver in terms of logistics. Let’s say you don’t have the coverage available to stay someplace else after a storm destroys half your home. You’d be reliant upon the goodwill of others, which can be a stressful situation. While nothing about disasters is very peaceful, home insurance can be what you need in your world when it’s at its darkest. This can save your family’s sanity during what is already a difficult time. 

Fewer Threats 

Neighborhoods in Austin, TX that aren’t strewn with litter or broken windows are neighborhoods that aren’t likely to see a lot of criminals on their block — if for no other reason than people are paying attention to what’s happening. Your family stays safe when repairs are made right away rather than being covered with cardboard or left in plain sight. For more information on all of this, Southwest Insurance Center is ready to give you the facts about keeping your family safe with the right policy. Give us a call today to find out more about getting more coverage or for a quote. 

 

Before adding a pool to your property, consider how this structure will affect your insurance coverage. Whether you invest in an in-ground pool or purchase an above ground model, it’s bound to raise your insurance costs. By discussing your options with a Southwest Insurance Center agent in Austin, TX, you can better prepare for the changes that a pool brings to your policy.

Coverage

Depending on your insurer, an in-ground pool may be covered under the property damage or replacement cost portion of your home insurance policy. In the event of damage to your pool, your home insurance will pay for its repairs in accordance with your coverage limits. The cost of coverage for your pool will be added to your homeowner’s insurance premium. A luxury in-ground pool setup may need additional coverage to fully protect your investment. An above-ground pool will more likely be covered as personal property due to being a portable structure.

A pool will also impact your liability coverage as it increases the risk of injuries and/or death on your property. Your insurance agent can help you determine how much liability coverage you need with a pool to continue to protect your assets. Increasing your liability coverage will raise the cost of your premium.

Stipulations to Coverage

Many insurers have stipulations to providing coverage to homeowners with pools. Homeowners must comply with local safety laws concerning pool ownership. Most cities require that the pool or home be enclosed by a fence to reduce the risk of accidental drowning. Some companies refuse to cover pools with slides or diving boards as these accessories increase the risk of accidents. Lack of pool maintenance and care can also result in your pool not being covered.

Learn more about adding pool coverage and protection to your homeowners insurance policy by contacting Southwest Insurance Center, Austin, TX, today. 

 

If you are like most homeowners, your home is your biggest investment and largest asset. As a first-time home buyer, it can be difficult to understand your homeowner’s insurance coverage needs. How much coverage is enough? If you are under-insured you can be left dangerously exposed in the event of a fire, theft or personal injury. Here are some questions to ask that will help you determine how much coverage you need.

Do I Need Flood Insurance?

Flood insurance protects your home and property against damage caused by water. Does your house sit next to a storm drain channel or creek? Is it at the bottom of a hill or at the low point of a road?. This indicates that getting flood insurance is a good idea because homeowners insurance doesn’t offer protection for water-related events. If your home is located in a flood zone, your mortgage lender will typically require you to carry flood insurance.

Do I Have Enough Coverage For All My Personal Property?

When you get homeowners insurance for your Austin, TX home, it will not only provide financial reimbursement for any damage or loss to your home, it also protects the value of your personal property, including clothing, electronics, furnishings, and collectibles. More coverage may be needed for jewelry, art or antiques. If you are unsure of the value of your household belongings, an appraisal will help you determine how much insurance you will need.

Am I Covered For Liability?

If someone is hurt or suffers an injury while inside your home or yard, you may be liable for damages such as medical expenses and lost income, even if the injury didn’t involve purposeful negligence on your part. Make sure you are fully covered against liabilities to ensure you don’t have to worry about having people on your property.

How Do I Determine How Much Coverage I Need?

Every homeowner’s insurance policy is different and may have different events and incidents that are covered or not covered by that policy. To figure out how much coverage you require, and to learn what types of incidents you can insure, contact our office today. At Southwest Insurance Center, we’ll customize your homeowner’s insurance to your individual needs.

Are you an Austin, TX homeowner with full homeowners insurance coverage? If you haven’t visited a firm like the Southwest Insurance Center and established your homeowners insurance policy, you may be placing your home and your finances at great risk. Without good homeowners insurance, many homeowners in Austin would be, so to speak, up a creek without a paddle.

The most common homeowners insurance claims in Austin, TX remain common at the national level as well. However, it’s important to see what affects the homes near you so you see why you need insurance. A home is an investment and one that can easily be taken away from you in a disaster if you’re not careful.

Nationwide, the most common type of homeowners insurance claim is wind damage on the outside of the house. Wind damage largely occurs during storms like tornadoes, but less violent storms can carry straight line winds and or winds at high enough speeds to rip off shingles. Other high-frequency claims include hail damage and theft.

In Austin, claims aren’t that much different from the rest of the country. Roof damage is the most common insurance claim for homes in Texas, often caused by high winds. Roof damage can also be caused by hail or water. Other common claims made by Texas homeowners include dog bites, water damage (like burst pipes), and fire damage. If you own a home in Austin or elsewhere in Texas, it’s important to ensure you have complete home insurance coverage by visiting a firm like Southwest Insurance Center. You never know when rainfall, which happens most often in the spring and fall in Austin, is going to add up to enough damage that you need some insurance coverage. 

Storms are inevitable, and most homes can take the abuse of a storm without incurring any real damage. For other homes and other storm situations and locations, the storms might be high enough and frequent enough that you should adjust coverage each spring. For those that live in the Austin, TX area, the agents with Southwest Insurance Center can help you find the right coverage for you.

In most cases, the storm season is not so terribly strong or long that you need to alter coverage. For areas where tornado, frequent wind storms, or adamant storm seasons are the norm, however, you may want more coverage in the spring storm season just to be sure that you are covered. There is something to keep in mind, however. Most basic policies do not cover hurricane or flooding so you may need supplemental policies if this is the type of storm you are dealing with.

No matter what storms you might come across, adjusting coverage to suit the weather, the seasons and the storm patterns of your geographical location might be a good idea. Another instance in which adjustment might be necessary is if your area does experience lots of snow and ice each year. Though adjusting coverage might seem like a hassle, it also can save you money if you do have a claim that needs to be made.

Storm patterns and seasons vary from state to state and location to location, so it is important that you take note of your particular area and your particular situation when it comes to adjusting coverage. For those in the Austin, TX area, the agents with Southwest Insurance Center can help you to find the perfect spring storm season coverage.