In Scottsdale, spring brings with it a sense of excitement. Homeowners are ready to start prepping their home for the summer months. And, while temperatures remain rather mild, some may decide it is time to make a few upgrades to the home. That’s a fantastic idea, but before you do so, it is important to check in with your home insurance agent at Vanyo Insurance Group. It’s our job to make sure your new projects are properly represented in your insurance policy.
New Structures Add Value and Function
This year, we’ve heard all about the benefits of customizing homes. Some of the local home improvement stores are seeing significant interest in not just new plants and flowers, but also in new structures, wood framing, and perhaps even a few sheds. If you are thinking about these new structures, you need to know a couple of key things about your home insurance policy.
New Garages
Building a garage onto your home is an excellent idea. Whether it is attached or detached, it should be a space properly designed and installed by licensed professionals. Garages are valuable, and that means that they may require a careful look at the amount of Coverage B – Other Structure insurance you have. This portion of your home insurance policy covers other structures like garages usually at a rate of 10 percent of the total cost of your Coverage A – Dwelling coverage. Take a look at your policy. Does your new garage top that value? If so, we need to make a few adjustments.
A New Pool
Scottsdale’s temperatures can climb fast in the spring months, and that often means homeowners want to add a pool, spa, or other water-based features to their home. It’s a welcome addition. Before you do it, though, you need to consider the risk. Home insurance includes liability coverage up to a certain value. However, a pool needs to be listed on your policy to give you enough protection. Even if you are very careful about keeping the gates closed and not allowing others in it, it’s still a liability hazard. Let us know so we can add it to your policy.
Sheds and Other Structures
It’s also a good idea to let us know about any other structures and features you plan to add to your home. Here are some other structures we need to add to your policy:
- Fences
- Decks
- Gazebos
- Garden Sheds
- Outdoor kitchens, grilling pits and other types of cooking spaces
- Fire Pits
You should also know that your home insurance policy does not often cover land-based features on your home. That means items like the following do not have coverage in most cases:
- Raised garden beds
- Plants
- Trees
- Hardscaping features such as retaining walls and rocks
It’s important for you to know this because these are valuable investments. If there is a problem and you suffer a loss with them, you may end up spending significantly on replacing them. If you have any questions about what your home insurance covers, give us a call to inquire.
Home insurance coverage is there to help you. We’ve provided only a bit of guidance here, but we encourage you to give us a call to discuss your needs. If you are in Scottsdale or the surrounding region, our team at Vanyo Insurance Group is always available to discuss your individual needs. We encourage you to contact us with your questions today. And then, get your new spring projects wrapped up so that you can welcome family over for some fun this summer.
