Every wise person gets his house insured not because he expects something catastrophic is going to happen but because just in case it occurs! At least he doesnt have to bother much about the financial loss as that would be covered in the insurance done. Insurance protects your house from many dangers, such as fire or wind damage, as well as protecting your contents or belongings from fire, theft, or other damage. Also homeowners insurance also provides you and your family with personal liability coverage. So while opting for an insurance plan, determine and evaluate all the parameters that govern the execution of the policy!

Let me tell you inside out about house insurance!

Fact 1: You should be aware of that your house have three different values: (1) how much you are taxed on, (2) how much you can sell it for, and (3) how much it will cost to rebuild it. And yes these values are not same!

--A compelling factor to decide on the value of your house is its location.

--Another factor in ascertaining the value of your home is how much land is included in the property. As 10 acres of land is probably going to worth more than acre, but what kind of land is it? Are 5 acres raw wetlands? And again, you guessed it, where is it located?

Fact 2: Bank does not want to underinsure you, nor do they want to over insure you. This can be understood as when you first purchase a home, the bank is going to want you to insure the house for the amount of your loan. And most of the times without considering the value of the land, which will still be there even if the house completely burns down.

Fact 3: Cost estimation tools have been developed by the banks so as to determine the value of your house. Various aspects are studied and evaluated like how old the building is, how many finished square feet it contains, how many stories, what type of roof (gable, gambrel, etc), what type of construction (frame, masonry), what type of siding (vinyl, aluminum, clapboards), etc. Is your kitchen a basic kitchen, or does it have custom cabinets, granite countertops and a ceramic tile floor? The insurance company will also accept a replacement cost estimate from a licensed contractor in the area.

Detailed questions will lead to better estimate of the cost!

Conclusion

To decide on how much you need to insure your home is like striking a delicate balance between over insuring and underinsuring as over insuring your house will pay for coverage you will never receive, and underinsuring will save a little money and risk a large shortfall in the event of a catastrophe.