When buying home insurance in West Bloomfield, MI, your insurer might, or might not, choose to send an inspector to your home to check it out. There is no legal requirement for them to do this, and you have no obligation to consent to a home inspection if you’d rather go with an insurance provider that does not put you through an inspection. It comes down to how each individual insurance provider chooses to do business.

There are two specific circumstances where your insurance provider is more likely to conduct an inspection:

• When you are renewing your policy. Your home insurance provider might want to make sure there are no damages left unchecked, and that the home is not being neglected. So it’s not uncommon for insurers to send inspectors when you choose to renew a policy.
• If your home is more than 25 years old and hasn’t been inspected in a few years. The older the home, the closer attention you’re going to need to pay to it to determine its value and any potential problems. So don’t be surprised if your insurer wants to run an inspection on your antique home.

Home insurers manage a lot of policies, and they might not have the time and resources to send an inspector for every new customer. So while some insurance companies do inspect homes for new policies, most don’t.

If you are looking to get your home in West Bloomfield, MI insured, or if you have any questions about getting covered, get in touch with the folks at Phil Klein Insurance Group. Phil Klein Insurance Group can get you the insurance policy you need to provide you with peace of mind.

When the weather outside is frightful your thoughts may be anything but delightful. You may actually be wondering if your home insurance will cover you for damages caused by weather events. The simple answer is yes it does but not every weather event. If you have a good insurance agent they will recommend that you add on to your policy any deficiencies that it may have for the area where you live. The Phil Klein Insurance Group in West Bloomfield, MI partners with more than 90 top carriers to provide our customers with the best possible choice. 

These are some of the weather events that are covered by home insurance:

Tornados

A tornado is a column of air that rotates at up to 250 miles an hour. It is caused by thunderstorms and some severe thunderstorms spawn multiple tornados. The results are devastating. In the United States, more than a thousand tornadoes occur yearly causing billions of dollars in damage. Damage from less severe wind storms is also covered.

Ice Storm

Ice storms happen when the air on the ground is cold enough to freeze the rain as soon as it hits an exposed surface. The National Weather Service defines an ice storm as a coating of more than a quarter of an inch of ice. The weight of the ice collapses tree branches and they can cause a lot of damage. Electric wires also come down and cause power outages. If a tree branch damages your home or outbuilding it will be covered and the cost of removing the branch will also be included. If the branch falls but doesn’t hit anything, you must remove it yourself. 

Snow

Snow damage is covered in most cases by your home insurance. 

These are some of the weather events covered by typical home insurance. Always check your policy to be sure about any coverage. In West Bloomfield, MI the Phil Klein Insurance Group will be happy to talk to you about home insurance coverage on the telephone or in our office. 

If you’re doing some renovations in your home, your home insurance policy may offer some limited protection for lost building materials, but it’s unlikely that you’re going to take the time to add every 2×4 and box of screws to your inventory for small projects, and even less likely that you’re going to be willing to file a home insurance claim on thirty dollars worth of lumber you were using to rebuild a window frame.

What you’re going to want to consider instead is asking your home insurer about renovation insurance, or "dwelling under construction insurance." This is an additional policy that you can buy from the insurance provider that will protect you against many of the risks you’re going to face as a homeowner while remodeling your home. That’s going to include common hazards that can take place during construction, as well as any building materials and tools that may be lost or damaged over the course of the project.

Of course, insurance always comes down to what you’re comfortable replacing yourself. If you’re doing small renovations, it might be wiser to simply not worry about it. It’s not hard for most homeowners to replace a single window and some hand tools out of pocket. When you have a much larger project though, adding a whole new bedroom, completely remodeling the bathroom, that’s when you’re going to be glad that you invested in renovation insurance.

If you’re looking to get covered in West Bloomfield, MI, get in touch with Phil Klein Insurance Group. At Phil Klein Insurance Group we can compare quotes from several insurance companies to get West Bloomfield, MI homeowners the protection they need.

Spring is the perfect time to give your home a vigorous cleaning, get organized, and discard or donate unused items. Once you have your home in great shape, it’s time to take a look at your insurance policy. We recommend that clients of the Phil Klein Insurance Group in the greater West Bloomfield MI area review their homeowner’s policies on a regular basis.

Your Insurance Needs Change – It’s Important that Your Insurance Policy Keeps Up

• Changes in the value of your home – as the value of your home changes, so do does your coverage requirements. If there is a catastrophic event that makes your home uninhabitable, you will need the proper coverage to rebuild or relocate your family. Make sure that your policy levels are sufficient to cover the needs of your family.
• The purchase of high ticket items and electronics – personal belongings can add up to a significant amount, especially when you consider all of the devices that every member of the family has. Be sure that these items are covered in the event of loss or damage. 
• Updates and remodels to your home – when you have a major overhaul to your home, such as updating the kitchen and bathrooms or putting on an addition, your current policy will need to be updated to reflect this work. 

Our homes are an important part of our lives, and likely the largest investment that we will make in our lifetimes. Be sure that yours has the protection that is necessary to protect your family!

Don’t wait until it’s too late to find out that your homeowner’s insurance policy is no longer adequate for your needs. Call the Phil Klein Insurance Group today and make sure that your West Bloomfield, MI home has the protection it needs!

When you own a home it comes with a lot of risks. Things happen and some of them are not good. Home insurance gives you peace of mind that if bad things happen you will be able to repair or replace what was lost. But, and this is a big but, not all things are covered by home insurance. In West Bloomfield, MI, the Phil Klein Insurance Group is there to help give you the information you need. 

Wear and tear

Things wear out, your home insurance does not cover or replace things like your appliances, furnace or air conditioner when they wear out. It also doesn’t cover your 25-year-old roof that needs to be replaced.  

Moving earth

Earthquakes and mudslides caused by earthquakes are not covered. Sinkholes are also not covered. You can buy a separate policy or an endorsement on your basic home policy to cover these. 

Floods

According to FEMA, floods are the most common natural disaster in the United States. They can be caused by so many different things, including hurricanes, tornados, Nor’easters, spring thaw, and storms. 26% of homeowners will experience some sort of flooding during a 30 year mortgage period compared to only 4% with fire damage. Home insurance does not cover flooding. You need to purchase National Flood Insurance. 

Expensive jewelry and electronics

Homeowner’s insurance has set limits on the amount it will pay for jewelry and electronics. If you have items above the coverage limit the insurance will not give you the value of your items. You need to add a special rider. 

If you think your coverage may be inadequate or you are a new homeowner, Phil Klein Insurance Group in West Bloomfield, MI is happy to talk to you about your coverage and what you may need to add to it. Give them a call or stop by their office for a no-obligation quote. 

 

 

A typical homeowners insurance will cover damage to your property or it can also cover damages that occur on your property. Sorting through all the differences in what is covered can feel overwhelming and complicated. There are some ways to narrow down choices when you are shopping for insurance. Comparing things like costs, premiums, and what is covered is a good way to compare policies.

If you are looking for insurance for your home, Phil Klein Insurance Group in West Bloomfield, MI can help.

Premium vs deductible

Deductibles are simply the amount of money that is deducted from your insured losses. The premium is paid each month or year to maintain coverage. These are usually balanced in a way that if one is higher in cost, the other is lower. It is important to discuss how these two factors are calculated and affected by large natural disaster events.
Coverage

Based on where you live and specific policies available in your area, there are many options for types of coverage. Standard homeowners insurance may not cover certain events and separate policies may be required to make sure you are covered. Natural disasters, vandalism, and home plumbing emergencies are just a few typical occurrences that may or may not be covered.

Liability limit

Liability is part of homeowners insurance that covers damages or injuries to others on your property. This can vary between policies based on the exclusion of certain scenarios and events. This is one of the fine print details that can be good to look at when comparing policies.

It can feel a bit challenging when comparing home insurance policies. There is a lot of fine print, but researching what policies are available in your area can help you make good decisions. Phil Klein Insurance Group in West Bloomfield, MI can help with your home insurance needs. Agents will be happy to discuss the details of what is most important to you as far as coverage and cost.
 

Home insurance, also known as homeowners’ insurance, is a type of coverage purchased by anyone who owns a home, whether that is a single-family residence, townhouse, condominium, or any other home ownership situation. A home insurance policy typically has certain things it covers and others that it doesn’t cover. Here is some basic information you need to know about that, courtesy of Phil Klein Insurance Group in the West Bloomfield, MI area.

Covered

Home insurance is a necessity for any homeowner, and it covers issues affecting housing structures, such as the house itself, garage, and other structures. It covers damage to belongings resulting from natural disasters like hail and wildfires as well as catastrophic events like house fires. It also covers issues like theft. It includes various belongings like furniture, lighting fixtures, appliances, electronics, and more. 

Not Covered

There are many things that home insurance covers, but there are also some things it doesn’t cover. This includes disasters like floods and hurricanes, which many home insurance policies require special insurance to cover. Many policies also do not cover mold. It is possible that your insurance offers the option to add coverage for those types of problems, so ask when you are setting up your policy. Home insurance does not cover damage caused by the owner or a guest, such as a window or a garage door that is damaged through carelessness. Although a home insurance policy provides coverage for belongings, it might not provide enough benefits for high-dollar valuables, such as fur coats and jewelry. In that type of scenario, it’s wise to consider purchasing extra coverage.

What home insurance will cover and doesn’t cover varies from policy to policy. Do you have questions or need help with getting home insurance? We’re only a phone call away. Feel free to contact Phil Klein Insurance Group, serving the West Bloomfield, MI area, when you’re ready to explore options.