When you own a home, home insurance is a given. What you need to ask yourself is “how much home insurance coverage do I really need?” The following tips from Shell Insurance Agency can be helpful in making wise decisions concerning home insurance coverage.  

What Home Insurance Covers

A typical home policy in Deer Park, TX covers the following:

• Your home
• Your belongings
• Injuries or property damage from accidents on your property (liability protection)

Dwelling Coverage

Ideally, your dwelling coverage should be enough to replace your Deer Park, TX home if it’s totally destroyed by fire, tornado, hurricane, or other disasters. By assessing the current value of your home, you’ll have a better idea of how much dwelling coverage to buy. You should also take into account the cost of materials and labor to rebuild your home, garage, and other attached structures.

Personal Property Coverage

This coverage protects your personal property, which includes your clothes, sports gear, electronics, furniture, appliances, and other stuff. It should be enough to replace these goods if they’re stolen, vandalized, or destroyed in a disaster. By making a home inventory, you’ll have a better idea of what you own and the value of your property. This can help you determine how much property coverage to buy.

Liability Coverage

Liability is the coverage that protects you against accidents on your property by paying for a visitor’s medical or property damage costs. It also covers lawsuits if you’re sued for damages. The greater the risk of people having accidents on your property, the more liability coverage you should buy. In fact, we recommend Deer Park, TX homeowners purchase as much liability coverage as they can afford to protect their assets against serious mishaps that may occur in their home or yard.   

To learn more about home insurance coverage, call or visit Shell Insurance Agency.

Are you thinking about getting home insurance in the near future? Before you do so, you’ll want to conduct an inventory of what your home contains. Anything that’s in your home or on your property, in general, is considered to be personal property for insurance purposes. The insurance experts at the Shell Insurance Agency of the Deer Park, TX area can help you sort this out.

Why Complete a Home Inventory

It’s a good idea to make up a home inventory so that you can compare the value of your personal items to the contents limit that’s in your insurance policy. This way, you’ll know that you have adequate coverage to be able to replace items if they’re destroyed, lost, or stolen (as long as it’s considered to be a covered loss). You might use a video camera or a regular camera to record and describe what you have as you walk around your house.

Keep Receipts

It’s important to keep receipts with your list, especially if they’re for big-ticket items. This helps a great deal with the claims process.

Store the Inventory Documentation Offsite

Place your inventory list/video footage/photos somewhere besides your home. This way, if there’s a fire or some other damage to your property, you’ll still have your documentation.

Update Records as Often as Necessary

You should update your records any time that you purchase new valuables including furnishings. It can be easy to forget with the hectic pace of life, but it’s necessary for when you go to file a claim or you could risk not getting the coverage for the item(s).

On that note, even if you can’t complete your inventory list, it’s better to try to get as much as possible in your inventory with brand names, serial numbers, and descriptions.

Reach out to Shell Insurance Agency, serving the Deer Park, TX area. We’re happy to assist new and returning clients with their questions and concerns about valuables insurance.

Buying a home in the Deer Park, TX area can be an excellent investment. While there are a lot of short-term and long-term benefits that come with owning a property here, it continues to be important that you protect it with insurance. There are several reasons why you need to get a home insurance policy in this area of Texas.

Provides Valuable Coverage

One of the main reasons that you should get a home insurance policy is that it can give you very valuable coverage. If you own a home, you need to protect the investment. When you have home insurance, you will receive the coverage you need to repair or rebuild your home following a fire or other calamity. It can also provide you with coverage for your personal assets and even offer personal liability insurance coverage.

A requirement for Most Owners

For those that own a home and have taken out a mortgage, having insurance is also an obligation. You will be required under the terms of your loan agreement to carry home insurance at all times. Most of the time, the lender will also escrow for payments monthly. Also, if you live in a home association, you will likely have insurance obligations in the condo association rules. 

There are a lot of reasons why you need to have home insurance in Texas. When you are trying to protect your Deer Park, TX home, it is crucial that you speak with an insurance team that is experienced and that you can trust. The team at the Shell Insurance Agency should be the first that you contact for your insurance needs. The Shell Insurance Agency can address any questions that you have and make sure that you and your home are adequately covered by insurance.

Securing your home should always be one of your top priorities. Installing a home security system is a great way to start. You can choose to install a DIY system or have one professionally installed. In Deer Park, TX, the agents of Shell Insurance Agency are often asked if these systems are effective at minimizing break-ins and securing a home. The answer is yes if they are installed and monitored properly.

Video Surveillance

Video surveillance is a great way to not only keep eyes on your home 24 hours a day, but they also are capable of recording video that can be used to identify unwanted visitors who find their way into your home. Some cameras also take still shots as well as video recordings.

Mobile Apps

Most of the newer home security systems come with mobile apps that you download to your phone, tablet, or laptop. This allows you to check on your home whenever you want to. You can access your video camera footage and also monitor your home’s temperature. With some apps, you can even turn lights and appliances on and off to save energy or give the impression you are at home.

24-Hour Professional Monitoring

With 24-hour professional monitoring, your home is constantly under surveillance by a third-party monitoring center that will notify the authorities if an alarm is triggered. Your home is monitored while you are there and when you are away.

At Shell Insurance Agency, residents of Houston and Deer Park, TX are encouraged to call and speak to an agent if they are interested in finding out more about the effectiveness of quality home security systems. Having all of the information you need is the best way to make an informed decision. Talk to an agent at your earliest convenience for more answers.

Deer Park calls itself “The Birthplace of Texas” due to its location near the site of the Battle of San Jacinto. It is also in the metro Houston area giving it access to all the attractions that Houston has to offer. Homeownership in Deer Park, TX is very desirable. But when you own a home, lots of things can weigh on your mind when it comes to protecting it. Shell Insurance Agency can help to ease your mind with our years of experience in all things home insurance. Basic home insurance is fine, but there are some standard home insurance riders that you may want to add. 

Jewelry rider

A jewelry rider is the most common of the home insurance riders. Most home policies only cover $1,000 for jewelry. If you have an engagement ring, chances are $1,000 is not even going to cover the replacement of that, let alone anything else you have. Keep in mind that the $1000 is not per person, it is total. Watches are considered jewelry as well, so if both you and your spouse have a nice watch, you are going to need a jewelry rider. 

Antiques and fine art

You may have inherited some antiques or fine artwork. You should have them appraised, and in most cases, you will need a home insurance rider to protect them from loss. Oriental carpets would also fall under this type of coverage. 

We can help you if you are a new homeowner, and if you currently have a policy, we can evaluate it for you and make sure that you are getting the coverage you need. Shell Insurance Agency will give all residents of the Deer Park, TX area the benefit of our team’s knowledge of home insurance riders. Stop by our office or give us a call for a no-obligation quote.

Renovations are definitely a milestone to get excited over, whether they’re large or small. However, many homeowners who update their homes don’t stop to think about how that may affect their home coverage from Shell Insurance Agency. the truth is, your policy is subject to change as soon as you start renovations. Read on to learn how renovations in your Deer Park, TX home can affect your coverage.

Remodels Might Increase Your Home Insurance Premium

Though renovations are a wonderful thing, they can be very costly. This isn’t just in terms of the cost of new materials and hiring remodeling contractors.

If the value of your home appreciates, the value of your home insurance must come up as well. After all, there is an extra room or a new front porch to cover in your policy. If you add a swimming pool, that can incur extra rate changes to your coverage on its own. In any case, you must make your home insurance coverage provider aware of the renovations at your house.

What If You Don’t Update Your Home Insurance Coverage?

If you don’t rework your home insurance coverage to include your renovations, you may be able to keep your premium costs down for a while. However, you are likely to incur some unpleasant effects from that decision.

Whatever isn’t covered by your home insurance policy cannot be reimbursed for in a claim. For instance, if you submit a claim for an accident that involved your newly renovated back porch, your insurance agency is not required to cover that accident. Even if a friend or loved one gets hurt, if the policy isn’t updated after the renovation, the new porch is not covered.

Raising Home Insurance Coverage During Renovations

Since you’ll have to report your renovations in order to get adequate coverage from Shell Insurance Agency, you may want to consider increased coverage during the renovations.

Unless you’re doing everything alone, you will need to hire contractors and sometimes even family members to help you complete your renovation. During that time, they are all subject to mishaps and real accidents. By increasing your coverage to include more people and increased activity, you ensure that you’re covered in case your contractors or friends need medical attention.

Of course, you should also make sure that your legitimate and licensed contractors are bonded and insured as well. If they don’t carry contractor’s insurance, then you will be stuck with their bill.

Ready To Get Adequate Home Coverage?

If you live in Deer Park, TX and it’s time to remodel your home, we urge you to expand your home insurance coverage. If your home is not yet protected, call Shell Insurance Agency today. Our friendly agents are standing by and eager to help you with your home insurance needs.

Roof damage can be a costly event in any homeowner’s life. But when you have the insurance coverage that you need, the situation can be a lot less stressful. A comprehensive home owner’s policy can provide the coverage that you need in order to protect yourself. The team at Shell Insurance Agency can provide the necessary guidance to ensure that your Deer Park, TX area home has the comprehensive coverage that you want and need to protect your home and family. Now is the perfect time to review your policy for completeness.

Roof damage coverage essentials

Roof damage coverage typically falls under the same category as other broad coverages that your home insurance policy provides. For example, if you have wind coverage, any roof damage that occurs due to a wind event will be covered under your home policy. We recommend that you undergo a home policy review to ensure that you have adequate coverage levels in place. It is always a great idea to fully understand your insurance coverage before you sustain any damage to your home! While insurance is a protection that we hope we never need, it is essential to have a comprehensive policy in place. Individual requirements will vary and working with a local agent can help you to gain a better understanding of your needs and the best policy and coverage levels that can meet them. Don’t wait until you experience roof damage to check the coverage levels and guidelines of your primary home insurance policy.

Interested in a policy review of your current home insurance policy to ensure that you have sufficient roof damage coverage? If you are in the greater Deer Park, TX area, call or stop by the Shell Insurance Agency today to find out more!