Monthly Archives: November 2013

Are Dwelling and attached structures included in home insurance policy in Lakewood, Colorado?

When you purchase a home in Lakewood, Colorado, you want to make sure you also purchase a home insurance policy that covers your dwelling and attached structures as well as the contents of your home and liability against any claims that may be filed against you.

Included in any standard home insurance policy in Lakewood, Colorado, is dwelling and attached structures coverage. The dwelling is your main home and attached structures are any additions such as a porch or screened in patio that are built on the same foundation as your dwelling.

If your home or the attached structures to your dwelling are damaged by a covered peril in your homeowners policy, you can file a claim and receive compensation for repairs or replacement.

As a homeowner, you should be aware of the limitations of your insurance coverage. You may have a deductible to first meet before you can receive any money for a claim. You may also be improperly insured if you do not have replacement cost coverage because, like almost everything else, your home depreciates in value and it costs more to repair and replace everything.

Another concern that you should address when reviewing your dwelling coverage is for other structures that are not attached to your house. Generally speaking, any structure that is not built on the same foundation as your main dwelling is considered to be a detached structure.

Most Lakewood Colorado home insurance policies will provide coverage for structures that are not attached in the amount of 10 percent of the coverage on the dwelling. For instance, if you have $100,000 of coverage on your dwelling, other structures like a detached garage, storage shed, or retaining wall, will have a combined coverage of $10,000.

As your independent agent, we would advise you to come in for a review of your home policy to see if you have the right amount of protection for your dwelling and all other structures on your property. If need be, you can pay a little extra to increase the amount of coverage for your separate structures.

In Lakewood, Colorado, what is a guaranteed replacement cost clause?

We all remember the destructive fires that swept through Colorado and swallowed up everything in their path, including some very nice homes. While you may not have been personally affected in your Lakewood Colorado, there is always the threat of a fire or some other major destructive force, leveling your house to the ground.

While it is highly improbable that you will ever suffer a complete loss of your home and have to rebuild from the ground up, it is always good to be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. As your independent agent, we suggest that you thoroughly review your home insurance policy, or if you feel more comfortable, you can call our office and have an independent agent review your policy for you.

One of the most important things to look for is whether or not you have a guaranteed replacement cost clause included in your home insurance policy. A guaranteed replacement cost clause is important because it will pay as much as necessary to rebuild your home, even if the amount is greater than what the market value was before the home was destroyed.

There are a few things to look out for, even if you have guaranteed replacement cost insurance. First, if your home was destroyed in a fire and you decide it is safer to build on another lot away from the forest, you may not get as much as you need to rebuild the home in another location. Some insurance companies will claim that they do not insure for the cost of the land and a similar house built in another neighborhood may wind up costing you a lot of money out-of-pocket.

The second thing to be aware of is that there may be new building codes that require better materials and more permits before construction can be started. This is another area where your insurance company might insist that you bear those additional costs.

Losing your home to a disaster is hard enough without having to fight with your insurance company. Remember, as your independent agent, we are always here to help you get through a tough time dealing with your insurance company.

Insurance for Farm house

If you own a farm house in or around Lakewood, Colorado, you know you need to have insurance on it to protect yourself. If you’re using the house for a small business, having the right coverage is even more important. Commercial insurance may be required, depending on the type of business you’re operating. As an independent agent, we can help you sort out exactly what coverage you need and which company would be best for you. It’s important not to overpay, but you also want to focus on getting a good value for your money.

Consider the kind of business you’re planning to operate. If you work online only, doing things like graphic design or writing, you most likely don’t need to have a commercial policy. However, if you have customers and clients coming to your home and you’re operating any type of store or service facility from that home, you’ll want to make sure you have a commercial policy in place. This will protect you from issues like lawsuits if a customer slips, falls, or otherwise gets hurt on your property. While it won’t stop a person from suing you, it will stop you from being financially ruined by a lawsuit or other request for compensation from an injured patron.

Your standard homeowners policy isn’t set up to protect you and your property and finances from that kind of problem. By working with us, you can find out for sure if you need a commercial insurance policy for your farm house, so you’ll have proper protection and also peace of mind. Then you can relax and enjoy the beautiful area around Lakewood without fears over financial risk.

Is comprehensive and third party coverage an add-on to an auto insurance policy in Lakewood, Colorado?

When your friend asks to borrow your car, you better think twice before lending him or her keys. If your friend gets into an accident as a third party driver, he or she may be covered under your auto insurance, but, you may suffer some serious and expensive consequences.

In Lakewood, Colorado, comprehensive and third party coverage is not considered an add-on to an auto insurance policy. Well, in one sense, you might consider it an add-on if you are not required to carry anything more than the Colorado mandated liability coverage for your car.

When you purchase full coverage, you normally get collision and comprehensive coverage. You can enhance that basic coverage with add-on coverage like road hazard insurance or car rental reimbursement, but third party and comprehensive do not fit neatly under the category of being an add-on.

If you look at your Colorado car insurance policy, you will see a page listing exactly what is covered and in one amount. Everything is broken down so you know how much you are paying for bodily injury and property damage liability. You can see how much it costs you for protection against theft, vandalism and damage to your vehicle by finding the listing for comprehensive coverage. Everything, from the $12 or so you might pay for rental coverage, to the $400 you might pay for collision coverage is itemized separately.

Most policies cover third party drivers like your friend. However, you are ultimately responsible for any claims that exceed the limits of your policy. Furthermore, if your friend gets into an accident, that will reflect negatively on your driver’s record and could lead to higher premiums when you need to renew your auto insurance.

As your independent agent, we advise you to be very careful about lending your car to a third party. While it is great to be a friend and a nice guy, when something happens, you will probably wind up standing alone and bearing the brunt of the financial responsibility.