Saturday, January 30, 2010

Condo Insurance Is Now Easy and Inexpensive.


By Ken Henry

If you have recently made arrangements to purchase a condo, you will need to think about condo insurance. This is not only to protect your own investment, but to help meet your responsibilities as a unit holder within the condo corporation.

The first question that you need to ask is what is covered under the condominium corporation insurance policy, and what will need to be covered under your personal policy. Generally, only items owned by the condominium corporation will be covered by their insurance policy. This includes stairwells, elevators, items in the lobby, hallways and external fixtures such as roofing.

Generally, while you will need to cover everything inside your condo unit, including structural upgrades, you will not need to have elevators, roofing or other items included in your policy. Upgrades may include brushed concrete flooring, improved cabinetry or appliances, and better windows or floor tiling. If you have luxury items, you may need a rider. This can make sure they are insured but it can add to the cost.

If there are specific unit holder responsibilities, you need to know what they are, and how they affect the price of your policy. If there are standard things that your condominium does not say are your responsibility, this may be causing you to pay more for your insurance than you need to. It is good to know about any areas where you can save money and also meet your obligations. To avoid buying more coverage than is necessary, consider finding out what your minimum coverage is. You may be able to find out information in your condo guide. If it is not there, consider asking the corporation. They should be able to tell you what your different requirements are concerning your insurance coverage.

When you are discussing your condo insurance with your insurance company, you should find out how your policy differs from a homeowners policy. One difference you may notice is the distance from the property that personal injury claims are covered. If you own a home incorporates some property, a homeowners policy will generally cover personal injury claims that occur on that property. But if you live in a condo complex, your needs are different. Many condo insurance claims will only cover personal injury claims that take place up to one hundred and fifty feet from your door.

Many insurance companies will drop their rates if you are also insuring a vehicle or other items from them. A bundled rate can be good, but don't worry if you are not insuring anything else. You may still be able to get a deal if you go to the company which is also insuring the condo corporation. They may be able to give you a better group rate than a stand-alone policy through another company.

There are so many differences between condo insurance and homeowners insurance that most important questions should be to your insurance company or agent. How much experience has their insurance company had covering condos? Are they simply giving you a modified homeowner's policy, or are you getting one specifically designed to cover the unique living situation of a condo? The answer may tell you you need to look elsewhere for coverage.

By asking the right questions in the right areas, you can make sure that you are getting the best condo insurance policy to cover you and your items. With luck, you will never need it. But in the event that you do, the last thing you want is to discover that there are problems or gaps that leave you out in the co

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