Navigating the finer points of home insurance can be complicated. One of the most common questions that homeowners may have can include whether or not they need to include an outbuilding on the home insurance policy. To determine the answer, you need to know a few key pieces of information. 

Determining The Need To Insure An Outbuilding

If you are unsure whether to insure a building that isn’t part of your main dwelling, consider the following points. First, you must determine the value of the contents of the building. You may not want to include the building if it is small and is used to house tools and other items with less significant value. However, if you have a very large outbuilding and house items with a higher value, you will want to include that in the policy. Some policies do not allow outbuilding coverage, so you may need to purchase an additional policy. Ask your insurance professional what your options are and what make sense for your individual needs.

Working With An Agent

If you are shopping for a home insurance policy, you want to make sure you work with a skilled and experiences insurance agent so you get the right coverage. A good agent will explain each policy and make sure you have known the exact details as well as terms and condition. You can also enlist thier help with claims and questions that arise during the coverage period. If you live in or around the Davie, FL area and want to find out more about home insurance, you should check out Zot Insurance Agency.

If you have questions about home insurance coverage, or you want to find policies that cover your outbuilding, you should contact Zot Insurance Agency. They serve the residents in and around the Davie, FL area and welcome you to call or come by the office to speak with an agent. 

Many people do not consider getting insurance coverage for a home that is vacant. If it is not occupied, why would it need to be insured? And many insurance companies standard plans will not cover events that may happen in a house that is unoccupied for certain periods of time.  

There are good reasons to have the property insured at all times. Zot Insurance Agency in Davie, FL deals with this type of situation and can help you choose the right insurance.

Providing financial protection from loss, theft or damage of a home that is uninhabited is what unoccupied property insurance deals with. A standard homeowners insurance policy won’t cover things like vandalism, fires, damages or other types of claims on a vacant property that has not been occupied. Leaving your home for even a few months and something like your home being vandalized, vacant home insurance is what would be needed for coverage because standard homeowners policy doesn’t cover this.

Unoccupied or vacant property insurance can be purchased as an add on to existing homeowner policies or it can be purchased separately. If it is purchased as a standalone, it is possible to eliminate the cost of a regular homeowner policy. An add on will potentially increase the cost of an existing standard policy.

The reason that standard homeowners insurance doesn’t cover unoccupied and vacant homes is that a greater insurance risk comes with an occupied home. Reasons can include greater chances of theft and vandalism in addition to an emergency response being slower since no life-threatening dangers exist when no one is there and the fire will be reported slower. These increase costs for insurance agencies that aren’t covered under a standard policy.

If you have a vacant home in need of insurance, Zot Insurance Agency in Davie, FL can help you with different options to suit your needs.

If you’re interested in purchasing a home, you have more ahead of you than you may realize. It’s important though to follow these rules. At Zot Insurance Agency, serving Davie, FL and the surrounding area, we strive to help make the process of buying a home and maintaining it easier. 

Decide on a Budget

Before you decide on a home, you need to determine what’s in your price range. You want to keep in mind you may need to pay a higher monthly rate if you choose to put down a smaller down payment, especially since you may need to pay a special fee. To help you decide on a budget, you may want to use a mortgage calculator.

Start Looking for Homes

The second step to purchasing a home is browsing the homes that are in your price range.

Getting Your Loan

Then, you want to get qualified by a lender and gain approval. 

Make an Offer

The next step is to make an offer on the home you want. 

Select Your Loan

Then, you want to work with your mortgage lender and obtain your loan.

Get a Home Appraisal 

Your lender is going to ask you to get an appraisal. This particular portion of the home buying process consists of a person who isn’t associated with your lender going to the home and figuring out the value of your home. 

Paperwork

Like any major purchase, you have paperwork to fill out. In fact, when you’re buying a home, you have a great deal of paperwork to complete. 

Closing 

Closing the house is the final step. You finish with the last of the paperwork and loan documents. 

Get Insurance

As soon as you get your home, you want to purchase a home insurance policy.

Get a quote for a home insurance policy from Zot Insurance Agency, serving Davie, FL and the surrounding region, by calling 954-680-8088 today.  

Insurance companies pay attention to risk in every policy they approve and provide to consumers, and homeowners are no exception. So when a consumer in Davie, FL or anywhere in the state takes the time to reduce risk in a home that is covered, insurers often reward the consumer because it benefits the safety of the home as well as reduces their chance of having to address a damage claim. The most common way to reduce risk is to install a home alarm; this is a well-known discount and is even identified by insurers to new clients. However, there are other steps one can take as well.

Automatic water shut-offs are a newer tool, thanks to advancing technology, that are a big winner with home insurers, according to Zot Insurance Agency. The most common cause of water damage in a home tends to be a burst pipe or unidentified leak behind the internal walls of a home. Now, there are easy to install tools that monitor water presence and moisture around the highest risk water systems in a home, and this shuts the water flow to them if triggered. The water heater is a perfect example. Old heaters are notorious for springing leaks, and the water flow will normally continue if not shut off. An automatic moisture sensing monitor will solve this problem almost as soon as the leak happens and spreads.

Shatter proof windows are another method insurers like. Smash and grabs are common in neighborhoods where people commonly leave during the day for work. Higher temper glass makes it much harder to get in, even stopping some attempts. That also reduces losses. Again, the big benefit is a reduction of risk for the homeowner and insurer. If you need help finding out what benefits you can receive for  your home in Davie, FL, call Zot Insurance Agency today. We can guide you on exactly what changes to make and which will benefit you the most.

When you are looking to make a great long-term investment in the Davie, FL area, one of the best things that you could do would be to buy a home. To ensure that your home is adequately protected, having home insurance is a practical necessity. There are several reasons why you need to have home insurance on your property.

Protects Your Assets

The main reason you need to have home insurance on your property is that it will protect your assets. A home insurance policy can provide you with protection in many different ways. The home insurance policy will be able to protect the actual home in the event of a fire or other casualty. It can also provide you with coverage for your personal belongings. This way, you will not have to replace all of your items out of pocket if they are damaged.

Ensures Compliance

When you own a property, many different entities will require that you carry insurance the whole time. If you have a mortgage, you will need to have a home insurance policy outstanding at all times. When you live in a community with a local association, you also likely will need to carry a policy to stay in compliance. If you find yourself in default with either the mortgage lender or the association, you could face stiff penalties or even foreclosure.

When you are considering whether or not to get home insurance, you should meet with the Zot Insurance Agency. For those that are buying a home in the Davie, FL area, the Zot Insurance Agency can provide a variety of very valuable services. This will help you to assess your home insurance needs better while also making sure that you get into the best policy possible.

Protecting your home does not come in a one size fits all approach. There are many different variables in regards to your home. This not only includes the kind of home you have but who you have living in it. You may want to protect certain areas of the house further if you have kids playing by windows or if you live in an area that experiences a high level of flooding. Regardless of where you live in and around Davie, FL, Zot Insurance Agency is here to help you with your insurance needs. 

Flood Insurance

Whenever you live in Florida, it’s always highly recommended to invest in flood insurance. You never know when the next major storm might hit, so having the peace of mind knowing your home is protected will help prevent you from paying for flooding repairs out of pocket. 

Home Business

Do you run a home business? Perhaps you’ve been cultivating a side job at home, and it’s starting to grow. Whether you’re printing t-shirts in the garage or offer marketing services, when you have a home business it’s important to protect it. If your business valuables are stolen or damaged in a storm, it may not be covered by your current policy. Replacing these items can set your business back months, if not years, which is why you need to consider home business insurance. 

Extra Coverage for Home Valuables

Did you invest in a valuable work of art or jewelry? If so you’ll want extra coverage for these investments. 

Zot Insurance Agency understands the many different needs of a homeowner. With so many variables it is important to find an insurance policy that meets the specific needs of a homeowner. For residents who live in and around Davie, FL, now is the time to give Zot Insurance Agency a call. Feel free to reach out to us if you also live in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, or Texas.

How can Home Insurance Help my Resale Value?

How much you get for your home in Davie, FL depends on how you take care of your home — and it starts from the moment you unpack your first box. Upkeep and maintenance aren’t easy to do, but it’s necessary for a number of reasons. For starters, it helps you take more pride in your home, and it ensures you feel a deeper connection to your property. Although, you may be overlooking another major component, your home insurance policy. Zot Insurance Agency wants to help you learn more about your home’s upkeep.

The Fine Print 

Home insurance policies can be long, and somewhat confusing. They use jargon you may not be familiar with, and scenarios that don’t seem to apply to your life. This is due to the fact that it’s impossible to cover all of the situations that may happen to your home. But this explanation will do you little good if something happens to your home and you find you don’t have coverage to pay for the repairs. 

Not being able to pay for damage done to your home isn’t just inconvenient, it can be what ends up destroying the structure and property. For example, water damage from a small flood can turn into toxic black mold. A cracked foundation may end up making the home collapse eventually. But what’s most likely to happen is that the damage gets worse and worse, leading the home to decrease in sale value. It doesn’t even have to be a dramatic circumstance because even seemingly innocuous flaws in the home can spin out of control quickly. 

Zot Insurance Agency can help you maintain your property in Davie, FL for as long as you have it. Give us a call if you want to learn more about how a home insurance policy can help your home.