I bought a home—Now what?

Whether this is your starter home or your dream home, chances are you’ve just made the biggest purchase of your life. Such a large investment is an exciting and scary thing. You now have a place to settle down, make new memories, and grow. But with home ownership comes new responsibilities, including protecting you and your new home from potential harm like robbery, weather damage, and even identity theft. That’s where home insurance comes in.

Unlike auto insurance, which is required for all Canadians motorists, home insurance is not mandatory by law. However, if you are purchasing your home with the assistance of a mortgage, the lender will typically apply a condition of purchasing insurance prior to them lending you money.

Home insurance options may seem complicated, but we’re breaking them down so you can get everything you need to protect your home and everything important within it:

Home insurance basics:

Coverage

If your home is damaged, say from a fire, vandalism, a leaking hot water tank, or a burst pipe, your coverage will help pay the costs to repair the damage (or in more severe cases – rebuild). Buildings that are detached from your home such as a garage or shed can also be insured. In the event that you have to move out temporarily or find a new home due to damages, your coverage will provide additional living expenses.

Liability

You can be held legally responsible if someone is unintentionally injured on your property. For example, your neighbour slips on black ice in your driveway and breaks their leg. If you are being charged or sued, liability will cover the damages from the injury (up to your coverage limit).

Coverage add-ons (that aren’t included in your basic home insurance policy):

Limited Sewer Backup or Enhanced Water Coverage

This policy option covers you for additional damages by water, such as water escaping from your sewer, septic tank, or sub pump.

Special item coverage

When you add special item coverage, you can rest easy knowing high-value items such as jewellery and fine art are insured. Find out more about insuring high-value jewellery.

Identity theft coverage

This may be an item that is thought about least when it comes to home insurance. However, if your identity is stolen, there could be financial losses to deal with. Identity theft coverage will help with potential legal fees and costs required to help restore your identity.

If you are a Johnson Insurance policy holder, check to see if identity theft coverage is included with your homeowners policy.

Keeping your policy up-to-date

Remember, you can increase and decrease the amount of coverage you have to ensure everything in your home is protected. For example, if you install a pool in your backyard, you will need to update your policy so that the pool is included.

If you have questions about home insurance, you can connect with one of our friendly and helpful Johnson Insurance representatives.