Do You Need to Upgrade Your Home Insurance Coverage?

You could miss out on valuable protection if you renew your home insurance annually without reviewing your coverage. Home renovations may not be covered, or significant home purchases may not be protected because you haven’t added these to your policy. At Alloy Insurance Partners in Dallas, TX, we recommend reviewing your policy before renewing to ensure you still have accurate coverage. Here are some reasons you may need to upgrade your policy.

Home Renovations

Major home renovations like kitchen remodeling or adding a new bathroom to your home can increase the value of your property. This could make your current dwelling coverage insufficient to cover the cost of rebuilding your home in the event of total loss. You may need to increase your dwelling insurance to reflect your home’s new value.    

Major Home Purchases

Property insurance protects your belongings. Significant purchases you’ve made in the last year, such as a new sound system, flat-screen TV, or pricey furniture, will affect your property coverage. Depending on your coverage limits, you may need to boost your property insurance to protect these big-ticket items fully. 

Adding a Dog to Your Household

Dogs add joy to a household and increase the risk of injury to others, as your pup may bite or attack visitors to your property. You may need to upgrade your liability coverage to ensure you’re protected against incidents that may occur with your dog.

Home Business

Starting a home business may require a total revamp of your insurance protection, as your home policy may not meet your business needs. Depending on the nature of your home business, you may need a separate commercial insurance policy.

If you need help upgrading your home insurance, call Alloy Insurance Partners in Dallas, TX.

Does My Dallas Home Insurance Cover Hailstorm Damage?

Homeowners in Dallas, TX know the weather is unpredictable. Having the proper home protection is crucial to year-round peace of mind. Alloy Insurance Partners wants to ensure you have the right home insurance policy to cover hailstorm damage and other consequences of severe storms.

Understanding Hailstorm Coverage

Typically, a standard homeowners insurance policy includes coverage for hailstorm damage. This means that if a hailstorm damages your roof, siding, or other parts of your home, your insurance policy may help cover the costs of repairs or replacements. However, it’s essential to review your policy to determine the extent of your coverage, as there may be exclusions or limitations depending on your location and insurance provider.

Deductibles and Hailstorm Damage

When filing a claim for hailstorm damage, you’ll likely encounter a deductible. The deductible is the amount you must pay out-of-pocket before your insurance coverage kicks in. Understanding your policy’s deductible structure is essential, as it will impact the overall cost of repairing or replacing damaged property.

For example, some insurance policies have separate wind and hail damage deductibles. In these cases, the deductible for hail damage may be higher than the one for other perils. Review your policy and discuss any concerns with your insurance agent.

Preventative Measures and Maintenance

Taking preventative measures and maintaining your home can help reduce the risk of damage from hailstorms. Regularly inspect your roof for signs of wear and tear and promptly repair any issues. Consider installing impact-resistant roofing materials designed to withstand hailstorms better. By taking these steps, you might lower your insurance premiums and minimize the financial impact of hailstorm damage.

To learn more about your home insurance options in Dallas, TX, and ensure you have the coverage you need, contact Alloy Insurance Partners today.

Remodeling & Home Insurance: What You Need to Know

No matter the reasoning behind it, a renovation is a big project that may impact your home insurance policy. Although your policy won’t pay for the remodeling itself, the value of your home may change. Having your home and personal property ensured for one amount when it’s really worth a different, potentially much more significant amount can leave you paying the difference out of pocket should any damage occur. Additionally, insurance providers can issue a non-renewal or cancel your policy if they learn of a major renovation project you failed to report.

When it comes to remodeling your home, it’s vital that you understand how your current policy will be affected and your options for changing it. So before you start tearing down walls and adding a pool, be sure to have a conversation with your Dallas, TX insurance agent.

How Renovations Can Impact Your Insurance

Each major renovation you make has the power to impact your insurance premiums, sometimes in multiple ways. A pool, for instance, can both raise the value of your home and the liability risk. Depending on the carrier, you may be required to add additional things, such as fencing around the pool or a safety cover for the water.

On the other hand, improvements to your existing plumbing, wiring, appliances, or even your roof can lower your premium since your risk of damage caused by water or fire is lower. Home security systems and sprinklers provide the same effect.

Let Alloy Insurance Partners Help You Protect Your Investment

When you need to change or update your homeowner’s insurance policy, Alloy Insurance Partners can help. Our team of agents will work to ensure that you get the coverage you need with a personalized policy. To get started, call us today at 800-527-2209.

Three things you absolutely need to know about your home insurance policy

As a homeowner, you need to be well-informed about your home insurance coverage details. There are several pieces of information you absolutely need to be aware of regarding the home insurance coverage you benefit from in Dallas, TX.

We can provide you with the information you need about home insurance coverage at Alloy Insurance Partners. We recommend that you’re aware of all of the following details of your home insurance coverage. 

Steps for filing a claim

It can be stressful to deal with home damage, resulting in the need to file a claim. If you understand the process for filing a claim, you can minimize the stress you have to deal with after an accident that causes damage to your property.

Ensure you know the steps to file a claim when purchasing your home insurance policy. This will give you peace of mind and make it easier to deal with home damage if and when it occurs. 

Types of coverage your policy includes

Homeowners should know that home insurance coverage involves many different types of coverage. These include personal liability, dwelling, personal property, and detached structure coverage.

You need to understand exactly what coverage your policy includes to benefit from the coverage you’ve invested in fully. 

The deductible amount on your policy

Your deductible amount is one of the most important details of your policy. You need to know your deductible amount to make sure you always have this amount available to pay out of pocket if you need to file a claim on your home insurance policy. 

We can come to your assistance at Alloy Insurance Partners if you’re still selecting the right policy for your property in Dallas, TX. Get in touch with us to learn more about your home insurance coverage options. 

3 Steps to Take Before Buying Home Insurance

Home insurance is one of those things that you hope you never have to use, but it’s there for a reason. It’s there to protect you and your family in the event of a fire, theft, or other covered disasters. But how do you know which home insurance policy is right for you? And how do you make sure that you’re getting the best possible rate? Alloy Insurance Partners in Dallas, TX offers this guide in navigating this important coverage. 

Here are three steps to take before buying home insurance:

Step 1: Know What You Need

The first step to take before buying home insurance is to know what you need. Home insurance policies can vary widely in terms of coverage, so it’s important to understand what your policy will and won’t cover. For example, most home insurance policies will cover damage caused by fire, but not all policies will cover damage caused by floods.

Step 2: Compare Rates

The second step to take before buying home insurance is to compare rates. Home insurance rates can vary significantly from one company to another, so it’s important to shop around and compare rates before buying. You can get quotes from several different companies online or by calling around local agents.

Step 3: Read the Fine Print

The third step to take before buying home insurance is to read the fine print. Home insurance policies can be complex, and it’s important to understand what you’re signing up for. Pay attention to things like deductibles, exclusions, and coverage limits. These can all have a big impact on your policy.

Contact Us Today

Buying home insurance can be a complex process, but it doesn’t have to be. By following these three steps, you can be sure that you’re getting the coverage you need at a price you can afford. If you are looking for home insurance in the greater Dallas, TX community, Alloy Insurance Partners can help. Give us a call today for a free quote.

Tips for making your home a safer place

What homeowner doesn’t strive to have a safe home? Many things contribute to your home being and feeling safe. Making your home safer takes a little thought and a little effort. With some tips, you should be able to make these changes. At Alloy Insurance Partners in Dallas, TX, we are here to help our customers, and we sincerely believe that having a good home insurance policy makes you and your assets safer. 

Install a home alarm system

These days, adding a safety net around your home with an alarm system is inexpensive and easy. Exterior cameras either on your doorbell or attached to your home can give you a 365-degree view of the exterior of your home. With your cellphone, they can connect you to local police or 911, so they are just a touch away. 

Use door and window locks

You should have a deadbolt on all your exterior doors and locks on windows and sliders. It is not enough to have locks. You need to use the locks every day. 

Install motion detector lights

Motion detector lights not only shine a light on anyone who approaches your home, but they also light the way up for you when you come home after dark. This is a safety measure that you will benefit from as well. 

Use smoke detectors

Not only should you have smoke detectors in every room or at least on every floor of your home, but you also need to make sure that the batteries get changed every six months so they will work if you happen to have a fire in your home. 

Contact Alloy Insurance Partners in Dallas, TX when you need an independent insurance agent who can customize your home insurance policy for you and your home.

Tips for Buying Homeowners Insurance for First Time Buyers

Homebuyers often do not think about budgeting for insurance, especially if it is their first home. At Alloy Insurance Partners in Dallas, TX, we want to eliminate the confusion and headache of purchasing your first insurance policy. Here are some tips to make a wise decision.

Determine the Right Amount of Coverage

Look to ensure the home for replacement cost and not market value. It’s best for one of our agents to assess your property to accurately determine the coverage needs. You’ll want to make sure that your policy covers at least 80% of your home’s value. 

Understand Your Policy

It’s important to know what your policy covers and what it doesn’t. One of our agents will ensure that you select the coverage that meets your needs and your budget. You’ll be made aware of any exclusions to determine if you want to leave them out or not. We take pride in total transparency to our customers. 

Determine your Out of Pocket Figure

The deductible is the amount that you are responsible for paying before the insurance takes over. The monthly premium is lower if you raise your deductible. However, you’ll need to determine if you can afford that amount if there is a claim. We’ll help you navigate through the different options and what options work best for you. 

Moving into your first home is exciting, and choosing the right policy is one less thing that you should worry about. At Alloy Insurance Partners in Dallas, TX we are prepared to provide you with the answers to all of your questions regarding your first home insurance policy. Stop by our office to find out more about policies and coverage for first-time buyers. We look forward to helping you. 

Doing a risk assessment of your home

Life is risky and your home no matter how careful you are is filled with potential for risk. You need to make sure you know what the risks are and have insurance to protect you from any problems that might be caused by those risks. At Alloy Insurance Partners in Dallas, TX, we understand risks, and we have the experience to help you find the solutions to mitigate those risks. 

Pets

Your dogs are members of your family; it is hard to imagine that they are a risk. However, depending on what breed they are they may not even be covered by your home insurance. Check with your agent to make sure you have coverage and of course make every effort to keep problems from happening by leashing your dogs when they are outdoors and getting training, so they don’t jump on or accost any guests you have. About 1/3 of all home insurance liability claims are for dog bites. 

Swimming pool

A swimming pool is a great place to enjoy the warm weather, but it also places an increased risk on your home insurance. Pool-related accidents are risks you assume when you add a pool or buy a home with a pool. Make sure that the fencing that surrounds your pool meets all local regulations. You need to make sure your pool can not be accessed by neighborhood children when you are not in the pool area. 

Trampoline

A trampoline is what can be referred to as an attractive nuisance. It poses a danger to children who will want to use it even if they have not been invited into your yard. 

Owning a home comes with lots of risks. At Alloy Insurance Partners in Dallas, TX, we make sure our clients have enough liability coverage to protect them from the risks they have, 

I Paid off the Mortgage! What Changes do I need to make to my Home Insurance?

Congratulations! You have finally cleared the debt on your Dallas, TX home. Your friends at Alloy Insurance Partners want to remind you that now is a great time to review your home insurance policy and make sure it is completely protected. 

Review the Current Assessment and Compare to Your Coverage

You were paying lower taxes on the property twenty or thirty years ago when you first bought it. Your home insurance policy is often based on the assessed value. Take the time to make sure that your policy reflects the increase in value that the property experienced over time. This ensures that if you suffer a catastrophic loss, you will be in a better position to rebuild without emptying your savings account.

Are Your Fine Art and Collectibles Listed on the Policy?

Over the years you have probably added a few of the finer things in life to your possessions. Jewelry, art, collector cars, and other unique items should be itemized on your home insurance policy with a stated assessed value. Should your home ever be attacked by thieves or vandals, you will be fully compensated for the loss of those valuable pieces.

You may also want to check the liability and medical payments section of the policy. A simple injury costs a lot more to treat now than it did when you first signed on the purchase and sale agreement all those years ago.

While you may still be living in the same home in Dallas, TX after 30 years, you should not assume that the same home insurance policy will properly care for you and your family. Give us a call at Alloy Insurance Partners to review your coverage and bring it up to date.

Do I need home insurance in Dallas?

The Dallas, TX area is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the country. Along with this, it can be a great place to purchase and own a home. When you are looking to purchase a home here, it is important that you protect it with insurance as well as you can. There are several reasons why you need to get a home insurance policy if you own a property here.

Required by Mortgage Provider

One reason why many people that own a home in Dallas need to have home insurance is that it is required by their mortgage lender. Buying a home is a very big purchase that will require you to likely take out a mortgage. If you do take out a mortgage, you will need to comply with the lender’s insurance requirements. Most of the time, you will need to escrow for your insurance payments on a monthly basis. 

Required by Associations

In some areas of Dallas, you may live in a home association. If this is the case for you, it is important that you understand all of the rules and obligations. One common requirement will be to have home insurance. Home associations have this as it helps to ensure you can pay for any damages that you or your property cause. 

As you are looking for insurance in the Dallas, TX area, you could find that picking the right policy is confusing. Since there are so many options and decisions that need to be made, you should speak with the team at Alloy Insurance Partners to discuss and better understand everything. When you call Alloy Insurance Partners, the team will be able to address all of your options and help to ensure that you get into a policy that provides the right type and level of coverage.