Category: Home Insurance

Understanding Water Backup Coverage for Homeowners Insurance

Water backup coverage is an optional addition to homeowners insurance that helps protect against damages caused by backed-up drains, sewers, or sump pumps. Generally, standard homeowners insurance policies do not cover these types of damages. This add-on to home insurance could be quite beneficial for homeowners in Deerfield, IL.

Inclusions in Water Backup Coverage

When your home suffers damages from water backing up through drains, sump pumps, or sewer lines, water backup coverage springs into action. Such damages can result in considerable harm to your property, including the destruction of floors, walls, furniture, and personal belongings. Without this coverage, you would be liable for the costs of repairs and replacements.

For instance, if your sump pump fails during a storm and your basement floods, this coverage would pay for water extraction, repairs to damaged property, and replacement of destroyed items. This coverage is also useful if tree roots or blockages cause sewer lines to back up into your home and damage the fixtures or appliances.

Exclusions in Water Backup Coverage

It is important to mention that water backup coverage does not cover flooding from external sources such as heavy rain or overflowing rivers. To safeguard against flood damage, a separate flood insurance policy is required. Additionally, damages due to poor maintenance or neglect of the plumbing system are not covered. Therefore, routine maintenance and inspection of sump pumps and drains are essential to avoid denied claims.

Water backup coverage can be crucial for homeowners, especially those with finished basements or older plumbing systems. If your property has a sump pump or experiences drainage problems, it is advisable to discuss your options with your home insurance provider.

Choose STARS Insurance for a Clearer Understanding of Insurance

STARS Insurance can be your reliable partner for all things insurance. We serve Deerfield, IL, and its surrounding areas. Contact us today, and let’s talk about insurance.

When you’re in Deerfield, IL, you want the ultimate home. You’ve worked to find a beautiful home in a great neighborhood. Now, some smart tech upgrades can also benefit your home insurance. At STARS Insurance, we’re here to help you get the most benefits.

Smart Tech for Security

A variety of smart tech upgrades can enhance the security of your home. Secured property can either deter criminals from ever breaking into your home or at least gather information so that you can report it to the police, which can lower your premiums.

Some smart tech that will help with securing your property includes:

• Video cameras
• Window sensors
• Doorbell camera

Many of these will work together to take security to the next level. If you’re not home and any of these sensors are triggered, 911 can even be called on your behalf.

Smart Tech for Other Issues

Other smart tech options can be used to identify issues around your home so that damage is minimized.

Examples of such include:

• Water leak sensors
• Fire alarms
• Smoke sensors
• Electrical system monitors

All of these can detect an issue quickly to draw your attention. This way, you can address the problem immediately rather than finding out about it days or weeks after the problem has started – and the damage could be more considerable.

Discuss the Many Insurance Benefits with Our Agents

With so many intelligent tech upgrades that you can make, it’s a good idea to discuss your options with an insurance agent. When you’re in Deerfield, IL, call us at STARS Insurance.

We can look at your policy and home and recommend the best upgrades for you.

Home insurance is a critical form of protection that allows you to transfer your risk. It can provide various types of coverage that protect you from many types of perils that can damage your home and personal belongings. Also, the insurance coverage you can obtain through STARS Insurance can help you protect your assets. As a homeowner in Deerfield, IL, it’s important to learn more about the benefits of home insurance, so you realize the importance of retaining coverage and not letting it lapse, which could lead to costly losses.

You Can Protect Your Home

The main objective of home insurance is to protect the home itself. When you maintain coverage in Deerfield, IL, your home will be protected against a wide range of risks that could cause extensive damage. Your home insurance policy can be tailored to fit your specific needs. You’ll be able to protect the dwelling and other structures on the property. 

You Can Protect Yourself From Legal Liable 

As a homeowner, you can find yourself liable for the damages, injuries, or losses of others. For example, if someone were to get hurt on your property, you may be held liable since you own the property. When you get coverage from STARS Insurance, you’ll know that you’re covered for situations like this.

You Can Protect Your Personal Belongings

When you obtain home insurance, you can also protect your contents. These include the types of things that would fall out of your home if it were tipped upside down. Knowing your personal property is covered in the case of a major loss can really offer you peace of mind as a homeowner. You can contact STARS Insurance to learn more and get started.

Founded in 1903, the Chicago suburb of Deerfield, IL has many desirable Victorian and mid-century modern-style homes. The same intricate facades and decorative architecture that makes these homes attractive to buyers can also give pause to insurance companies looking to offer coverage for homeowners. At STARS Insurance, we can help you better understand your homeowner’s insurance policy or find one right for you. Having this type of coverage in place can save extraneous out-of-pocket costs in the case of an incident.

Why Home Insurance?

Homeowners insurance aims to protect you, your home, and your belongings. It’s an essential purchase for two reasons: fortifying your property in the event of a loss and satisfying a mortgage lender. It’s a combination of coverage addressing the perils—events such as a fire, tornado, or theft that causes damage to your property—of owning a home. Some insurance companies are hesitant to provide coverage for older homes, but these often need proper coverage the most.

Typically, these older homes can be cheaper to buy but more expensive to insure. Higher replacement cost, which refers to rebuilding the house in the event of damage, often determines the insurance cost rather than the home’s market value. An older home would be more expensive to repair due to using costly or rare construction materials, labor costs, electrical wiring, plumbing systems, and the roof’s age.

Purchasing insurance from a reputable team is essential to keep you and your home safe. We will be able to guide you through finding a homeowner’s insurance plan to meet your home’s unique needs, regardless of age. Contact the homeowner’s insurance experts at STARS Insurance in Deerfield, IL.

Having home insurance protects your investment from bad things that can happen. It doesn’t, however, protect you from everything. Your home policy has exclusions – things it won’t cover. At STARS Insurance in Deerfield, IL, we want to make sure that all of our customers have the right coverage for their needs. 

Home Coverage Exclusions

Owner neglect

When you buy home insurance, your carrier has an expectation that you will maintain your home. That means not letting your roof get to the point where it is leaking into your home. It also means that you should have a termite bond on your home if you live in an area where they are a risk. 

Flood

Floods cause millions of dollars of damage every year all over the country and it isn’t covered by your home insurance. The good news is that you can get coverage with a separate policy if you live where the risk to your home would keep you up at night. 

Earth movement

Earth movement includes earthquakes, sinkholes, mudslides, and landslides and the bad news is that none of them is covered. Again, if you have concerns, you can purchase the additional coverage that you require.

Pests

If your home has been invaded by mice, bats, squirrels, or any other pesky critters, you will have to pay to have them removed yourself. They are not covered by home insurance. 

Certain breeds of dog

When it comes to man’s best friend, your home insurance policy doesn’t find some breeds all that friendly. Several breeds are excluded from home insurance coverage. It is important you take that into consideration when getting a dog. If you have questions about whether your pet is covered, give your carrier a call.  

Get Home Insurance Today

Understanding home policy exclusions is important so you can use your home insurance coverage to seek protection for the assets it will cover. Contact STARS Insurance in Deerfield, IL if you would like us to review your current policy or if you are in need of home insurance. 

Home insurance is something that everyone who owns a home needs. It protects you from quite a few hazards and offers liability coverage. At STARS Insurance in Deerfield IL, we do the work for our customers, finding the right carrier and getting the best deal. As independent agents, we have access to the top carriers in the field. 

Home Insurance: What You Need To Know

How much liability coverage do I need?

Liability coverage depends a lot on what your assets are and your financial worth. Basic coverage may not be enough if you have considerable assets and you may even want to consider an umbrella policy. 

How is my content covered?

You have two options for content coverage. You can cover it for what it is worth today, which means it has depreciated or you can cover it at the cost of replacing it today. It is your choice, but current worth is the less expensive option. 

Is my engagement ring covered if it gets stolen?

Yes, but depending on its value, maybe not completely. Jewelry is one of the coverages that have a limit to the amount you can claim. It makes sense to get an appraisal and add a jewelry rider to your policy to protect your valuable jewelry. 

Is my laptop covered if I take it away from home?

Yes, your personal property is covered both at home and when it travels with you. However, electronics may also have limits, so read your policy to make sure it covers what you need it to. 

Does my policy have any exclusions?

Yes, home policies do have exclusions. Flooding is not covered, earth movement like earthquakes is not covered, owner neglect is not covered and if your sewer backs up, the cleanup is on you. 

Give Us A Call

Contact STARS Insurance in Deerfield, IL with your home insurance questions and to get a free no-obligation quote.