Before Buying Condo Insurance

Condominium Insurance, Coverages for Homeowners and Associations

Before buying condo insurance, learn more about what the homeowner’s policy covers. For Sale by Owner Condo homeowners insurance provides protection for the owner of the condominium and is separate from the condo association insurance policy. It’s designed especially for the needs of the condo homeowner. What to know about insuring a condo:

Condo Association Insurance Policy Coverages

Before getting into what FSBO condo homeowners insurance covers, it’s important to understand what is covered by the association’s insurance policy. The condo association should have a basic insurance policy that covers liability for people injured on the condo grounds, provides coverage for the building or buildings and covers the general condo property (coverage varies by policy). Condo association insurance does not cover the contents inside a home, does not provide coverage for property damage that occurs inside a home and does not provide homeowners with liability if someone is injured inside the home.

Condo Homeowners Insurance Policy Coverages

Condo insurance provides coverage for damages that occur inside the home. The personal property inside a condo is covered with this policy. The townhome insurance quote also provides policyholders with liability coverage in case someone is injured inside the home. Condo insurance companies often exclude earthquake and flood from the homeowner’s policy. Business use for a home office or for professional consulting services and personal injury to the homeowner are most likely excluded from the townhome insurance quote. Check with the condo insurance company to find out more about additional policy exclusions.

Additional Coverages Available for the Condo Homeowner’s Insurance Policy

You may also be able to purchase additional coverages for the condo homeowner’s insurance policy.

• Purchase replacement cost to cover personal belongings. Replacement cost coverage is more costly but it doesn’t depreciate the items in your home.
• If there are collections, like jewelry, they probably aren’t fully covered by the townhome insurance policy. Purchase a personal property floater to cover these items. With the personal property floater comes increased limits of coverage for valuables.
• There are a range of deductible options and discounts that can help policyholders save money on insurance. Most of the condo owner insurance policy discounts are the same as the standard homeowner’s policy, including discounts for alarms, smoke detectors, and multi-policy discounts. Condo homeowner’s insurance companies also offer some discounts specific to the condo owner, like having a doorman on duty in your building.
• Add flood and earthquake to most condo owner insurance policies to increase the standard coverage.

Review townhome insurance quotes online before buying to get the best deal and to find out about specific coverages and discounts available.

This article was first published on Suite101.