The 20 Weirdest Facts About Home Insurance

Home insurance is one thing that people don’t think about until something goes wrong. On average, a burglary happens once every 30 seconds in the US. And the average loss from a burglary is $2,661. If you think you may not need home insurance, think again.

The average annual homeowner’s insurance premium is around $1,200 per year.
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The good news is, most homeowners insurance policies extend beyond the building itself. Some of the coverage include wild animal stampedes, frozen sewage, and volcano damage. Some policies even cover plane crashes, gravestone vandalism, and pet bites.

We’ve rounded up 20 of the most fascinating, surprising, and weird things that might make you think again. Sit back and enjoy the weirdness.

You Can Protect Your Home From Frozen Sewage

According to Leavitt Group, some home insurance policies cover frozen sewage chunks that damage your home. Although it’s foul to think of, sewage pipes can freeze and burst under too much pressure. Oddly enough, it’s much more common than you’d think (and hope).

Your Policy Could Cover Plane Crashes

The chances of a plane falling from the sky are slim to none, but it’s covered in many homeowners insurance policies. There’s a line that covers everything falling from the sky, ranging from airplanes to tree damage. Check your policy to see if you’re covered.

Pet Bite Insurance Might Be in Your Policy

If your pet bites someone in your home, including friends and other visitors, your home insurance policy might pay for the hospital bills. Unfortunately, your dog could face severe troubles, and the policy doesn’t save you from lawsuits. It’s best to keep your pup happy and bite-free.

Many Policies Cover Food Spoilage

Power outages are expected. When the fridge shuts off, most of the food inside will spoil within a few hours. Contrary to popular belief, you can file a complaint and have the food’s value covered. Also, if your house burns down, you should add the food’s value to the list of insured items.

You Can Get Stampede Insurance

Whether you live in a rural or urban area, there’s a high chance your home insurance policy protects you from damage caused by wild animals. Stampedes aren’t too common, but it’s worth having coverage. Oddly enough, some animals aren’t covered, including non-wild rodents such as mice, rats, and opossums in the neighborhood.

People Have Paid Home Insurance for Centuries

Indeed, the first appearance of insurance in history reportedly happened in China, around 3000 B.C. People have always wanted peace of mind and coverage. There was coverage for houses and other goods, most of which were covered in a broad, blanketed insurance policy. They’ve been in the US since the 1700s.

Some Homeowners Insurance Policies Limit Dog Breeds

If you have a bully breed (or a dog considered possibly dangerous in your area), your home insurance policy might raise a red flag. Dog breeds commonly excluded from standard policies include Akitas, Mastiffs, Pit Bulls, Alaskan Malamutes, and Rottweilers.

There’s Home Insurance for Volcano Damage

If you live near mountains with volcanic activity, your insurance policy should have magma damage on the list. Even if the volcano has been dormant for centuries, many policies add it as a precautionary note. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Ransom Home Insurance Exists

While it’s not as common as other policies in the article, some insurance will deal with ransom requests and demands. Don’t rely on the policy, but Inspired Financial claims you can ask for ransom insurance to be added to your home insurance.

Your Tree Might Not Be Your Problem

Tall trees blown over by wind aren’t your fault; there’s nothing you could’ve done. If it damages your neighbor’s property, it’s on them to fix it. However, if you knew there was a possibility of it falling over or the tree had branches hanging over the fence, the repair costs will fall on your plate.

Damaged Caused by Birds Isn’t Covered

Birds, bugs, and vermin aren’t covered in most insurance policies. This fact conflicts with wild damage, but the answer is simple: these animals build nests in nearby trees (sometimes in your roof), so it’s their home, too. If you find animals or bugs near your home, call pest control right away to save yourself from the repair bill.

Some Policies Cover Party Damage

Let’s say you threw a big party and someone crashed through the banister or broke your favorite mirror. Your home insurance policy has a line that covers this kind of damage. That being said, you might be liable if they’re injured due to social host laws.

Homeowners Insurance Often Covers Meteors

Much like the previously mentioned airplane crash coverage, your policy likely covers meteor damage. That’s right; a rock from outer space can’t break your insurance policy. Before you look outside and wait for it to show up, keep in mind the odds are less than 1 in 1,000,000.

Gravestones Might Have Coverage

Even though they’re not on your property, family gravestones are often covered by home insurance because they’re an extension of the person who used to live there. This coverage carries for the duration that you own the home they lived in.

Home Insurance Can Cover ID Theft

If someone steals your identity from an online source via your computer, you’re likely covered. Since it happened in your home, you can file a claim with your home insurance company and ask for a reimbursement. Additionally, some policies will pay the fees associated with finding the criminal.

Dependent Family Members’ Belongings Might Be Covered

Do you have kids going off to college or elderly family members in assisted living homes? Check your policy; their belongings might be covered. Much like the gravestone example, your family members are an extension of your home, meaning their items are often covered and protected by most policies.

Your Bicycle Could Have Home Insurance Coverage

Whether you lock it in the garage or leave it on your porch, your bicycle’s value could be covered. Some policies pay for anything that’s part of your property when the crime was committed, including bicycles, skateboards, scooters, and so on.

Door Locks Are on the Policy

As shown by Rates, a home insurance policy could cover the costs required to buy new locks after someone tried to break into your house. Whether or not they were successful, you can send a picture of the damage and a bill to the company asking for financial assistance.

Your Yard, Gazebo, and Shed Might Be Covered

Anything you installed on your property has a chance to be included in your home insurance policy. Much like all other weird home insurance facts, you should check your policy to ensure damage to your yard, gazebo, shed, garage, and the landscape is covered. It often extends to boulders, bushes, trees, and everything in between.

Insurance Might Cost More for Older Homes

Oddly enough, buying an old house might not save you much money on your home insurance policy. You’d think the opposite would be true since repairing a new home is much more costly. However, Money Sense explains old houses are prone to frequent repairs, which demands more money from the insurance company. Therefore, they charge more on your monthly bill.

Conclusion

Hopefully, with these 20 weird facts, you will see home insurance less dull and boring than you might have thought. Next time you are looking for ideas to tease your target audience with a social media post, an email newsletter, a video, or a blog post, you know where to go.

Sources

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