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Home Insurance - A Must Have

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One Lives in a World Of Tragedy. One clearly remembers the flood that took place in Uttarakhand. The loss of life and property was immense. Earthquakes across the World and in India remind one of how fickle life on this planet can be. Tsunami's and the terrible damage followed in their aftermath are still fresh in one's mind. One still remembers clearly the tsunami that struck the Chennai coast and the Island nation of Sri Lanka almost a decade ago. In this year due to the excess monsoons flooding took place in a great measure across our nation. The terrible loss of life and limb due to natural calamities cannot be prevented as they are "Acts Of God". However the massive damage and destruction caused by these natural calamities can be mitigated to some extent by the taking of insurance. Taken in this context Home Insurance plays a very important role in preserving our peace of mind and provides one with a sense of security in these terrible times. Think One Doesn't Need Home Insurance? Think Again.

 

 

What Is The Ideal Coverage To Be Taken To Insure One's Home?

So how does one decide the amount of coverage one needs to take in order to insure one's home?A house basically consists of land on which the house is built on, the actual structure of the house and the locality in which the house is built in. If the market value of the house is INR 70 Lakhs the building cost might be only INR 25 Lakhs. The rest of the cost is due to the locality and the market value of the land. The home insurance covers only the cost of the structure and is concerned mainly with the cost of rebuilding the structure. This cost mainly depends on the city in which one resides in. If one is staying in a Metro the costs of construction are relatively higher. The locality might not have too much of a role to play as far as cost of construction is concerned. A house valued at INR 60 Lakhs might have a premium of around INR 1800-2000 for a home insurance policy taken to protect the basic structure and an additional amount of around INR 500 for the protection of the contents of the house up to an amount of INR 10 Lakhs. A premium of INR 1000-1500 is paid as additional coverage for the protection against burglary and damage to doors and windows up to an amount of INR 10 Lakhs. On a payment of additional premium of around INR 5000-6000 per annum one can obtain protection against damage due to terrorism up to an amount of INR 50 Lakhs and the insurance of the contents of the house up to 10 Lakhs, death of a domestic worker due to an accident, Loss of rent due to damage of the house for a period of around 6 months, and the damage caused to the house given for rent for a period of 6 months.

How Does The Insurer Assess The Value Of Ones House?

One has to consider the market value of the house when one takes that home insurance policy. Market value is often mistaken as resale value where the land as well as the construction and the locality are factored in. In the case of a home insurance policy one has the market value minus the depreciation at the rate of 2% per annum. After a period of 50 years the market value minus the depreciation will be zero. Hence houses over 50 Years of age are not insured. Under a reinstatement policy the cost of rebuilding the house structure is considered. No depreciation is deducted in this case. Let us consider ones house is destroyed due to a flood. The land remains in ones name and the new structure can be built at the same location as home protection cover is a basic structure replacement cover. The reconstruction costs are reimbursed after the house has been reconstructed and in some cases the money is reimbursed in installments. One of the most important factors to be noted is one does not need to consider the value of the property but only the cost of reconstruction or structural protection. If a 1000 Square Foot apartment in Bangalore costs INR 80 Lakhs one has to bear only the reconstruction costs of the structure and the land price is not factored in .One can purchase home insurance protection against structural damage for as low as INR 50 per Lakh and for a sum of INR 2000 premium paid per annum protection of about INR 40 Lakhs on the structure can be obtained .Do You Think This Is An Amount Too High To Bear For The Protection Of Your Home And Its Belongings?

 

What Happens If Your Home Is Underinsured?

Mr Ravi had purchased a house of INR 50 Lakhs. He took a basic home insurance cover against structural damage for an amount of INR 10 Lakhs. Mr Ravi's house was badly damaged in a fire and rebuilding was necessary. As five years had past Mr Ravi discovered to his dismay that the reconstruction costs would now cost around INR 18 Lakhs. The severe shortage of sand had led to a massive price hike in the reconstruction costs. What advice would one give Mr Ravi?

After assessing the damage the Insurance Company stated that Mr Ravi would be compensated only an amount of up to INR 10 Lakh. Insurance Companies give a leeway of up to 10-15% owing to the change in prices of the construction. If one is underinsured it means that he has to bear the expenses up to the cost underinsured from one's own pocket. Mr Ravi had to bear a cost of INR 8 Lakhs from his own pocket. Surely a lesson for one to learn from this example .It is also important to note that if one stays in an apartment and if a flood were to destroy it then one cannot reinstate the apartment by oneself. Hence the whole society needs to get the apartment insured. Surely A Stitch In Time Saves Nine.

 

What You Should Note While Making That Claim

When home insurance cover is taken the insurer does not survey the contents of the house or assess the structure. The deal is made in good faith .However if the structure were to fall a through damage assessment is done .It is up to the individual to make the right declaration and have proof to back it. The insurer can refuse the damage claims on the grounds that the building was poorly maintained or an unauthorized construction was done .It is in one's own interests to see that the claim is done in a hassle free manner. One has to show and maintain bills to prove that one owns the goods that one is claiming damages for .Always maintain an inventory of the goods and contents of one's house in an orderly manner with necessary billing and proof of purchase which will help one make a hassle free claim .Always take the help of a local real estate agent or a builder to estimate the cost of rebuilding the structure. Once one knows the cost of rebuilding the structure one can estimate the coverage required. If the coverage is not sufficient then hike the coverage. Take note of the additional features that one's house might incorporate such as marble tiles, ceramics, and costly woodwork. Another common practice followed is having the insurer estimate the costs of rebuilding and mark the contents of the house before a tragedy occurs. This is a Prevention Is Better than Cure Approach.

 

Either You Run the Day Or The Day Runs You

If one were asked the question "Which Is Ones Most Prized Possession What Would The Answer Be?. Ones Home And Its Contents Would Be The Obvious Answer".

For further information on the topic you can CONTACT Prajna Capital on 94 8300 8300 by leaving a missed call.

 

We strongly believes that each and every homeowner of this Nation should take a home insurance policy to protect ones house against structural damage as well as insure the contents of ones house. A house is a Once In a lifetime asset for most of the citizens of our country. Gross neglect is noticed in the rural areas as well as highly literate urban areas while taking that home insurance policy which is often ignored .If one were to observe the statistics of the insurance Companies mainly the home insurance policies one would notice about 35-40 Lakh policies sold combined. Considering the basic structure protection costs about INR 50 per Lakh insured per annum this is a must have policy in ones portfolio. Always take a reinstatement policy rather than a market value policy which subtracts the depreciation. A reinstatement policy would compensate you the actual rebuilding cost of your home. No depreciation is deducted. If one leaves in a rented apartment one cannot insure the basic structure and a house content insurance policy is a must have. Imagine returning from a vacation and finding ones house completely robbed and lakhs of Rupees worth of goods stolen? A miniscule amount of INR 500-1000 per annum can provide a coverage of INR 10 Lakhs. We firmly advocates the coverage of ones jewelry, furniture or electronic items which can be a severe loss to replace. Never be "Penny Wise Pound Foolish". A simple household content insurance policy can go a long way in preventing severe heartburn in the future

For further information on the topic you can CONTACT Prajna Capital on 94 8300 8300 by leaving a missed call.

 

"Happiness Is Not Something Readymade. It Comes From Ones Actions". One should always plan for the best but prepare for the worst. A small deed done at the right time can go a long way in ensuring success in the long run.

Happy Investing!!

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You can write back to us at PrajnaCapital [at] Gmail [dot] Com

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