Ask Danny | Ep. 14: Answers to Your Homeowners Insurance Questions

This 7 days, Danny Lipford chats with Michelle Tennant from Erie Insurance coverage to discuss how folks can come across peace of intellect with house owners coverage. (3 Echoes Content material Studio/Erie Insurance coverage)


This week, I’m talking with Michelle Tennant, vice president of Item Administration in the Erie Insurance Personalized Strains division. 

Michelle has been with Erie considering that 2001 and has served to create Erie Insurance’s Car, Umbrella, and Renters insurance policies solutions, as well as its Owners insurance coverage coverages.

Erie Insurance plan has been in business enterprise considering that 1925, and for approximately a century we have been supplying house, auto, enterprise and lifetime insurance policy. 

We are centered in Erie, Penn., and we provide prospects in about 12 states. We know insurance plan can be complicated so with every single plan, we have a proficient impartial agent in just your local community that can guideline you as a result of the system to get the appropriate coverage for your existence. 


Insurance policy, seen on a desk beside a pair of reading glasses.
Owners insurance coverage provides monetary defense in the function of a catastrophe. (Mohamad Fazil Bin Ramli/Getty Photos)

Why You Want Homeowners Insurance policy

Just about every homeowner has home owners insurance plan but several never know why — what is the objective of owners insurance?

Michelle: Owners coverage delivers monetary security in the event anything insane takes place, like an accident or weather conditions-similar party that damages your property.

At Erie Insurance, we imagine about this in a handful of diverse approaches.

Very first is the residence by itself — the construction. It would include the exterior of your dwelling if there is hurt.

Future is your own home. A coverage will go over useful things that are important to you inside your household should all those be damaged or stolen.

Yet another issue is liability. If you were being responsible for harm to another person else’s house or someone was wounded on your residence or if your pet injures somebody.

Also, I’d like to insert, one coverage that Erie gives and we propose all customers have is confirmed replacement price tag. If your dwelling is wrecked, this coverage will to shell out to rebuild it to subject what the charge. If you never have it, you could possibly come up small up on resources and encounter steep out-of-pocket expenditures. 


Homeowners insurance agent goes over policy with young couple
Some dwelling insurance coverage guidelines only cover a particular sum of square ft, so permit your agent know if you are arranging to rework. (Adobe Stock)

What to Talk About With Your Agent

What all really should you examine with a household insurance policies agent?

Michelle: You must have an open up dialogue with your agent. Make guaranteed every little thing that is critical to you in and all-around your residence is lined. 

If you’ve remodeled your household or prepare to rework, tell your agent. Do you run a company out of your home? Make guaranteed to point out that so your business products are protected. And, allow your agent know if your household is increasing or modifying.

These are just a few items you want to converse about with your agent. With that info, they can get the ball rolling and locate the coverage that is correct for you.


receipt book
When compiling a dwelling inventory, help you save receipts for massive-ticket products. First receipts are often most effective, but a photocopy can operate in some cases. (c-George, Getty Photos)

Producing a Household Stock

How do you even start off the method of producing a household inventory?

Michelle: If a catastrophic event were being to happen, it can be extremely mind-boggling to try to remember for memory every little thing precious in your house. 

When making a home inventory, commence at a modest beginning point. Maybe your most useful products or go from room to place.

Take films or photos and narrate or create down what just about every item is so you bear in mind in the potential. Categorize apparel and retain receipts. 

Applications are well-known and there’s an application for every little thing, even household inventories. Shortly, Memento Databases and Nest Egg are a couple you can use.

You can uncover a checklist of what you need on the Today’s Home-owner website page on Erie’s site.


renter's insurance paper with pen and keys
A renter’s policy from Erie Insurance can safeguard your possessions just after a coated reduction. (designer491, Getty Images)

Renter’s Insurance policy

Let’s not leave our renter mates out of the discussion. Speak about renters insurance policy for people who are the tenants.

Michelle: If you are leasing, you should really absolutely think about a renter’s policy. Your landlord in all probability has a coverage to deal with the making or structure, but not what’s within. You’ll need to have some variety of protection to shield your individual house. 

Erie Insurance’s Safe Tenant coverage handles your particular property or decline of use in case you need to have to relocate. It also provides protection to guard your possessions if they’re ruined dropped or stolen, even if you’re away from dwelling.


For rent sign in a front yard by a sidewalk
Erie Insurance coverage offers a assortment of policies and endorsements to help secure your property. (Joe_Potato, Getty Graphic)

Insurance for Landlords

Is there a unique kind of coverage for a home-owner who desires to lease out their home?
Michelle: Landlord insurance plan policies are to some degree distinct. If you’re a homeowner and wondering about leasing out your home, the Secure Rental solution from Erie Insurance coverage is what you need. It is essentially built for dwellings rented to some others for 1- or two-loved ones houses. That delivers very similar protection to our dwelling goods, and with that you are going to also get the confirmed substitution price.


Total Assistance

Talk to a local independent insurance coverage agent to evaluate your policy to make confident you have the coverage which is right for you. It will give you some peace of intellect to know you have the defense you have to have in circumstance a disaster occurs.

Check out Today’s Home-owner page on Erie’s website. It has a great deal of movies and articles or blog posts about your home to keep you secure and geared up for the sudden. 


Further Reading through


Ask a Issue! (Podcast)

Ask a dilemma and we could answer it on the “Present day Home owner Podcast!” We also may well use it on our nationally syndicated radio broadcast or on todayshomeowner.com.

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