Whether you’re shopping for a home insurance policy for a new home or just a more competitive rate on your Massachusetts, Connecticut, or New Jersey home insurance, the friendly and knowledgable agents at Encharter Insurance can help. We work with over thirty different carriers to find you the best coverage for your home sweet home. While most states do not require you to carry homeowners insurance, if you have a mortgage, you will likely be required to have homeowners insurance to protect your home.

What Does Home Insurance Cover?

There are the basic coverages with homeowner’s insurance and additional coverages, like flood coverage if you live on a flood plain, for instance. Home insurance costs will differ depending on your specific needs or geographical location, and it can cover anything from damage to your roof from a thunderstorm to foundation issues due to extreme changes in temperature.

Homeowners insurance coverage typically includes:


Dwelling & Other Structures Protection

The structure of your home, including walls, foundation, roof, any attached decks, porches, breezeways, garages, carports, etc. and detached structures, such as storage sheds, gazebos, detached garages, pool houses, etc., are also covered under a separate limit (usually 10% of the limit for your home).

Replacement Costs

A standard policy covers your home and belongings for their actual cash value at the time of the loss. This would take into account depreciation. You can upgrade the coverage on your home and personal property to be covered for replacement cost, the amount it would cost to replace the item with a new one of the same like, kind and quality.

Personal Property Protection

Personal possessions, up to a set limit, covers all personal items including all furniture, electronics, clothing, etc.  For instance, if you needed extra coverage on your Fine Arts Collection.

Additional Living Expenses

This pays the additional costs of living away from home due to damage from a fire, storm, flood, or other insured disaster. It covers hotel bills, restaurant meals and other expenses, over and above your customary living expenses, incurred while your home is being rebuilt.

Liability Protection

Liability covers you against lawsuits for bodily injury or property damage that you or family members cause to other people. It pays for both the cost of defending you in court and any court awards—up to the limit of your policy.  If you want to add extra coverage in case of excessive liability, look into purchasing Umbrella Insurance. 

In addition to the above, many homeowners consider the following added-value coverage as well:


Guaranteed Building Replacement Coverage

 If your home is destroyed by a covered peril, the company will pay to repair or rebuild your home as it was before the loss using materials of like kind and quality even if the cost exceeds your building coverage limit. With this coverage, replacement of your home is GUARANTEED, period.

Personal Property Replacement Cost

You can upgrade the coverage on your home and personal property to be covered for replacement cost, the amount it would cost to replace the item with a new one of the same like, kind and quality.

Ordinance or Law Coverage

Up to the coverage limit for covered losses, the company will pay increased costs associated with the construction, repair or demolition of the covered property in order to comply with any ordinance or law.

Personal Injury Protection

Personal injury costs including lawsuits involving invasion of privacy, wrongful eviction or wrongful entry.

Identity Fraud Expense Coverage

Providing reimbursement for legal fees, document duplication, mailing costs and more.

Water Back-up and Sump Pump Overflow

Covering property losses and clean up from water backing up through sewers or drains or sump overflow.

Watercraft Coverage

Coverage for small watercraft.

Food Spoilage

Covers spoilage of food in a refrigerator or freezer on the residence premises due to electrical disruption, up to the indicated limit.

Lock Replacement

If the key to an exterior door is stolen, the company will pay, up to the indicated limit, for it to be replaced.

Am I Required to Have Homeowners Insurance?

Am I Required to Have Homeowners Insurance?

Simply put, yes and no. There is no state requirement for homeowner’s insurance as there is for auto insurance. If you’re financing your home, however, mortgage lenders will require that you purchase a home insurance policy to protect their investment, as well as yours.

If your home is paid off, on the other hand, you are not required to have home insurance. However, no insurance means that you are financially responsible for repairing any damage to your home and other structures or recovering losses of personal property. Even if you’re excellent at saving money for a rainy day, unforeseen expenses can still be devastating without homeowner’s insurance coverage.

Benefits of Homeowners Insurance

In summary, the best home insurance policy offers protection on many levels, including the following benefits.

Financial Safeguard

A home insurance policy protects your pocketbook against hazards, such as damage due to wind and fire, vandalism, and theft. A little money each month for home insurance goes a long way, in other words.

Personal Belongings Protection

Personal belongings such as furniture, appliances, and electronics are covered by a typical home insurance policy, and the best news is that your belongings are protected wherever they are, including your car, your child’s school, or in a storage space.

Liability Protection

This coverage includes protection against lawsuits filed against you for injury on your property, from a delivery driver slipping on your walkway to a neighbor’s child slipping near your pool.

Temporary Housing

Another thing to consider when getting a homeowner’s insurance quote is coverage for temporary living expenses. When you’re unable to stay in your home due to damage, a homeowner’s policy can offer additional living expense coverage, including hotel costs, food costs, dry cleaning, and storage costs.

Peace of Mind

Possibly the most important benefit of all: Having insurance for your home and belongings helps you sleep better at night. Knowing there is a safety net if disaster strikes can boost your financial confidence and improve your quality of life significantly.
Making your home and belongings resistant to damage and loss are impossible but being prepared for unfortunate circumstances with a homeowner’s insurance policy can put your mind at ease.

If you’ve decided that home insurance is right for you and are ready to search for the best home insurance companies, compare home insurance quotes carefully. Get specifics concerning what is covered in each home insurance estimate. When getting a home insurance quote online, don’t hesitate to call for a representative to clarify any questions you have about specific coverages.

All coverages are subject to a deductible, which is the amount of loss paid by the policyholder.

If you want to update or add additional coverage to your home insurance policy, call one of our knowledgeable agents today.  Find out about the discounts available to you and learn more about the other types of insurance that Encharter offers, such as auto and business insurance.

Check out our customer testimonials to see what our clients are saying!

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