You just bought your first home and are ready to get homeowner’s insurance. Where do you start? Home insurance is how you’ll protect your valuable investment for years to come. At West Texas Insurance Agency in Amarillo, TX, we can help you find the protection you’re looking for at a cost you can afford.

If you’re buying home insurance for the first time, here are some of your best coverage options:

Dwelling Coverage

Dwelling insurance protects your home’s structure along with any attached parts such as a sun porch, balcony or garage. If your structure were to suffer damage from a fire, storm or other covered peril, your insurer will pay for repair or replacement costs, up to the limits on your policy. As homes are expensive investments, your dwelling protection should cover the cost of rebuilding your home if it suffers a total loss.

Personal Property Coverage

This coverage protects your belongings to include furniture, appliances, electronics, digital devices, clothes, heirlooms, and other personal items. If you own expensive goods, you should consider replacement cost coverage as it covers the cost of replacing anything that’s stolen, irreparably damaged or lost.

Liability Coverage

This insurance pays for the medical expenses of visitors who are injured while on your property. If your friend falls down the stairs and breaks his leg, liability insurance will cover his medical costs. Liability coverage also covers legal fees if you’re sued for damages due to accidental injuries that occur on your property.

Each of these coverage options come with default limits which can be increased or decreased to suit your need. By customizing your coverage, you can get more protection from your home insurance policy.  

To learn more about home insurance coverage and costs, contact West Texas Insurance Agency in Amarillo, TX today.

The agents of West Texas Insurance Agency serve residents who live in or near the Amarillo, TX area. Their ultimate goal is to help their clients get the best rates possible for the insurance policies they purchase. There are several ways to cut monthly costs without lowering your coverage. A few of the most common ways to save money include the following.

Home Security System

Installing a home security system may make you eligible for discounts in terms of your homeowner’s policy. This is especially true if the system sends alerts to a third-party monitoring center. While there are several different brands of home security systems, most are recognized by insurance agencies for the benefits they offer to consumers.

Raise Your Deductibles

Raising your deductibles is one of the quickest ways to lower your monthly insurance payments. By agreeing to maintain a higher level of financial responsibility, your insurance premiums will start to decrease. The higher your deductible, the lower your monthly premium.

Bundle All of Your Policies

Another way of saving money on monthly insurance costs is to bundle your policies. Bundling your home, auto, and boat/motorcycle insurance in one policy can lower your monthly premiums dramatically. By having all of your policies with one company, you can pay one premium to cover them all. No more multiple payments or mixed up billing dates.

Everyone wants to learn how to save money, especially when it comes to insurance policies. If you live in the Amarillo, TX area and have questions about your homeowner’s policy, call the agents at West Texas Insurance Agency. They can review your existing policy and make sure you have the best coverage possible at an affordable cost.

What do you talk about with insurance brokers as you shop around for your homeowner’s policy?

Do you have a fruitful conversation about what your coverage might entail, or do you browse around on your own and try to figure out what the best fit for your situation is? If you’re doing business with the West Texas Insurance Agency, your agent will answer any questions you may have. Here are the three most important questions to ask a broker about your home insurance policy.

1. What Exactly Is Covered In The Event Of total Loss?

If tragedy strikes and you are left with nothing regarding your home and possessions, you would hardly be expected to make sense of what your policy will cover as you get back on your feet. This is why it’s crucial to discuss total loss coverage now, while your home is intact and your policy is new or not yet in effect.

A standard homeowner’s policy will cover damage caused by most disasters except earthquakes and flooding. Those two natural disasters are climate and area-specific. Therefore, they’re not included in a general home insurance policy. You should research if you need additional coverage not covered by a general home insurance policy in Amarillo, TX. 

Your total loss coverage depends mostly on your home’s construction as well as your neighborhood. It may also include your possessions inside of the house, generally valued at up to 50 percent of your total coverage. Every policy is different, though, so it’s worth it to ask about the specifics.

2. What’s My Additional Living Expenses Coverage?

If your home is uninhabitable, you’ll have to live somewhere else. Not everyone is lucky enough to have generous loved ones who will let them room at their house free-of-charge, so most home owner’s policies provide additional living expense (ALE) coverage.

It’s worth knowing how much you’ll be reimbursed for hotels, food, and other expenses in this type of emergency. You should also ask about how this reimbursement is distributed by your insurance company. Do you need to provide receipts for every expense, or are you paid out in advance after disaster strikes? Knowing this will help you budget appropriately in case of emergency.

3. Am I Eligible For Discounts?

Depending on some personal factors or features in your home, you might be up for a lucky break. You can get a discount on your home insurance. Your broker won’t know which discounts you’re eligible for unless you mention that you’d like to explore your options.

For instance, you may qualify for a discount if you have a smart home security system installed. There might be discounts based on age, disability, or veteran status as well. You lose nothing by asking this particular question, while you may gain a good bargain by doing so.

Are you ready to talk to a broker in Amarillo, TX? Contact the West Texas Insurance Agency today to get your questions answered.

Protecting your home is one of the most important roles that an insurance policy can provide, and with the unpredictable weather that can occur here in the greater Amarillo, TX area, West Texas Insurance Agency is here to make sure that you have the coverage that you need. Your peace of mind can increase when you know that you have comprehensive coverage.

It is Important to Know What is and What is Not Covered by Your Current Homeowners Policy

When you are making the decision about which homeowners policy is right for your needs, there are few factors to take into consideration. In this post, we will focus mainly on weather-related incidents that can cause damage and destruction to your home. In addition to our run-of-the-mill storms, we also need to sometimes be prepared for tornadoes, high winds, heavy rainstorms, and flooding. 

Even when some events are covered, such as a storm, damage caused by subsequent acts of nature, such as flooding, or a tree falling on your house, may not be covered. These gaps in coverage can also pertain to electrical fires started by downed power lines and other similar problems that are sometimes not considered when choosing a home insurance policy. If you are looking to buy a home in the greater Amarillo area, or you just want to make sure that your current policy has the coverage that you need, give us a call today.

Are You Looking for a New Policy, or Need a Review of Your Current Policy? Call or Stop by Today!

Now is the time to make sure that your policy has the coverage that you want and need. Call West Texas Insurance Agency today to learn more about how you can protect your Amarillo, TX home.