Protecting Your Home

Choose insurance for you, your home, and your peace of mind

Before you head into closing, you’ll need to find time to focus on a question that seems scary: how do you protect your home before (and every day after) you move in? There are many options out there and the decision can feel overwhelming but we’ll help you pick the right type and amount of insurance for you, your home, and your peace of mind.

Keep in mind...

When you buy homeowner’s insurance, you can choose to insure for the cash value of the covered item (likely less than you paid) or the replacement cost. Replacement is more expensive coverage, but you’ll know that you can totally replace anything you file a claim for.

Your moving checklist

Yes, in addition to closing on your new home you also have to prepare for a move! If you need a jumpstart, Keep has great a moving checklist that makes it easier to know you’re on top of everything. You’d be surprised how much there is to think about when moving!

What's a deductible?

A deductible is a term that refers to the amount of money you have to pay yourself before your homeowner’s insurance kicks-in to cover the cost of your claim. Generally, the higher your deductible is, the lower your monthly premium will be.

Protect your place with homeowner’s insurance

Did you know that you’ll need to bring a homeowner’s insurance policy to your closing. Now’s the time to understand what’s out there and how much you need.

Here’s the short take: Every policy includes two types of coverage: property (protects the home and everything inside) and liability (protects visitors in case of an accident). The different types of insurance sometimes have unhelpful names. “Special” insurance is actually the most common and offers good, broad coverage. “Broad” offers less coverage. “Comprehensive” will give you the most. “Older home” covers the cost to make repairs using original materials, which can be valuable (sash windows and plaster walls = $$$).

Title insurance: Always worth the peace of mind

A title to a house may have a legal dispute against it, and it might not come to the surface until after closing. It’s something to watch for especially when buying a home that’s in foreclosure. Title insurance exists to offer protection from title issues like these.

Your lender will have a title insurance policy in place to protect themselves, but their policy doesn’t protect you. That’s why we strongly recommend buying your own. A title insurance policy will protect you for as long as you or your heirs own the home.

  • Pro Tip:

    Create an inventory of your stuff!

    This will sound like an extra chore, but can be worth it: packing is the perfect time to create an inventory of your belongings and their values. It’s an incredibly helpful when deciding how much homeowner’s insurance you need.

    icon making an offer on a home

Homeowner’s insurance? Done! What’s next?