If you’ve ever set up a homeowner’s insurance policy online on your own, then you already know it can feel like trying to read a foreign language. You are trying to make smart decisions for one of the biggest assets you own, but you are doing it without a lot of context about how coverage works when something actually goes wrong.
That is one of the biggest benefits of working with a local insurance agent here in Massachusetts, especially in communities like Canton and our neighboring towns. We have seen real claims. We see what gets paid, what does not, what gets disputed, and how weather and local risks impact homes across the state. In a place where Nor’easters, frozen pipes, hailstorms, and wind damage are normal, the small details of your policy matter.
Here in Canton and throughout the surrounding area, we consistently see the same preventable mistakes when homeowners set up their own home insurance. Below are the most common mistakes and how to avoid them.
How handy are you? It may sound like an odd question for insurance, but it matters. If you are comfortable doing light home repairs, like fixing drywall, replacing a small section of flooring, or swapping out plumbing fixtures, you’re less likely to file a claim for minor issues.
If you are handy, a deductible of $2,500 or more often makes sense because you are unlikely to file small claims that could raise your premium or affect your eligibility with certain insurance companies.
If you aren’t handy and will likely hire contractors for various repairs, you may want a lower deductible.
A helpful question to ask is: Would you be comfortable paying $2,500-$5,000 out of pocket if something happened tomorrow?
Choose a deductible based on your financial comfort level and how you care for your home, not just price.
Homeowners know their home better than anyone else, but no one expects you to be an insurance expert. Life can change quickly, and those changes often warrant updates to your insurance coverage.
The following events should trigger a coverage review:
Homeowners who purchase their insurance online rarely receive coverage advice from a licensed insurance professional. At Oak Grove Insurance in Canton, we review our clients’ policies every year so they do not have to track every detail themselves. We simply need to know what has changed in your life.
Many Massachusetts homeowners lose out on savings because they’re not aware of available discounts.
Commonly missed discounts include:
You already maintain your home to prevent a loss. Why not get credit for the things you are already doing to protect your home?
Home insurance covers a lot, but not everything. Certain losses are excluded unless you buy additional coverage.
Common exclusions include:
Many of these exclusions can be added back through endorsements. Understanding which optional coverages can help protect you from some of the most common causes of loss in Massachusetts is essential.
For example, older homes in Canton and surrounding towns often rely on aging water and sewer lines. Adding service line coverage can prevent an unexpected bill that might cost several thousand dollars to repair.
This mistake greatly affects how you recover after a loss. Not all policies replace your belongings with new items. Without replacement cost coverage, your belongings are valued at a depreciated amount.
If a $4,000 couch is destroyed by water or fire, a policy without replacement cost coverage may only pay what the couch is worth today. That amount will not cover the cost of a new couch. It may only cover the cost of buying a used one.
Always confirm that your personal property is insured at replacement cost.
Liability coverage is not as visible as the structure of your home or your personal belongings, but it protects something more critical: your financial future.
Liability coverage protects:
We recommend that Massachusetts homeowners carry at least $500,000 in liability coverage. Most of our clients in Canton and surrounding towns require higher liability coverage limits. For homeowners in this boat, you should consider an umbrella policy. Umbrella coverage adds an extra layer of liability protection over both your home and auto policies. It can also provide additional liability coverage for rental property, secondary homes, RVs, motorcycles, and boats.
Why do we recommend at least $500,000 in liability coverage for homeowners? This is the portion of the policy that helps to protect you in the event of a lawsuit. As a general rule of thumb, your total liability coverage should be at least twice your net worth or high enough to protect the assets you could lose in a lawsuit.
The worst time to discover a mistake on your policy is when you are filing a claim. Once a loss has happened, it is too late to fix coverage gaps.
Working with a local independent agent means that your coverage changes as your life changes, instead of staying locked into whatever you selected the first time you bought your policy.
If you are a homeowner in Canton or the surrounding communities, Oak Grove Insurance can review your current coverage, identify gaps, and help ensure you are properly protected without overpaying.
We would be happy to take a look and provide guidance. There is no obligation, just advice from a local agency that understands how Massachusetts homeowners are affected by real risks.
Here are some simple ways to avoid the most common gaps homeowners face in Massachusetts:
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