Residential Guidebook Residential Guidebook 2013 | Page 32

ACQUIRING situation as well as the value of your house, it’s not possible to put a single, straightforward cost to bond protection and buildings insurance,” says Young. For buildings insurance, the structure of your house – what the building and the roof are made of – as well as the type of residency – holiday home or permanent residence – all play a role in the risk assessment and therefore, the cost of your premiums. This type of cover will always be subject to exclusions and excesses, but will cover the bulk of your expenses if the loss forms part of an insured event. For bond protection insurance, your premiums are determined in line with various socio-economic factors which include monthly income, age, gender, smoker status and level of education. FOR BOND PROTECTION INSURANCE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 30 Look at the specified amount or limit of contents cover protection Have you got everything valued accurately? Are your antiques or valuables covered, or do you need to take out separate cover for these? It may work out cheaper to get them insured separately with a specialist contents insurance provider. Do you have children or animals? It could be worth adding accidental damage to your policy. Do you have any single items that need to be insured? Do you live in a high crime area? How far outside of your home are your items covered for? Does the policy cover your items when you are abroad? Residential Handbook 2013 Remember, when it comes to finding a buildings or contents policy for your needs, always give accurate and appropriate information. That’s because when it comes to making a claim, honesty is always the best policy. Your claim may be deemed null and void if you give if you give false information, fail to attend to the general maintenance in the policy or fail to carry out repair work on previous claims. Look at the specified amount or limit for buildings cover protection. LIMIT FOR BUILDINGS COVER PROTECTION 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 How much will it cost to rebuild your home? Not just the resale value as this may differ wildly. Does the policy cover accommodation for you, should your home become uninhabitable? Does it cover outside buildings? If you are in a high-risk flood area, are you covered? In addition to the overall structure of your property, what permanent fixtures and fittings are covered, if any? Do you live in a high crime area? What about the style of your house? Do you have any unusual features? Or is your property a listed building? RESOURCES OOBA www.reimag.co.za