Home Insurance in Elgin, IL

The Top Five Reasons to File a Home Insurance Claim in Elgin, IL

Elgin, Illinois, IL, is a popular destination for people who want to live within driving distance of Chicago but prefer the suburbs. This city nicknamed “The City in the Suburbs”, is in both Kane and Cook Counties. If you're thinking about moving to this Midwestern city, make sure that you have a plan for home insurance in Elgin, IL. If your mortgage broker doesn't require insurance and you're not sure about the investment, consider these five reasons why you could need financial assistance with your house.

1. Someone Breaks into Your House

Elgin has an average crime rate, with around 15 crimes occurring for every 1,000 people. Still, if people break into your house on Van Street or Meyer Street, they could cause a lot of damage on their way in and out. From shattered windows to broken alarm systems to ruined locks, the repairs are hard to handle without help from a home insurance company.

2. A Natural Disaster Ruins Your House

Similarly, if a natural disaster strikes your house, it's easy for repairs to get expensive. Wind damage is the most common reason that people file claims with their provider for home insurance in Elgin, IL. While hurricanes aren't common in Elgin, tornadoes and other violent storms can produce strong winds that uproot trees and send them into your house or rip off your shutters and shingles.

Hail damage is another frequent reason for home insurance claims. If your house is old, its roof may not be able to withstand the harshness of hail striking it. Patching or replacing this critical part of your house is easier with home insurance.

3. Your Plumbing Leaks

Most home insurance plans don't include coverage for external flooding. For example, if you live along a river and the water enters your basement, you need a flood insurance policy to assist with repairs. Your home insurance plan helps with any internal flooding, though. As a result, if your toilet overflows, a pipe bursts, or your water bed gets punctured, you can file a claim to help restore your walls and replace your flooring.

4. You Can't Live in Your House

All three of these scenarios could potentially make your house unsafe to live in for a while. Living in hotels without a kitchen or washing machine quickly gets expensive, though. When you must temporarily move out, turn to your home insurance in Elgin, IL, for additional living expenses coverage. The most common applications of this policy include meals, hotel bills or apartment rent, and laundromat bills.

Added living expenses policies also help with special circumstances. For example, if you have a dog or cat and your hotel doesn't allow pets, your home insurance policy helps pay for their boarding costs. Similarly, if you have to store an expensive possession somewhere other than your hotel, your home insurance provider may cover the storage unit costs.

5. Your Belongings Are Stolen or Damaged

Home insurance in Elgin, IL, doesn't just protect your house's physical structure; it also protects what you have inside. If people steal your belongings or if they get damaged in a flood or storm, you can file an insurance claim to get them replaced. Talk to your insurance agent about whether a replacement cost or agreed value policy is right for you.

This information is intended for general informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice.