Home owner insurance policies cover a lot more that you may think.

Home owners insurance policies are usually made up of two types of coverage's: Property and Liability coverage.

These policies provide the following:

1. Coverage for the actual structure of your home.
2. Coverage for all of your personal belongings.
3. Liability protection.

•  Loss of Use – Pays for necessary increases in living expenses you may incur if your home is not livable after a loss.

*Do not assume that you are covered for everything listed here, be sure to verify everything with an agent after you receive your home owner insurance quote.

What's covered?

1. Your House (the structure)

A home owners policy pays to fix or rebuild your home if it is damaged or destroyed by the following: fire, hurricane, hail, lightning or other disaster listed in your policy. The policy will not however pay for damage caused by a flood or an earthquake.

2. Your personal belongings

Some of the items in your home may be covered as well, examples are: furniture, money, clothes, securities, watercraft, jewelry & firearms. Additional coverage may be purchased for an additional premium. Be sure to ask about this when you get you home owner insurance quote.

One great feature of a home owners policy is that it includes off-premises coverage. This means that your personal belongings are insured anywhere in the world if they should be lost or stolen. There may be some limitations & restrictions, but make sure to ask your agent about this type of coverage.

Trees, plants and shrubs are also covered under a standard home owner insurance policy. So if they are stolen, burnt, etc. you can be reimbursed. They are not covered however for damage by wind or disease.

3. Liability protection

Liability covers you against lawsuits for bodily injury or property damage that you or family members cause to other people. For example, a visitor to your house slips on something on your doorstep and is injured. If you are found liable for this, your Personal Liability coverage will cover the damages (e.g., medical expenses, lost wages) incurred by the injured person.

It also pays for damage caused by your pets. So, if your dog was to bite someone, you home owners policy would cover it.

The liability portion of your policy pays for both the cost of defending you in court and any court awards—up to the limit of your policy. You are also covered not just in your home, but anywhere in the world.

Liability limits generally start at about $100,000. However, experts recommend that you purchase at least $300,000 worth of protection. You can purchase an umbrella policy which provides broader range of coverage, including claims against you for libel and slander, as well as higher liability limits. Generally, umbrella policies cost between $200 to $350 for $1 million of additional liability protection. Inquire about this with your home owner insurance quote, it is usually pretty inexpensive

Here are some things that a home owner policy covers, that you might not know about:

•  Pays for temporary repairs to prevent further damage after a loss.

•  Pays for debris that may have to be removed after a loss.

•  Covers your property for any direct loss if you remove it because it is endangered by a covered peril.

•  You may be reimbursed for up to $500 for unauthorized use of your credit cards. This provision also protects you from losses related to innocent acceptance of counterfeit money.

The following occurrences are not in fact covered:

•  Earthquake

•  Flood

•  War

•  Nuclear hazard

•  Intentional loss caused by the insured

•  Terrorism

Additional (optional) coverage's

•  Additional coverage to cover your jewelry, above & beyond what the basic home owners policy covers

•  Coverage in case your jewelry is lost, stolen, or damaged.

•  No deductible before losses for jewelry are covered.

Get a free home owner insurance quote at the top of this page. Make sure to ask about the coverage's mentioned in this article.