At Great Michigan Insurance in Marshall, MI, we provide coverage for individuals who own one, two, or even three homes! Protecting a vacation home is a priority whether you’re actively using it or it’s vacant. Since a lot can happen to a vacation home left unoccupied for lengthy periods, it’s crucial to understand the different requirements for insuring a vacation home before assuming a regular home insurance policy will suffice. For more information about home insurance for vacation homeowners, do not hesitate to contact our office.

What Is Home Insurance?

Home insurance is designed to protect your primary residence. It shields personal property against damage from events specified in your policy, provides liability coverage, and covers other expenses detailed within the policy’s guidelines. Home insurance is also referred to as "homeowner’s insurance." Each policy can vary, so discussing your particular policy’s specifics with our agents is highly advisable if we insure you.

Does Home Insurance Cover a Vacation Home?

Typically, a standard home insurance policy does not extend to cover a vacation home. You’ll have secondary dwelling insurance to secure coverage for a vacation home. As vacation homes are often left vacant for portions of the year, they tend to be at higher risk for theft and vandalism. Secondary dwelling policies are crafted to reflect these risks in their terms and limits. While managing more than one insurance policy for multiple properties may feel overwhelming, we strive to streamline this process, making it as easy and stress-free as possible. Having professional insurance agents guide you every step of the way can significantly reduce the strain this process may entail.

Contact Great Michigan Insurance

For more information on home insurance and protecting your vacation home, contact us at Great Michigan Insurance in Marshall, MI.

Home insurance covers many things, including fire, vandalism, and windstorms. It does not, however, cover everything that can happen, and it does have some limits on certain types of coverage. Our team at Great Michigan Insurance in Marshall, MI, gets to know our customers and their needs, and we will recommend a rider or endorsement for your home policy if it is something we think you need. 

Valuables coverage

When it comes to covering your personal property, you have options. You can choose the current value or the replacement cost. When it comes to things like collectibles, jewelry, art, and antiques, there are limits on your policy about how much they will cover in those categories. If you have more than a very minimal amount of jewelry, you will find your coverage inadequate. Getting a jewelry rider is necessary to ensure your possessions are covered. This can also be true for electronics, cameras, stamps, coins, etc. 

Identity theft

Identity theft has become a more common occurrence in recent years, and it can cost you money and time to restore your financial reputation. With identity theft coverage, your insurance will help to restore some of the money that may have been spent on legal fees and other costs associated with identity theft. 

Water or sewer backup

When there is a problem with water coming into the home from a backed-up sewer or a sump pump, this insurance will help pay to repair the damage caused and move the water or sewage. This is an issue that can cause a lot of damage and anxiety. 

When you have questions about your home coverage, call our experienced team at Great Michigan Insurance in Marshall, MI, today. 

If you’ve ever had to file an insurance claim that exceeded the limits of your policy, you probably already know how vital umbrella insurance can be for avoiding out-of-pocket expenses. 

Having umbrella insurance can provide policyholders with financial benefits, a sense of well-being, and peace of mind when they know their interests and assets are safe in the event of a covered loss.

Insurance professionals at Great Michigan Insurance in Marshall, MI, can help you choose an umbrella insurance policy to supplement existing home, auto, and liability policies. 

Unexpected Financial Storms Can Wreck Havoc – Protect Your Fortress with Umbrella Insurance

Natural disasters, severe thunderstorms, fires, floods, and water leaks are all examples of unexpected events that can cause financial storms in your life and devastate your finances – if you don’t have the right amount of insurance protection. 

Marshall area residents looking to secure their financial future and add protection for their most essential assets can get umbrella insurance. Umbrella insurance is a form of add-on insurance that can extend the limits of existing policies.

Savvy homeowners who are saving for their future invest in umbrella insurance as a part of a financial planning strategy that includes home, auto, and liability insurance as a comprehensive solution for protecting their most important assets. 

If you have questions about the benefits of umbrella insurance or want to get a quote, licensed insurance professionals can help. Talk to a trusted agent to learn how umbrella insurance can help you recover from life’s unexpected mishaps, including accidents, legal liability claims, and other covered incidents where your policy coverage can offset out-of-pocket costs. 

Contact a licensed insurance agent at Great Michigan Insurance to add extended coverage to your insurance policies today! 

At Great Michigan Insurance in Marshall, MI, condo owners can get protection for their new home. With so many first-time homeowners opting for this type of house, finding a great policy that will keep you safe is more important than ever. Here’s what you need to know about its protection.

Dwelling Support 

A typical condo insurance policy can help protect your dwelling, along with alterations, improvements, alliances, and fixtures. While they don’t cover things like flood or earthquake damage, they help ensure that your overall structure is protected and safe from damage. 

Personal Property Help 

Keep your property safe, including your clothing, furniture, appliances, and other items to ensure that you’re safe. This step will help ensure that your property loss isn’t too severe and can minimize how much you spend to replace any items. 

Loss of Use Protection 

Loss of use coverage can help if you need to relocate after something temporarily affects your home. For example, if a serious fire damages your house, you might need to use this coverage to pay for hotel rooms while your condo gets repaired.

Other Payment Options 

Here are a few other payment options to consider:

• Medical payments for if someone gets hurt on your property 
• Personal liability help if you get sued for any issue on your home 
• Flood insurance that protects your condo from serious issues 
• Umbrella protection in case you need more liability support 
• New for Old protection that helps you replace your possessions with new ones
• Valuable item blanket coverage that extends your protection costs 
• Scheduled personal property helps to add extra protection for other items

Get the Policy You Need

At Great Michigan Insurance, we can help Marshall, MI, condo owners get the protection necessary to ensure that you get protected. Please don’t hesitate to contact us immediately for the support you need to get the help required to keep your investment safe from serious loss risks.

Running your business out of your home has become a popular option. It allows a lot more flexibility and saves the cost of buying or renting a business location. Even though it is located in your home, home insurance is not designed to protect a business, just your home. Great Michigan Insurance in Marshall, MI provides our customers with the right home and commercial insurance to ensure they are protected from all the hazards that can happen. 

Property insurance

Yes, your home does have property insurance, but it is not designed to protect a home business. Commercial property insurance combines building coverage with content coverage to cover all aspects of your business. You may get minimal coverage from your home insurance. Still, to protect everything you need to carry out your business, you must have commercial insurance to protect your raw materials, inventory, and everything you use to carry on your business. 

Liability coverage

If you have customers or clients who visit your home to do business, they will not be covered for injury by your home insurance. You need to have commercial liability insurance to offer the amount of coverage you need. 

Auto insurance

Personal auto insurance does not cover the business use of your own vehicle. If you need to visit clients or customers or deliver products, this is considered business use of your vehicle, and if you have an accident, you won’t be covered. 

Business interruption insurance

If something happens to stop you from being able to do business, how will you pay your bills? This insurance helps a company to be able to meet its obligations until it can get back to doing business. 

Contact Great Michigan Insurance in Marshall, MI when you need to discuss how to protect your business and your home. 

Many homeowners in Marshall, MI are surprised to learn that there are several common exclusions in their home insurance policies. These exclusions mean your insurance company may not cover certain events, damages, or losses. Great Michigan Insurance explains some of the most common home insurance exclusions so you can understand what your policy won’t cover.

1. Flooding

One of the most common exclusions in a home insurance policy is flooding. If the Kalamazoo or other nearby rivers overflow or a heavy rainstorm causes flooding in your basement, you’ll need a separate flood insurance policy to cover the loss.

2. Earthquake

Another exclusion in your home insurance policy is damage caused by an earthquake. In Michigan, the risk of an earthquake is low, but still, it’s not non-existent.

3. High-Value Items

If you have expensive jewelry, art, or other valuable items, you might be surprised that they are not fully covered under your standard home insurance policy.

4. Infestations and Pest Damages

Another exclusion in your home insurance policy might be damages caused by a pest infestation. While a bug or rodent infestation can cause significant damage to your home, most policies do not cover it.

Home insurance policies are essential to protecting your family and your assets in Marshall, MI. However, it’s critical to understand what’s not covered so that you can target your insurance coverage to meet your needs. By knowing which events, damages, or losses are excluded from your policy, you can take steps to protect yourself fully. If you have questions about what your home insurance policy covers – and doesn’t cover, contact Great Michigan Insurance. We can review your policy together and find any gaps you need to cover.

When preparing your home for a storm, you should take several essential steps. To help keep you safe, we at Great Michigan Insurance recommend that everyone in the Marshall, MI area follow these helpful tips when bad weather is on the horizon. 

These include ensuring the outside of your home is secured and all potential hazards like loose tree branches or broken windowpanes are taken care of. In addition, it’s vital to ensure that any exterior doors and windows are properly sealed to prevent water from entering your home. Additionally, it’s a great idea to clear gutters and downspouts of debris so that water can flow freely away from your house. Removing any items stored in the backyard or outdoor areas that may be swept away by the high wind is also important.

Inside your home, you should disconnect electrical apparatus damaged by a power surge, such as computers and TVs. You should also place valuable items in a safe location in case of flooding or strong winds. If you need to evacuate your home, ensure that you turn off the gas and power at the main switch when possible. Finally, ensure you have an emergency kit with supplies like food, water, flashlights, batteries, and a first aid kit.

By following these tips, you can rest assured knowing that your home is secure against potential damage caused by storms. Taking proper precautions can help protect your family and belongings from harm during severe weather conditions.

For more safety tips, call us at Great Michigan Insurance today. We proudly serve the Marshall, MI area. Stay safe!

Your home is one of your most significant investments. That’s why it’s essential to have the right home insurance policy. But even if you have the perfect policy, it’s still important to review it regularly. This blog post will discuss how often you should review your home insurance policy and what factors you should consider when making that decision.

When You Make Changes to Your Home

If you’ve made any changes to your home, it’s important to review your insurance policy to ensure you have the right coverage. For example, if you’ve remodeled your kitchen or added a new addition to your home, your insurance policy should reflect those changes.

Additionally, if you’ve made any changes to your home that could impact your risk of a loss, such as installing a new roof or security system, be sure to let your insurance company know. They may be able to offer you a discount on your premium.

If You Bring Valuables into Your Home

If you’ve moved any valuables into your homes, such as jewelry, art, or collectibles, you’ll want to ensure those items are adequately insured. Your standard home insurance policy may limit how much coverage is provided for these items.

If you plan on getting a significant amount of valuable items in your home, you may need to purchase an additional insurance policy to ensure they’re fully protected. If you’re in Marshall, MI, talk to your Great Michigan Insurance agent about the best way to insure your valuables.

Once a Year

Even if you haven’t made any changes to your home or brought in new valuables, reviewing your insurance policy at least once a year is still a good idea. This will help you ensure you have the right coverage and that your premium is still in line with the market rates.

Conclusion

Regularly reviewing your home insurance policy is the best way to ensure you have the right coverage. By reviewing your policy, you can be confident that you and your home are adequately protected.

If you have questions about your home insurance policy or want a quote, talk to us at Great Michigan Insurance in Marshall, MI. Our team of experienced agents is always happy to help.