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.

Homeownership in the state of Michigan is a huge accomplishment! With the booming market and fantastic interest rates, it’s no surprise that many people are trying to get their dream homes. Once you’re in, one of the most essential items on your To-Do list should be your home insurance policy. 

Before you start buying furniture and painting the walls, make sure your home insurance policy is one that provides full coverage and will protect you from the variety of scenarios that can happen as a homeowner. 

Residents of Marshall, MI that are looking into home insurance should keep reading. Great Michigan Insurance is here to help you understand the ins and outs of home insurance and what a good policy will look like for you.  

From dangerous weather and natural disasters to vandalism or theft, an adequate policy will protect you financially from any harm or damage. We can’t predict what may happen to our homes. All we can do is take steps to ensure that we’re able to protect ourselves. 

It’s important to understand that your location and lifestyle can reflect what the best policy is for you. If you live in a high-flood area, investing in flood insurance may be a good choice. Home insurance not only covers the interior and exterior of your home, but it can also cover your personal belongings inside the home, along with other structures on your property. There are different coverage options for different needs. 

Marshall, MI is a fantastic place to own a home with your family. Great Michigan Insurance can help customize an insurance policy that will protect one of your greatest investments – your home. Contact us today; we’re here to help! 

When you are shopping for home insurance in Michigan, you have a lot on your mind that you want to protect. You may not be required to get home insurance if you own your home outright, however your lender may ask that you have home insurance. Even without a mortgage, you will still have valuables to protect against financial losses.

Just as every home in Marshall, MI is unique, so too are their home insurance policies. Before you become overwhelmed with the fine print, let Great Michigan Insurance help you avoid the most common home insurance mistakes.

Protect Yourself Completely

Among the most common home insurance mistakes is not insuring your home enough. Because home insurance is not required, and has no state minimum requirements, does not mean you should get a skeleton policy for the sake of having coverage.

Insurance is designed to help you sleep better at night. You need the right amount of liability coverage, and property damage coverage. If you don’t know what your potential risks are, we can help.

Don’t Let Price Guide You

The price of your home insurance policy is certainly on your mind when you are making the budget. You don’t want it to be the only deciding factor when selecting home insurance. Not having enough coverage will cost you more in the long run.

You can select the right home insurance with the right deductibles, and still feel covered and protected with your home insurance.

Get a Quote From an Agent

There is nothing wrong with purchasing insurance online, but it may not save you money and time in the long run. Your Marshall, MI home is your dream, and something you have been working hard for your entire life. An agent can help you to clearly understand the risks, and how to protect yourself from them. Call Great Michigan Insurance today for a quote on home insurance. You’ll see what peace of mind feels like.

Choosing your home insurance coverage is one of the most important decisions new homeowners make. You may not have even thought about it when you bought your home. You may have looked for the best deal and gone with that policy. Depending on your agent, it may or may not have been the best decision for you. Actually, these days many people buy their insurance online and never even talk to their local agent. This can be an expensive mistake. At Great Michigan Insurance in Marshall, MI, we are independent agents who work to serve your needs and find the best price. 

You can review your home insurance any time it seems like a good idea. You can also bring it to an independent agent to look over and access it for you. The most common time for a policy review is before your renewal date. You will get a declaration page that tells you the exact amount of your coverage and all the particulars such as deductibles etc. 

When your premium rises

The most common reason to review your home insurance coverage is when you see a significant rise in your premium. Be prepared with last year’s declaration page to see if there is any justification for the increase. Many policies will keep up with inflation, so your home replacement value may have risen. But while you are looking, it makes sense to think about the replacement cost and how it reflections your ability to replace your house in your area. 

When you make improvements

Many types of improvement increase your home’s value, and your insurance policy should reflect the new value. 

When your financial worth increases

If you are worth more than when you bought your home, take a good look at the amount of liability insurance your policy has. You may want to increase it to reflect your current worth. 

Contact Great Michigan Insurance in Marshall, MI to discuss your home insurance needs. 

 

Home insurance: Which coverages should I focus on?

A home insurance policy is a valuable investment for any homeowner in Marshall, MI. It covers a wide range of perils that could easily leave you broke. While there is no way of determining which accidents can happen in your home, it is prudent to focus on the coverages that matter to you most. How? Great Michigan Insurance can help you understand your policy and catch missing opportunities. So, which coverages should you focus on?

The dwelling

This coverage typically covers the floor, roof, and walls from damage. Some of the perils covered include windstorms, smoke, and fire damage. The dwelling coverage does not just protect the structure but also covers the plumbing, wiring, and heating & cooling systems. If you have a big compound with a detached garage, shed, and other structures, you may want to consider buying the other structures coverage to protect those structures.

Personal property

One of the reasons why many of us purchase home insurance is to protect its contents. Personal property includes Appliances, clothing, furniture, and electronics. It also covers personal items like clothes and shoes. If you have priceless items or items of high value like artwork and jewelry, you may want to get them a separate coverage that will adequately cover them.

Liability

Getting sued nowadays is a new norm. You can be sued for just about anything in this society, and your home is no exception. A visitor can sue you for a slip and fall; a neighbor can sue you for a dog bite their son got from your pet, you can even be sued if your son’s or daughter’s friend drives while intoxicated after a party in your home.

Home insurance saves you money that you would have otherwise spent to fix damages or losses. For all your insurance needs in Marshall, MI, contact Great Michigan Insurance today!

Your home and personal possessions likely represent your largest assets. As such, it is important to protect the things you’ve worked your entire life for. Look to insurance professionals that understand the nuances of home insurance to identify how this type of policy can protect you.

If you’re financing the purchase of a home, your lender will require you to obtain homeowners insurance. Even if you don’t finance the purchase, it is still important to get coverage to protect your financial investment. You also want to protect your personal property up to the coverable amount stated in your policy. There are different types of home policies in Michigan depending on your situation and risk profile.

Types of home insurance include:

• Broad
• All-risk
• Renters
• Condominium

Broad coverage covers damage to your dwelling and possessions from specific risks identified in your policy. All-risk coverage, however, covers your dwelling and possessions from a larger number of risks, except for threats specifically excluded in the policy. When you visit Great Michigan Insurance in Marshall, MI, you can explore these policies and decide the right amount of coverage given your budget and net-worth.

Whether it is receiving money to replace lost and stolen possessions or having portions of your home repaired in instances of a covered peril, home insurance can protect you and your family. Do not let unforeseen problems disrupt your everyday life – get insurance now.

Home insurance is a necessity on multiple levels and can give you peace-of-mind. To learn more about the benefits of home insurance, please contact Great Michigan Insurance in Marshall, MI today. We are ready to help you mitigate risk and hedge financial exposures.