The Basics of Condo Insurance in Berlin, CT: What’s Covered and What’s Not

Investing in a condo is a significant decision, which is why protecting your new asset is just as crucial as selecting the right unit for your needs. When investing in a condo in Berlin, CT, choosing the right condo insurance policy is vital. At Bogden Insurance Agency, we’re here to help you better understand what’s covered and what’s not when it comes to finalizing your decision on your condo insurance policy.

What is Covered?

When investing in condo insurance, the following is typically covered:

  • Personal Property: Personal furniture, electronics, clothing, and belongings are typically covered with traditional condo insurance.
  • Liability: Liability coverage protects you from legal and medical bills due to property damage or bodily injury in your condo.
  • Interior: Condo insurance typically protects against alterations and improvements needed inside, such as new cabinets, fixtures, and even new flooring.

What’s Not Covered?

  • Structure: The building structure of your condo is not typically covered with traditional condo insurance, which often falls to the condo association.
  • Flood: Flood damage is not often covered by a traditional condo insurance policy. Most flood policies are provided via private insurers or the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
  • Earthquakes: Earthquake damage coverage is not typically included with standard condo insurance policies.
  • Negligence: Negligence and/or intentional acts, such as failing to maintain your condo, are not covered.

Protecting your valuables, property, and entire investment in a condo is imperative, whether you’re a serious property investor or purchasing your first residence. Anytime you invest in a condo in Berlin, CT, protecting your investment with the right insurance policy is key. To learn more about your options and the basics of condo insurance (including what’s covered and what’s not), contact Bogden Insurance Agency today.

Will condo insurance cover the carpet damage from my burst pipes?

Condo insurance is similar to homeowner’s insurance. It provides coverage for the interior of a condo and the condo owner’s personal belongings. However, unlike homeowners’ insurance, it doesn’t cover a condominium’s exterior or common areas. Condo owners own the interior walls, floors, and fixtures of their condo. The Bogden Insurance Agency team in Berlin, CT is dedicated to helping condo owners understand how condo insurance works.

How does condo insurance work?

Condo owners invest in condo insurance to protect the interior of their condos. This insurance is designed to pay for the interior structure of the condo, including the floors, walls, fixtures, and the personal items of the condo owner. It also includes liability coverage if someone is injured or incurs property damage while visiting your condo. In short, condo insurance is bonded coverage designed to protect the interior of your unit, the fixtures, plumbing, and more. Condo insurance also covers repairing or replacing your personal belongings if they’re damaged due to a covered event or situation. 

Will condo insurance cover the carpet damage from my burst pipes?

Yes. If your pipes burst, your condo insurance will pay for the replacement and repair of your burst pipes and anything else that’s damaged due to the incident. However, if your pipes burst due to negligence on your part, the repair or replacement of your pipes, as well as any other damaged items, may not be covered by your condo insurance. If you have questions regarding what’s covered by condo insurance, call us. We’d happily answer your questions and help you explore your options. 

Condo Safety Tips to Prevent Accidents

While making your condo a cozy, comfortable environment, don’t neglect safety measures that can protect you from accidents. These safety tips from Bogden Insurance Agency in Berlin, CT can make your condo a safer place to live for you and your family.

Condo Safety Tips to Prevent Accidents

De-Clutter

If your condo has limited space and you own a lot of stuff, clutter can become a problem. Clutter anywhere in your condo increases the risk of accidents. By getting rid of items you don’t need or haven’t used for a while and properly storing items you want, you can eliminate clutter and make your condo a safer, neater environment.

Secure Stairs

Make sure your stairs have secure handrails, so you can maneuver up and down safely. If your stairs are carpeted, make sure there are no snags that can cause you to trip and fall.

Accident-Proof Bathrooms

Minimize the risk of slipping in the tub or shower by putting down non-slip decals or mats on your shower and bathtub floors. A bathroom rug secured with non-slip pads can prevent slipping when you step out of the tub or shower. You can also install grab bars to hold onto to prevent falling.

Install Proper Lighting

Make sure your condo has proper lighting to see where you’re going, especially at night. You can also plug in night lights to illuminate hallways or bathrooms to avoid walking around in the dark.   

Install Fire Safety Equipment

If your condo doesn’t come with smoke or carbon monoxide alarms, have them installed to protect you from fire and carbon monoxide poisoning. You should also check these devices regularly to ensure they’re in good working order.

Last, but not least, don’t forget to purchase condo insurance to protect you from the unexpected. For quality condo coverage at an affordable cost, contact Bogden Insurance Agency in Berlin, CT.

How condo insurance compares to home insurance

A condo is a home, but it needs to have specific insurance designed specifically for the condo. While houses and condos have a lot in common, they have very different insurance needs.

At Bogden Insurance Agency, serving the greater Berlin, CT community, we have years of experience. We are an independent insurance agency, and we go the extra mile to make sure our customers get the insurance that they need. 

Benefits of Condo Insurance

When you purchase a condo, there are many benefits. One of them is that you aren’t responsible for the exterior of the building. This extends to insuring the exterior and any common areas. The condo association has a master policy that insures these areas. They have both property and liability coverage. That is a major difference between condo and home insurance. 

Before you purchase your condo insurance, it is important that you know exactly the coverage provided by the master policy. Not every policy is the same. How deep it goes into your unit is different. It can be all in or walls in or something in between. Read your covenant and let your insurance agent know what your coverage is. 

Content coverage for the condo may include things like kitchen cabinets and bathroom fixtures. But your personal items will be covered in the same way that home insurance covers them, with you choosing the type of coverage you prefer. 

Liability coverage will protect you inside your unit. The exterior liability coverage is held by the condo association. 

Additionally, like a home policy, you will have a loss of use coverage. This will help you to pay for another place to stay in the event that your unit becomes so damaged that it can’t be lived in. 

Get in touch with us

Contact Bogden Insurance Agency in Berlin, CT when you need to talk about your condo insurance coverage. 

What Does Condo Insurance Cover?

If you live in a condo, you’ll likely become familiar with two types of insurance: HO-6 or condo insurance and the condo association’s master policy. With a condominium, you are only responsible for the belongings within your unit or on private outdoor space and the walls within the home. Common areas such as elevators, gym, pool, lobby, and any other space shared with your neighbors will be covered under the condo association’s policy.

Although you’ll contribute towards the cost of the association’s policy through your dues, you are only responsible for having separate insurance for your personal unit. Bogden Insurance Agency in Berlin, CT offers you this guide to navigate condo insurance.

What Does Condo Insurance Cover?

In addition to covering your personal belongings, individual condo insurance also provides protection for a slew of other incidents and situations. For example, your policy will include liability coverage that will protect you from paying medical bills, legal fees, and other costs associated with a visitor or guest injuring themselves while inside your condo.

Additionally, your condo insurance policy is likely to include loss of use coverage, meaning that if your home is uninhabitable due to a covered incident, you’ll receive monetary assistance to live elsewhere up to your policy max. If your home is deemed a total loss, your condo insurance policy will include information on how much money the insurance company will contribute towards rebuilding your home. This coverage varies and could be set to the price paid for the condo when you purchased it, the expected value today, and more so be sure to speak with your insurance provider about which option is best for you.

At Bogden Insurance Agency in Berlin, CT we are committed to providing you with transparent and trustworthy service. Whether you are looking for condo insurance, auto insurance, or another type, we look forward to earning your business for years to come.

 

5 Tips for New Condo Owners

Have you recently moved into a new Berlin, CT condo? Congratulations! Here are a few tips to protect your investment. 

Get to know your HOA’s master condo insurance policy. 

A master condo policy will determine what kind of coverage you’ll want to acquire for your condo policy. Review yours to discover which type of dwelling or building property the HOA carries. There are all-in or all-inclusive policies that cover the common areas and external structures of your building and all items installed in your unit, including appliances, lighting fixtures, cabinetry, and more. These policies are excellent, but you are just as likely to discover single entity or bare walls coverage, which would only take responsibility for part of the internal structure of your unit, leaving you to pay out of pocket for any damage that occurs. 

Create or update your home inventory. 

Make use of your moving process to document your possessions to determine the coverage you need accurately. Plus, if you need to make a claim, you’ll have documentation on hand to recover your losses faster and more completely.  Take photos or videos of your belongings as you unpack and consider using a home inventory app to make it easier to store and update your inventory. 

Learn about ‘scheduling’ items. 

Many of us have at least one high-value item in our homes. For you, this might be artwork, jewelry, luxury clothing, electronics, or firearms. Whatever it is, make sure you include that in your inventory and talk to your insurance agent about possibly getting additional coverage to protect more expensive items. 

Look Beyond Basic Condo Insurance. 

You may need to consider additional coverage. Some likely options include flood insurance and water backup coverage. If you are a snowbird, you might want to discuss vacancy coverage for the months you are away from your home. The best way to determine your needs is to call or stop by the Bogden Insurance Agency today.