A home goes beyond being a shelter to being a place of memorable treasures. Home insurance in Markham is essential for all homeowners in the city.
For most homeowners in Canada, the home and personal belongings are one of the most valuable possessions. The home depicts a lifetime of dedication, hard work, sacrifice, and financial commitments.
Regardless of how careful you might be in terms of protecting your home, nature can sometimes be unfriendly. Besides, disasters can occur at any time, usually when there is no preparedness for such.
A significant loss or damage to the home, such as vandalism, fire, storm, explosion, or theft, can be devastating, leading to a colossal financial burden on the home and property owners. However, proper home insurance coverage on the home will relieve the homeowner from such financial cost of repair, rebuild, or replacement of the damaged or lost residence and properties.
Home insurance in Markham will help the homeowner to get off easily from the financial burden of a tragedy that could affect the home. With a standard home insurance coverage, the home and its contents, as well as the homeowner is protected against insurable risks.
Each homeowner has unique coverage needs. Hence, home and property owners need to find home insurance protection that suits their coverage needs and in line with their budget.
Home insurance in Markham is not a legal requirement for homeowners, unlike compulsory car insurance policies. Although home insurance is not mandatory for all homeowners, it is often recommended for home and property owners to ensure that their home and personal belongings are secured and protected from unforeseen circumstances.
Meanwhile, homeowners who owe a mortgage on their home are required by lending institutions to obtain proper home insurance coverage on their properties, as a prerequisite for the mortgage.
With insurance coverage on the home, the homeowner can transfer risks to the insurance provider. Hence, it is equally vital to work with an insurance provider that understands the nitty-gritty of the home insurance industry in Markham. It is also essential for homeowners to have a proper understanding of how home insurance works in Markham and the policy or coverage options available to home and property owners in the city.
This page will provide you with detailed information on how Markham home insurance works, the factors that can affect premiums, and how to choose the best home insurance coverage.
About Markham
Markham is a Canadian city located in the Regional Municipality of York, within the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario. With a population of over 300 thousand residents (328,940 according to the 2016 census data), Markham ranks as the largest city in the York region, the fourth largest in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and the 16th largest municipality in Canada by population.
Known as the High-Tech capital of Canada, Markham boasts of several technologies, life sciences, and multinational companies including IBM, Honda Canada, Motorola, Toshiba, Hyundai, Huawei, Oracle, Avaya, Johnson and Johnson, and more.
Five municipalities bound Markham – Vaughan and Richmond Hill along Highway 7 (West), Toronto along Steeles Avenue (South), Whitchurch-Stouffville with Highway 404 and 19th Avenue (North), Pickering along the York-Durham line (East).
Living in Markham
Apart from the abundance of tourist and attractive sites, Markham boasts of several theatres, orchestra, museums, and more. Markham is a great city with a safe and suitable housing arrangement.
Markham has a total land area of 212.35 square kilometers. The cost of living in Markham is cheaper than in Toronto. However, the cost of living in Markham is 19 percent higher than the national average. Averagely, the cost of living is about $2,173.
The current housing market stats in Markham indicates an average house price of $1,079,697.
Markham Home Insurance Overview
Home insurance is designed to protect an important and crucial investment – your home. In addition to protecting the home and additional structures, home insurance also covers the personal belongings of the homeowner, as well as saving you and your family against personal liabilities arising from accidental property damage or bodily injury sustained by others on your property.
It is important to understand the types of coverage offered by your preferred insurance provider, the policy coverage limits, and the benefits of the coverage on your home and personal belongings. Therefore, it is recommended for homeowners to identify and work with accredited and experienced insurance providers who understand their coverage needs.
Whenever there is a loss or damage to the home and its contents as a result of an insured peril, a proper home insurance coverage will guarantee financial compensation or reimbursement to cover the cost of repair or replacement.
Having proper insurance implies that you’ll get the best coverage at the most affordable rates. To avoid refusal of insurance claims after an insured peril, you should engage the services of an insurer that understands and provides your desired home insurance needs.
Home insurance in Markham is provided by independent insurance companies, agencies, and brokers. The services of these insurance providers are regulated and monitored by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA), the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), and the Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario (RIBO).
To enjoy the standard home insurance coverage, a home or property owner must purchase a home insurance policy from an accredited insurance provider. This policy serves as a contract between the insurer and the homeowner (the insured). By this arrangement, the homeowner/policyholder agrees to make periodic payments (annually or monthly), known as premiums.
In exchange, the insurer will provide coverage and indemnify the homeowner for the repair or replacement of the home and insured properties in the event of a loss or damage caused by an insured peril, such as fire, theft, explosion, vandalism, etc.
Cost of Home Insurance in Markham
Homeowners in Markham can expect to pay between $700 and $2000 in home insurance premiums annually.
There is no definite or fixed price for home insurance in Markham. The cost of home insurance in Markham varies significantly in hundreds and thousands of dollars. These rates are calculated on a number of factors, including the replacement value of the home, the location of the home, the type of policy coverage, and more.
Thus, it is important for homeowners to compare home insurance rates from different insurance providers to enjoy the best and most affordable rates available.
Square One offers some of the cheapest and most comprehensive home insurance policies.
Types of Home Insurance Policies in Markham
Comprehensive or All-Risk Home Insurance Policy
The comprehensive policy offers the broadest range of home insurance coverage on home insurance. With this policy, your home, additional structures, and all the home contents will be protected from all risks, except for the perils that are specifically excluded from the purchased policy.
Basic or Named Perils Home Insurance Policy
The named perils policy offers coverage on perils that are specifically outlined in the purchased policy. This policy provides a minimal coverage on your properties.
Broad Home Insurance Policy
The broad home insurance policy combines the comprehensive policy and the named perils policy. With this policy, the home and additional structures are covered with the comprehensive policy while the personal belongings of the homeowner are covered with the named perils policy.
No Frills Home Insurance Policy
The no-frills policy is not offered by all insurance companies and is only provided on properties that do not meet the average home insurance standard. Examples of such are properties with structural issues.
What Home Insurance Typically Covers
Getting proper home insurance coverage gives you peace of mind, as it provides the following coverage benefits:
- Home insurance provides coverage for your home (dwelling) against insurable perils such as fire, theft, explosion, window breakage, lightning, and more. Your home is insured against loss or damage.
- Home insurance provides coverage against loss or damage for the contents of your home, that is, your personal belongings, including furniture, clothing, electronics, etc.
- Home insurance provides coverage for your additional living expenses, especially when you have to live out of the home as a result of repairs being done to your home due to losses or damages caused by an insured peril.
- Home insurance provides coverage against lawsuits that could arise as a result of unintentional property damage or bodily injury sustained by others on your property or anywhere in the world.
How Home Insurance Rates Are Determined
The following are some of the factors considered by insurance providers in determining home insurance premiums:
- The size and type of the home.
- The location of the home and risks in the neighborhood.
- The replacement value of the home.
- The age of the roof.
- The distance of the home from fire hydrants.
- The amount of deductible chosen by the homeowner.
- The type of home insurance policy coverage chosen.
How to Get a Lower Home Insurance Premium in Markham
- The first and most essential thing is to shop around and compare rates from different home insurance providers to get the best and most affordable rates available.
- Bundle your home and auto insurance policies.
- Choose only the coverage options that you need for your home.
- Ask your insurer for discounts
- Install security systems and let your insurer be aware.
- Increase your home insurance deductibles to enjoy a reduced premium.
- Pay your premiums annually to avoid administrative fees that usually come with monthly premium payments.
