FAQ About Home Insurance When You Move
There’s nothing like moving to a new house – it’s a great opportunity to meet new people, make memories, and establish a space that’s perfectly yours. Plus, it’s the perfect chance to downsize or reorganize your belongings.
That said, moving can be taxing. You have to pack up, sign paperwork, and make sure everything is in order. And on top of that, you have to manage your home insurance.
The good news is, Trucordia can help! Not only do we have moving tips for less stress, but our licensed agents can walk you through the home insurance process when you move.
This guide will answer your home insurance questions, so you can move with confidence.
Home Insurance When You Move
Picture this: you own a beautiful house in Anacortes, Washington. You love your home, but your job just offered you a promotion in another area. It’s too good an opportunity to pass up, so you decide to sell your house.
But in the excitement, you forgot about your home insurance. What should you do?
The first thing you need to do is contact your insurance agent. Once you’ve called your agent, they will likely ask you the following questions:
On the chance you’re staying at your home until it sells, you will need to either cancel your homeowners’ policy or list it for nonrenewal. Your Trucordia agent can help you in either scenario.
If you are not staying in your home as the primary occupant, you need to let your agent know so your policy can be rewritten. For example, if you’re renting your home, you will need a landlord’s policy.
When should I tell my insurance agent I’m moving?
Ideally, you should talk to your agent once you have officially decided to move. You should tell your agent at least 30 days in advance.
Why should I tell my agent early?
Your agent needs to know you’re moving as soon as possible so there won’t be a lapse in coverage. If you don’t change your coverage soon enough, you can be left unprotected.
Plus, your agent will need to help you get a new policy. Your new home will most likely require different coverage, so your agent will need to write a policy that fits the needs for your new home.
By what time should I have coverage for my new house?
Most of the time, your mortgage lender will let you know when you need coverage. You’ll likely to have insurance for your new home prior to your old home’s closing.
If you don’t have a mortgage lender, you’ll need coverage before you have purchased the home, signed the papers, and legally registered the house as yours.
Will my personal belongings be covered if they’re not in my home?
If you put your items into storage when you move out, your homeowners’ policy will extend a percentage of your home’s coverage to that storage unit. Once your home sells, you won’t have coverage for your home. So, you won’t have personal property coverage for the storage unit.
To cover your belongings, you would have to purchase a policy from the storage unit.
During transit, your items may not be covered, so you should talk to your Trucordia agent to discuss the limits of your policy.
Is there a policy cancellation fee, and how much should homeowners expect to pay?
If you cancel your homeowners’ policy, there may be a cancellation fee. The best plan is to simply set your policy up for nonrenewal, but that may not be possible depending on when you move.
You should talk to your Trucordia agent about changing your policy.
What if I’m moving into an apartment instead of a house?
You will need a renters’ policy if you’re moving into an apartment. However, you may need even more coverage than that policy affords, depending on your situation.
Say you’ve put a lot of your belongings into a storage unit. Your renters’ insurance only extends a certain percentage of your coverage to your belongings in the storage unit.
If you have expensive belongings, you may need to bump up your personal property to extend enough coverage on his renters’ policy.
Check with your Trucordia agent to see your policy limits and what extra coverage you may need.
If you’re not living in your home while it sells
Why do I need a different policy for my home if it’s vacant or being rented?
Your primary homeowners’ policy covers your home when you are living in your home. If your home is unoccupied or vacant, your home isn’t covered because your policy depends on you being the primary occupant of your home.
Your premium might also change. Your premium changes based on your risk – if your home is vacant, there’s higher risk involved, because no one is around to take care of any issues.
For example, say your water main breaks and floods your home. You file a claim with your insurance company to cover the damage. If your home is vacant, but you have it listed as your primary residence, your insurance company may deny your claim.
Understanding the various risks and different policies can help protect you in the case of an accidents or a claim.
What happens when I tell my agent my home will be vacant?
Your current home insurance policy is written as your primary residence. Since you won’t be living in the home anymore, your home is no longer your primary residence. So, your agent will have to rewrite your policy to vacant unoccupied.
Rewriting your policy will depend on your carrier and how long your home stays vacant. Some carriers will allow you to keep your current policy if the house is vacant for a ‘short’ time, although the definition of ‘short’ varies by carrier.
Other carriers don’t even cover vacant homes, so you may have to choose a different carrier. If you don’t have a closing date or buyer yet, your agent will likely advise you to rewrite your policy.
Once you find a carrier who covers vacant homes, your agent might recommend you switch to monthly billing in case your home sells soon. You should check with your Trucordia Agent to see what your carrier allows regarding vacant homes.
If you are moving to a different state
What happens if I’m moving to a different state?
First, you’ll need to check with your agent to see if Trucordia serves the state you are moving to. Currently, Trucordia are licensed to write in Washington and Oregon, plus some policies in Arizona and Idaho.
Let’s say you’re moving to Florida. Trucordia can’t write a policy for that state, but your insurance carrier may still be able to cover you. (You will just need to find a new agent.)
Trucordia features the following insurance carriers:
- Grange Insurance
- Safeco Insurance
- Mutual of Enumclaw
- Liberty Mutual
- Travelers
- Progressive
If your carrier serves the state you are moving to, you can get a new agent to write you a new policy.
Why can’t I keep my old agent?
While we’d love to keep serving you, Trucordia isn’t licensed to write policies in states other than Washington and Oregon, and some policies in Arizona and Idaho. You will need an agent who is licensed to write policies in the state you’re moving to.
Whether you have your same agent and carrier, or just the same carrier, you most likely will have to rewrite your policy. Every state has different rules, so even if you can keep your carrier, you must rewrite your policy to comply with your state laws.
I went on a vacation in a different state, and I was still covered. Why can’t I just keep my same policy if I move to a new state?
Your policy depends on where you permanently live. Even if you go on vacation in a different state, you will still return to your primary residence.
If you permanently reside in a new state, you will need a new policy that complies with all state laws and regulations. That way, you’re fully protected per the limits of your policy.
What if I’m moving to a state Trucordia doesn’t cover, and my carrier isn’t licensed there?
If you’re moving to a state your carrier doesn’t serve, you will have to choose a different insurance carrier entirely. We’ll be sorry to see you go, but you’re welcome to look at our website at any time to get your insurance questions answered.
No matter what your circumstances, we at Trucordia want to help you find the answers you need. Your move is already complicated – we want to make your insurance as easy as possible.
If you have questions about home insurance or our agency, feel free to contact us via a phone call, text, or email. You can also use our booking website to schedule a visit if you need to see someone right away.
Or, if you just need to manage your policy, you can use our client self-service portal or our mobile app. We’re here for you throughout your move!
