Insurance on Your Landscaping... Are You Well Covered?

With my wife being an insurance agent, she has some knowledge on the topic of what a home insurance policy covers. She brought up to me tonight the issue of how landscaping is also something that is covered on your home insurance policy. Of course insurance policies can vary between company or type, but occasionally there are limitations to how much will be paid out on trees, shrubs, and plants. It is definetely a recommendation to make sure you've talked to your agent about whether your lawn and landscaping decor are covered to their complete value if there is a loss.

Picture this scenario:

Your house is surrounded by quite a few pruned and tall Juniper bushes and you have well- maintained colored rose bushes under all of your windows. One day you are in a rush to get to work and in your haste to make the kids breakfast, you forgot to turn your gas stove off all the way. After everyone has left the house, the potholder you left by the stove catches flame. Eventually the whole house goes, and all of your surrounding landscaping. You can only imagine how you'd be feeling. During the claims process of making sure everything gets replaced, the thought of your yard and landscaping doesn't even come to mind. After all is said and done, and you've had your house rebuilt and your belongings all replaced- you look out your window and wonder what is missing?

Where are those gorgeous pink, purple, and reddish roses you would stop and smell every day while opening your kitchen window to air the house out? Why don't you hear the little songbirds that would nestle in the bushes surrounding the house? Perhaps, due to their growth over the years and or the breeds of roses you had, there was not enough coverage to make sure each item was replaced to it's full value. After all of the work you had put in, and the time you took to obtain the beauty you've wanted in your yard, you are very disappointed with your policy to not have that replaced as well.

Just the word of advice- check with your insurance agent to make sure the beauty you have worked hard to build and continually work hard to maintain is covered in the event of a devastating loss.