Finding an insurance provider willing to stretch you cheap insurance for your log cabin may come down to the type of construction used to build your log cabin, how near you are to your fire department as well as the worth of your house — the three common obstacles most log cabin owners must conquer to insure their log cabin.
Structure Kind
The construction of your log cabin will affect the number of carriers are willing to expand your house coverage. Handcrafted log cabins made from raw timber are usually fire-resistant, but replacement costs are high, according to Brenda Hanson, a Kalispell, Montana-based independent insurance broker. The magnitude of the logs used in stick-frame construction, which is constructed using precut logs from your kit, make them more vulnerable to fire, but typically charge less to replace. The use of hand-hewn or embossed logs can also be a factor.
In the event of Fire
The price of your log cabin insurance coverage — and maybe the extension of it to you personally for your own house — might depend on how close a fire department or channel would be to you personally, says Brian Gabriel, president of the Murphy, N.C.-based Gabriel Builders. And Hanson separately agreed. “Many log houses are tucked away in an extremely wooded area where the fire risk is high, and fire stations aren’t close enough to react quickly.” Some insurance policies may also need you to be within one portion of a fire hydrant. The flammability of the roofing material might affect your speed too.
Home Value
The worth of the log cabin extends beyond construction outlays, or its actual cash value, says Hanson. This is known as your home’s true replacement value, and frequently covers items inside your property. The greater your house value, the greater your insurance premium will be, and in accordance with Hanson, some insurers refuse to expand insurance to homes with high values. Staying current with codes and keeping your home free of debris, says Hanson, will go a long way toward lowering the expense of coverage. Installing safety devices, such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, can also factor in the price of insuring your house.
Remember
If you’ve got a mortgage on your log cabin, your lender may ask you to have mortgage insurance. Ask each provider what coverage includes, and be certain that you get the ideal coverage. “Many times I have seen people pay for something they thought they had and then suffered a reduction and found they were not insured for that,” says Hanson. You carrier will likely send someone to take photos of your house, and they might call for a wood stove inspection, she says. She advocates researching any available riders — providing you additional protection beyond what your policy covers — and also indicates adding one for sewer and water.