Your cottage is your family get-away. It's where you go to make memories, escape from city life, and relax. That's why it is extremely important to have the right cottage insurance policy. Not only will it protect the physical structure, but it also protects any detached structures on your property and personal contents if there is damage or a loss.
To ensure you have the best coverage, you need to get a cottage insurance quote. Our cottage experts have written this blog to provide you with all of the details that you need to know when getting a quote for your seasonal property. Keep reading to learn more!
What is a cottage insurance quote?
A cottage insurance quote outlines the price and coverage an insurance provider offers to a customer for a seasonal or vacation property. A cottage quote will outline the annual cost to insure your vacation home, its contents, other detached buildings such as a bunkie, shed or boathouse. Your quote will also include details on the types of coverage that will be provided, insured perils, coverage limits, and other details.
Choosing the right coverage for your cottage insurance quote
It is important to choose the right type of coverage when getting a cottage insurance quote and purchasing this protection. Without adequate coverage, you may find yourself without protection for some losses should these occur. Additional coverage options are available to ensure you have the right level of coverage for your seasonal home.
Details about your seasonal home and how you use it will help to determine the type of protection you need. Speak with a licensed broker who will provide you with multiple quotes tailored to your specific needs. They will also take the time to explain your policy so that you have peace of mind knowing your vacation property is covered.
What information do you need to get a cottage insurance quote?
When you reach out to obtain an insurance quote, your broker will ask you a bunch of questions to obtain details about the cottage owner, about your insurance needs, and about your cottage to get you the best protection.
Details about the cottage owner
In order to provide you with an accurate quote, we will ask for details about you, the cottage owner. Some of these details include:
- Your name. There are many instances where the cottage property is owned by multiple family members. If this is the case, the names of each property owner must be listed on the policy.
- Insurance history.
- Claims history.
- If you have a mortgage.
Details about your insurance needs
To ensure you have the best protection, we will ask you some questions to help determine the kind of insurance protection you require including:
- Does your vacation home require seasonal coverage (only in-use during the summer months) or secondary home coverage (all-year-round usage)?
- Do you have boats or sea-doos?
- Do you rent out your cottage?
- Do you require additional protection such as water damage coverage or higher contents limit?
Details about your cottage
The coverage and premium of your seasonal home insurance quote are determined by many factors that are specific to your seasonal property. In order to provide you with an accurate quote, we will need to know details such as the following:
- The address of your cottage.
- When the cottage was built.
- The square footage.
- The construction type.
- If you have fire protection nearby/how far the nearest Firehall is or if you have a shuttle tank service.
- If there is easy road access or if it’s on an island
- The type and age of your roof.
- The type and age of your heating system.
- The type and age of your plumbing.
- The type and age of your electrical. What is the number of amps? Are you on breakers or fuses?
- Details on any out-building details such as sheds, boathouses, bunkies, and others.
- The estimated value of contents.
- The number of weeks occupied throughout the year.
- The number of weeks rented out, if applicable.
- If you have monitored smoke and burglar alarms.
- If there are any steps that are taken to ensure maintenance over the winter months while it is unoccupied.
- If you have a woodstove, details are required.
How can I get the best cottage insurance quote possible?
You can get the best cottage insurance quote by working with a broker. They will compare quotes from leading insurance companies to get you multiple quotes with adequate coverage at competitive rates. It is important to note that there is no additional cost to work with a broker.
How do I get free cottage insurance quotes?
You can get a free cottage quote by contacting an insurance broker. With one phone call or email, they will begin getting free quotes for you. After collecting some details, they will contact providers on your behalf. Getting quotes can be done quickly. You can then choose the policy that best meets your needs and budget.
Can you get cottage insurance quotes before buying a cottage?
Yes. You can get a cottage insurance quote before buying a vacation property. A quote can help you to determine your ownership costs and budget before you purchase your vacation home.
If you can provide enough information about the property (available from your real estate broker), your insurance broker can provide you with quotes. They will walk you through all the details they require to get you an accurate quote.
How can I save on cottage insurance quotes?
There are many money-saving opportunities that can be applied to your vacation property policy. Some of those opportunities include applying discounts, having risk-mitigation features, doing maintenance and updates, and bundling your policies.
Insurance discounts
Property insurance discounts vary from company to company. Generally, discounts are offered when the property owner has taken steps to reduce the likelihood of losses. Some popular discounts include claims-free discounts, monitored alarm discounts, non-smoker discounts, mature-age discounts, loyalty discounts, and more. Let us help you compare discounts and determine which ones you qualify for and how much money you can save.
Risk-mitigation features
Features such as monitored fire and burglar alarms, flood sensors, back-water valves, and others can help you to save money on your premium.
Maintenance and updates
General maintenance and updates may also help to lower your insurance costs. For example, updating roofing shingles when needed, and removing outdated electrical - such as knob and tube or potentially hazardous materials such as asbestos tiling which can be common in older cottages – reduce your risk of a loss and help to lower your premium.
Bundling your insurance
Bundling your insurance is a great way to save. Insurance companies reward individuals who have multiple policies with them. You can bundle your cottage policy with your home policy, auto policy, and much more.
Where can I get a cottage insurance quote?
You can get a cottage insurance quote from Morison Insurance. Our expert brokers will compare policies from Ontario's leading insurance companies to get you the best protection at a competitive rate. Get started today by filling out the form on our website or by calling 1-800-463-8074.
This content is written by our Morison Insurance team. It is provided for general information only. Insurance needs differ from person to person, and this article is therefore not a substitute for professional advice about your individual insurance needs which can be obtained by speaking to one of our brokers.
