New Brunswick Homeowners Insurance
Find the right homeowners insurance policy for you.
With about 60,000 residents, New Brunswick is a great place to own a home. Many are drawn to New Brunswick because of its top-notch medical facilities, various arts and culture events, and great schools. If you own a house in this New Jersey city, you will want to be sure to protect your investment with a reliable homeowners insurance policy.
Independent Insurance Agents can help you find the best and most affordable insurance coverage for your New Brunswick home. Find an insurance agent near you to learn more, and discover how easy it can be to start comparing customized home insurance quotes.
How Much Does Homeowners Insurance Cost in New Brunswick, NJ?
The average home insurance cost in this state is lower than the national average, and in New Brunswick, the average cost is lower still. This is good news for area homeowners who are looking for an affordable policy.
- National average yearly premium: $1,173
- New Jersey average yearly premium: $1,149
- New Brunswick average yearly premium: $1,140
Of course, the quotes you get from insurance companies are likely to differ from the average prices listed above. This is because premiums are calculated individually based on a number of factors such as:
- The size, age, and value of your house
- Whether the property you are insuring serves as your primary residence
- The type of home you are insuring (e.g., single-family detached home, condominium, manufactured home, etc.)
- The crime rate and weather risks in your ZIP code
- Whether you are bundling your coverage with another policy like car insurance, business insurance or life insurance
Comparing quotes lets you choose the homeowners policy that offers the coverage you want at the lowest price. Independent insurance agents in New Brunswick make comparison shopping easy.
What Kinds of Property Damage Does Homeowners Insurance Cover?
Your homeowners insurance is designed to cover you against many of the hazards you are likely to face as a property owner in New Brunswick. This includes risks ranging from residential fires to damaging weather events.
- Number of federally declared disasters in New Jersey: 51
- Most common reasons for disasters in the state: Severe Storms and Hurricanes
- Average number of tornadoes per year in New Jersey: 2.0
- Average amount of property damage per year in NJ: $1.08 billion
- 1 in 15 insured homes has a claim each year.
Residents of New Brunswick are most at risk for damage caused by severe storms, hail, heavy winds, freezing temperatures, and hurricanes. Be aware that while damage caused by hurricanes is typically covered by your home insurance, the flood damage that frequently accompanies these storms is not. Fortunately, your local insurance agent can also help you secure an affordable flood insurance policy through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
Why Would New Brunswick Homeowners Need Liability Protection?
If you accidentally cause someone else to experience a severe injury or expensive property damage, you are liable for covering their costs. This can result in your finding yourself at the wrong end of a liability lawsuit, and depending on the severity of the damage, your resultant costs can be unmanageable. For some, this could cause them to lose their homes.
That is why homeowners insurance also provides policyholders with liability coverage. This personal liability insurance is designed to cover the various expenses (including court costs, legal fees, and damages) that you may accrue if you are sued for a covered event. Some examples of situations in which this personal liability coverage can protect you include:
- A guest in your home trips on a loose stair tread and suffers serious injuries.
- You accidentally injure a friend during a game of volleyball in the park.
- Your child accidentally breaks a neighbor’s window while playing baseball with friends.
- Your dog breaks loose from your yard and bites someone in the neighborhood.
- A business sues you for libel or slander after you post a negative review online.
Your local insurance agent can explain your homeowners liability coverage in greater detail. If you wish to have higher liability limits than your home insurance policy allows, your agent can also help you acquire a reasonably priced umbrella insurance policy.
How High Is the Risk of Burglary in New Brunswick?
The burglary rate in New Jersey is lower than the national average. However, in New Brunswick, burglaries are more likely. Residents of this city report more than 300 burglaries every year.
- Number of burglaries per 1,000 homes in the US: 4.69
- Number of burglaries per 1,000 homes in New Jersey: 3.47
- Number of burglaries per 1,000 homes in New Brunswick: 5.58
While being the victim of a burglary can be stressful, you may take some comfort in knowing that your home insurance can reimburse you for the resultant loss and damage. Of course, it is preferable to avoid having your home broken into in the first place.
You can take precautionary steps to lower your risk of being targeted by thieves, the most effective of which is having a burglar alarm. Many home insurance companies offer discounts to policyholders who have home security systems installed in their houses. Learn more about this and other potential discounts by talking to your local insurance agent.
What about Insurance for Second Homes and Vacation Homes?
Maybe you own a winter vacation home in a warmer climate. Or perhaps you own a second house locally that you rent to students at Rutgers University. Whatever your reasons, if you own more than one house, you will need to cover all of your properties with appropriate home insurance policies. When a home is not your primary residence, it will frequently have different or additional coverage needs.
- Vacation homes that are unoccupied for several months out of the year have an increased risk of property damage. Vacant home insurance may be required while the property is not in use.
- Vacation homes that are located in areas that have a significant risk of floods, earthquakes, mudslides, or sinkholes may need to have supplementary insurance policies because these hazards are not covered by home insurance.
- Second homes that are occupied by tenants have lower contents coverage needs, but higher liability risks. These houses typically need to be covered by landlord insurance.
Your local insurance agent can help you review the coverage needs of all your residential properties and can assist you with finding the best and most reasonably priced policies to insure them.
Why Work with an Independent Insurance Agent in New Brunswick?
The easiest way to find the best homeowners insurance policy is by working with a local independent insurance agent. Because they live and work in your neighborhood, these agents understand the risks you face and can offer trustworthy advice. Independent agents work for you, not for a specific insurance provider, so you can be sure that you are getting trustworthy guidance as you shop for the home coverage you need at a price you can afford.
Contact an insurance agent in New Brunswick to start comparing customized homeowners insurance quotes.
http://www.naic.org/prod_serv/AUT-PB-14.pdf
https://www.census.gov
http://www.city-data.com