Oshawa Home Insurance Broker
Free Home Insurance Quote in Oshawa
Owning a home is one of the largest investments you’ll ever make. McDougall Insurance recognizes that you want to protect your Oshawa home to the very best of your ability, and it’s our goal to make that happen. When it comes to home insurance in Oshawa, we don’t want you to have to constantly worry about whether your coverage is enough or not.
Known as the “bedroom community” for Toronto, Oshawa has exploded in population, making it one of the fastest-growing cities in Ontario. With thousands of new homes built in more areas, many different criteria can affect the Oshawa home insurance coverage options you may need.
The style of the home, the location, and the inhabitants are all factors that will influence your insurance premium and scope of coverage. McDougall Insurance promises to work in tandem with you to develop a personalized Oshawa home insurance package to meet all your needs and keep you and your family safe and comfortable.
As a homeowner, you want the best protection for what you’ve worked so hard to build, and our Oshawa insurance brokers understand your needs. We’re not just a home insurance provider, we also offer other types of insurance, like car insurance.
Oshawa home insurance quotes are free and only take a few seconds to apply for here at McDougall Insurance.
Look no further than McDougall when you need easy home insurance coverage that can fit within your budget.
What Is Oshawa Home & Property Insurance?
Oshawa home and property insurance may be broken down into two separate parts: dwelling coverage and liability coverage. Dwelling coverage can be further broken down into the physical dwelling coverage and the content coverage. Additional living expenses coverage is also included in a standard insurance policy.
Dwelling coverage can provide financial compensation, say, if your basement floods and thousands of dollars’ worth of damage occurs. In this case, if you have overland water coverage in your policy, your home’s physical structure (i.e., the dwelling) and its contents would be covered. Home insurance typically also covers perils such as fire, theft, vandalism, falling objects, etc.
Personal Liability coverage is another important part of your home insurance coverage, and it protects you and your family from settlement costs and legal defence costs if someone is injured, while in your home or has their property damaged or lost.
Because of our increasingly litigious society, liability claims are appearing more and more frequently nowadays. While few of these claims ever see the inside of a courtroom, it’s still better to be safe than sorry. A slip and fall settlement averages between $10,000 to $418,000 in Ontario.
Contact a Home Insurance Broker in Oshawa
We are here to help!
Working Hours
Monday – Friday:
8:30am – 5:00pm
Talk to a broker
Toll-Free: (800) 887-7309
Business: (905) 723-1169
Worden: (905) 579-1317
Fax: (905) 723-9958
Oshawa Insurance Products
Types of Home Insurance in Oshawa
Basic Coverage
This coverage offers minimal coverage and is the cheapest. Coverage includes the property and possessions you name in your Oshawa home insurance policy only. It’s also called Named Perils.
Comprehensive Coverage
This coverage includes all perils except for the ones you name as exclusions. It’s the most expensive one because it offers the most protection. However, it doesn’t include everything. You might need separate policies for some perils, like floods and overland water.
Broad Coverage
Broad coverage offers more coverage than basic coverage but less than comprehensive coverage. Naturally, it’s more expensive than basic coverage and less than comprehensive coverage. It protects all perils you name.
No-Frills Coverage
This coverage is for homes in such poor states, that they are too risky to cover with standard coverages. For example, if the house poses a great fire risk, it can’t be insured under natural circumstances. It could serve as temporary insurance to secure a mortgage until the house’s problems are fixed.
What is Not Covered Under Your Oshawa Home Insurance Policy?
- Mold: Mold occurs and builds up over time, which means you have time to prevent it. House insurance only covers sudden unforeseen events. So, mold isn’t covered by insurance.
- Pest infestations: Pests also take time to cause substantial damage. So, if you encounter bugs, like mice, bedbugs, or any other pests, contact exterminators and not your insurers.
- Intentional damage or injuries: All acts of intentional damage or injury aren’t covered by insurance. If you file a claim to cover an intentional act, your insurance company might sue you for insurance fraud.
How to Get an Oshawa Home Insurance Quote
McDougall Insurance knows that your time is valuable. That’s why we’ve designed a quick, simple and effective online quoting experience so you can spend less time worrying about insurance. Simply fill out the online form on this page with the necessary information and you will be contacted by one of our professional Oshawa home insurance brokers. We pride ourselves on our promptness and we will work closely with you to design a concrete Oshawa homeowner’s insurance solution tailor made for your demands and situation.
Get a QuoteAdd-ons to Home Insurance Coverage in Oshawa
Some standard house insurance policies won’t cover specific perils or special items in your home. You may then need to acquire specialized coverage in the form of an endorsement.
Discuss endorsements with your home insurance broker to see if this is the right move for you. While these options will extend your protection, they will also add to your premium.
Sewer Backup Insurance:
Normal Oshawa home insurance policies do not protect your home from water damage. Adding sewer backup coverage onto your Oshawa home insurance policy will grant you protection against any damage resulting from burst pipes or an overflowing sewage system. Water can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage in seconds, which is why we always recommend this additional coverage to our clients.
By-Law Protection Insurance:
Oshawa is a rapidly expanding city with new subdivisions going up seemingly every day. However, with all the new and modern homes being built, there are still many old-fashioned homes within the Oshawa city limits. The materials used to build such homes may no longer be allowed according to municipal by-laws as they could pose a threat to the structural integrity of the home. If your home needs to be rebuilt with different materials and you are missing this coverage, the cost will come out of your pocket! Since there are still many older homes in the Oshawa area, we always recommend this coverage to our clients that own older homes. Recommending the above coverage options is just one of the many ways that McDougall Insurance can unlock value for our clients.
Overland flooding
This additional coverage will cover you if your house gets damaged by water flooding from a river, lake, thawing snow, or stream.
Earthquake
Earthquakes aren’t covered under typical Oshawa home insurance policies. If you live in an area prone to earthquakes, this is an add-on you might need.
Mass evacuations
If there’s an evacuation in your neighbourhood because of wildfires, floods, or storms, this coverage pays for your accommodation and travel expenses while you’re away from home.
Expensive items
Some expensive items, like jewelry, fine art, or collectibles, might not be covered under your typical home insurance policy. Evaluate the value of your expensive belongings and talk to your insurer about adding them to your home insurance policy.
Windstorm
A strong windstorm might damage your home and its contents besides covering it with debris. In that case, this add-on covers the repair costs. Some standard house insurance policies include it, so ask your insurance company before adding it as an endorsement.
How Much Does Oshawa’s Average Home Insurance Cost?
The cost of Oshawa home insurance averages between $1,000 to $1,300/year, or $83 to $108/month. Your insurance premium may fall within this range or exceed it, depending on numerous factors regarding your personal circumstances and your household members.
Insurance is priced based on a wide range of factors. Those factors may be used by insurance providers to assess risk and the total cost to rebuild your home or repair or replace your belongings. You may find your pricing will be influenced by the following variables.
Get a QuoteFactors that affect your Oshawa home insurance premiums
Home value
The total value of your home and what it would cost to replace it will be reflected in your rates. The higher the value of your home, the higher the cost to rebuild or restore. Home value may not be the same as market value.
Postal code
Your premium may also depend on where you live in Oshawa. Your insurance prices may be influenced by the crime rates in your neighbourhood, or if you are located near a large body of water or in an area that is exposed to a lot of severe weather.
Belongings
The items you own and their total value may affect the price of your home insurance coverage. The number of belongings you want to protect as well as their value will reflect on your premiums.
Insurance history and past claims
Sometimes, your past claims can signal to your insurer how likely you are to make a claim again in the future. Also, having past cancellations – especially due to non-payment – can affect your rates as it indicates high risk in the eyes of insurers.
How to Improve Your Oshawa Home Insurance Rate
If you are in the process of buying a new home, then you know how tight a budget can really be. And with home insurance added to your plate, now you’ve included yet another monthly expense – which can be overwhelming! Not to worry. McDougall knows many options available to help you reduce the premiums you pay. Those are as follows.
Bundle multiple policies
Do you already have an auto insurance policy? Consider moving your auto insurance policy over to the same provider as your home insurance, or vice versa. If you bundle your automobile and home insurance, you can experience savings of up to 15%.
Do some renovations
Update your Oshawa home with more modern features to eliminate the risks associated with older building standards. Old wiring and oil tanks pose a significant fire threat to your home, and by replacing them, you will drastically reduce your chance of fire, thus rendering your home less risky to home insurance companies.
Select a higher deductible
Since a deductible is essentially your percentage of the risk assumed, choosing to raise your “assumed risk” can qualify you for lower premiums. For example, raising your $500 deductible to $1,000 or a higher amount that you’re confident of your ability to pay if something happened can go a long way in reducing your premiums.
Be a good homeowner
A lot of issues that can happen in and around your home can be traced back to poor homeownership. By looking after your home, you prevent any need for filing small claims and you may improve your relationship with your insurer by being claims-free. They will see you as a more responsible homeowner and thus charge you less.
Install a security alarm
Adding an alarm system to your house is another easy and simple way of saving money. The system prevents theft and therefore reduces your chances of loss, which may result in lower premiums.
McDougall’s Home Insurance Commitment in Oshawa, ON.
McDougall Insurance knows that your time is valuable. That’s why we’ve designed a quick, simple, and effective online quoting experience, so you can spend less time worrying about insurance. Simply fill out the online form on this page with the necessary information, and you will be contacted by one of our professional Oshawa home insurance brokers. We pride ourselves on our promptness, and we will work closely with you to design a concrete Oshawa homeowner’s insurance solution tailor-made for your demands and situation.
With over 70 years of experience in the insurance industry, McDougall is committed to legendary customer service. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Secure your home now and get a free Oshawa home insurance quote.
Home Insurance in Oshawa FAQ
While not required by law, home insurance is important in Oshawa because it protects your home against damage, injuries, or loss. Moreover, many mortgage lenders require you to buy home insurance as a form of protection for their investment.
There are many ways to lower your home insurance costs, like bundling insurance policies from the same provider, upgrading your home, increasing deductibles, and more. Call the McDougall’s insurance experts to get advice on how to get lower insurance premiums.
As a general rule, home insurance policies don’t cover intentional damage, and damages that take time to happen, like mold and pest infestations.
The amount of coverage you need depends on your personal circumstances and the damage risks your home faces. Each individual has different needs. Living in Oshawa comes with certain weather-related risks that you might want coverage for. For more info about the amount of coverage you need in your home insurance policy, contact us.
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