Virtual Home Staging - Innovation Or Misrepresentation?

Many of today's top real estate agents understand the power that the internet has when it comes to bringing together buyers and available inventory. With recent estimates being that over 80% of home buyers starting their search for properties online, it's imperative that real estate agents take advantage of the latest trends in technology.

One of the trends that has emerged recently has been to showcase homes online using virtual staging techniques rather than traditional in-house staging. Using a computer program, virtual home stagers are able to take a picture of a home and alter it any way they like. This can involve everything from changing wall colors to moving around furniture.

Fans of this technique say that virtual staging is far more cost-effective than traditional home staging, which can be expensive and time consuming for sellers. With a few clicks of a mouse, a room can be transformed from dingy to delectable.

Properties that benefit the most from this technology are the vacant homes that have no furnishings or personal touches. Empty houses can prove difficult to promote via photographs. All that buyers see in the pictures are four white and carpeting. It's very difficult for potential buyers to visualize themselves living in the property because it appears so cold and uninviting.

In addition, many empty houses look alike when photographed. Architectural features can get overwhelmed by the lack of personality in the room, and buyers can't see the home's true potential.

With virtual staging however, you can easily add elegant furniture and area rugs in order to personalize the space. Buyers will see a home that is welcoming and homey, which is exactly what they're looking for.

Opponents say that virtual home staging is deceptive and unethical. A buyer sees a perfectly staged and decorated home on the internet, but when they see the property in person, they're disappointed. It is then up to the real estate agent to explain that the listing showed only a computer-generated version of the home--essentially showing the home's potential rather than its present reality.

But if virtual staging is seen as deceptive, is it really any more misleading than traditional staging techniques? When you hire a home staging professional, they come to your home and either rearrange your items to make the property more appealing, or else they bring in their own furniture--props if you will--to make the space look its best.

Another part of the debate is where do you draw the line? If it's okay to change the window treatments to something nicer, is it all right to erase wall cracks and other flaws? What if you want to add virtual furniture to a room? If the furniture you select isn't to scale with the true dimensions of the house, you could make the rooms appear to have more space than they actually do.

It's important for agents who decide to use this technology to be very aware of how they use it and what their intentions are. If adding faux furniture to an empty room can get buyers to view the property in person, then that's fine. When you start to alter the image of the house itself in order to make it look like something it's not, that's when you're crossing the ethical line.

For great information on the Atlanta real estate market and for incredible Intown Atlanta real estate listings, and to browse homes and properties for sale, visit RealSourceBrokers.com. This site is easily the most developed and useful Intown Atlanta real estate resource online.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joshua_Keen




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Don't Make the Seller Cry!

Several years ago I sat listening in disbelief and horror as one of my students recounted her sister's experience with hiring a home stager. Before the consultation was complete, the rudeness and arrogance of the stager had caused the client to dissolve in tears.

This story has inspired me to always be very aware of how I conduct myself and how I train other stagers to conduct themselves during staging consultations. Always treat the home seller with kindness and respect.

Handle those sticky situations such as smelly kitty litter odor with tact - don't simply state that the house SMELLS!

You don't want to put your client on the defensive, make them angry or make them feel like they are complete slobs.

There are a few simple ways of addressing issues that will keep everyone happy while still making your point!
An example of this is to always tell your client how critical it is to have a clean home - make sure they understand that this is something you talk to ALL your clients about- and do this immediately upon entering the home. Don't move forward until you have stated this fact!

Don't wait to remember how important a clean home is until you happen to see unbelievable grime ringing the tub! Stating that information at that time only makes the cleaning issue "personal." Now your client feels accused, judged and found guilty!

Another issue I have is the stager that puts the seller on overload with their rapid litany of all the substandard things going on in that home - and in addition, adding the things the seller must do in order to get the home in a more saleable condition.

Reassure your client that you are going to submit a written report which will highlight all the things that need to be addressed. This also alleviated the fear that they are going to miss some valuable information during the consult and it will also save you considerable time!

Put your report in a bulleted format under separate headings and avoid any extra verbiage. If presented in such a format, the sellers can use this as their check-off list as individual tasks are accomplished. An abbreviated example follows:
Living Room
• Carpet needs stretching
• Replace broken blind
• Remove broken ceiling fan and replace with new
• Create better traffic flow (as discussed)

Billy's Room
Using their child's name in lieu of referencing it as "the little bedroom" adds that personal touch - you cared enough to remember their son's - and honestly, how hard is that?
• Paint walls and woodwork
• You get the picture

Educate your client so they understand that the maintenance might be the hardest part of the staging process. Living in a staged home is NOT a natural lifestyle!

Assist them by providing a courtesy "Daily To Do List."

By setting the alarm only 10 or 15 minutes earlier, each family member can contribute to tidying the home before leaving for work and school.

A top-notch stager is going to go the extra mile for his or her client and realtor-and this is what will bring you future staging opportunities.

So again, just remember, don't make your client cry!

Victoria Palmer is the director and founder of National Redesign Institute which gives career training in Interior Redesign, Home Staging and Interior Decorating. Most recently she has launched the more cost-effective long distant programs for her student's pocketbooks and convenience.

Victoria also strives to offer members of the National Redesign Institute ongoing opportunities to grow their businesses through related resources, newsletters, conferences and professional listings. Victoria is also the owner of Urbane-Interiors, a full service design firm servicing the greater Kansas City metropolitan area. She has recently been invited by the Kansas City Home Builder's Association to speak at the annual Fall Home Show, Bartle Hall, KCMo.

Visit Victoria at http://nationalredesigninstitute.com or http://urbane-interiors.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Victoria_Palmer




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Real Men Stage Houses

The home staging industry is alive and well and full of opportunity for anyone wanting to profit from their creative talents with a fulfilling career decorating homes to sell; that includes women and men! Yes, there are men working in the home staging industry even though they are dramatically outnumbered by their female counterparts. However, there is no good reason why the ratios are so unbalanced.

There are plenty of men in the real estate industry. Male interior designers are not difficult to come by either. Just look in the media - can you think of a designer with a better career right now than Nate Berkus? He's probably one of the world's most easily recognizable decorators and by the way...did you know that he doesn't have a formal education in interior design?

There's proof that the lack of a degree in interior design shouldn't hold anyone back from pursuing their dreams of working as an interior redesigner or home stager; it's about knowing how to capitalize on your talent by turning it into a viable business.

Once you start looking for men in the design industry in popular media you'll see lots of them. You may have heard of a little show called Extreme Makeover Home Edition. As of this writing, seven of their eleven designers are men including the very manly Ty Pennington.

One of the most entertaining real estate reality shows on television would have to be Flipping Out featuring Jeff Lewis, another successful male designer. His university degree is in legal studies not design. Did you know he bought, renovated and sold 45 properties in 9 years!

It's puzzling to me why only a handful of the more than 900 graduates of the Staging Diva® Home Staging Training Program are men, especially since these male graduates are so successful. One of these men is Gary Baugher of An Eye 4 Change in Nashville. Gary made a scary decision when he left a secure management position he had held for 15 years at a car rental company to pursue a career in home staging - but he hasn't looked back since.

Another man who has graduated from the Staging Diva Program, Ken Sater of Creative Home Visions in California, has a very similar story to Gary's. Ken came into home staging after working for 14 years in the insurance industry followed by an 18 year career in mortgage banking. Making a cool six figure income in his first year as a home stager, I know he's not trading in being his own boss staging homes for a return to the corporate world anytime soon.

What could have prompted two men in such non-creative fields to get into home staging?

Both discovered through the purchase and sale of several of their own homes that they were able to significantly increase a home's value with their innate ability to make their properties universally appeal to buyers. Gary and Ken were asked repeatedly by neighbors how they were able to sell their homes so quickly and they each realized that they had a very valuable and marketable skill. They each went on to profit from that skill after breaking away from their stuffy desk jobs and into the creatively fulfilling field of home staging.

Another very successful Staging Diva Graduate, Adam Luttrell of Tasmania, Australia has made a booming success of his property presentation company Shift by Design. His background is in advertising, multimedia, business management and creative development. He eventually discovered that by blending these skills with a passion for real estate he could really make a difference in peoples' lives by starting a home staging business.

That's another trait these three men share; besides a keen focus on turning their talents into successful staging businesses - they all sincerely love being able to help others in such a positive way by dramatically increasing the value of their clients' properties.

If you're a man who has been putting off starting a home staging career because of the stereotype that only women can do this, or because you have no formal decorating training, no more excuses. Go for it!

Entrepreneur and Home Staging expert Debra Gould, The Staging Diva, knows how to make money as a home stager. Discover her secrets to business success in the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Free quiz to see if a home staging business is right for you at http://www.stagingdiva.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Debra_Gould




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The "Art" of Home Staging - Get Your Inventory Ready For Fall Selling Season

Being a professional home stager, you know the end goal of your projects is to make home buyers fall in love with the space you are decorating. Wall art plays a large role in creating an environment that a potential buyer will feel comfortable and content in by enhancing the home's beauty and giving each room a polished look.

Art should make a room feel inviting and warm but it should not distract homebuyers by becoming a focal point. You also don't want to offend or upset buyers by using religious art, nudes, or anything else that could potentially put someone off. It's not about your taste or the homeowners' taste, but what will appeal to the largest amount of potential buyers.

While most home stagers know how important art is to their projects, several things make it difficult to obtain great art to decorate a house to sell. First of all, many home stagers don't have the time to travel to numerous stores or galleries to build up a collection for different staging projects. Real estate stagers also find that it's often quite expensive, especially when you add in framing costs. Then there's the whole issue of finding staging-appropriate pieces.

It can be very challenging to find a nice painting that will not steal center stage and work against you by distracting the home buyer. Yet another challenge is finding pieces that will work in several different homes. Besides these points, there's the hassle of selecting frames and arranging for delivery. After all this trouble, many home stagers second guess their selection and wonder whether it will actually look right when it's set against the room's paint color.

The Staging Diva Art Shop was developed by seasoned home stager and founder of Six Elements Inc., Debra Gould, to make the art search easier for home stagers. At one convenient web address, you can purchase art that has been pre-selected by the Staging Diva herself. Searches can be conducted by room type and each piece is available in a variety of finishes and sizes with multiple framing options. Many stagers opt for ordering canvas art prints through the Staging Diva Home Staging Art Shop. These maintain all the sophistication of framed art, but are simpler to handle, easier to ship and less expensive than a heavy frame with glass.

The virtual aspect of purchasing art this way gives home stagers an interesting option which isn't available at traditional art shops. When the art and frame or canvas wrap style are selected, you have the option to view on screen what it will look like with different wall colors before you buy.

Each piece of art you add to your inventory can be purchased from the comfort of your own home office and delivered to your door. When the art is delivered, it's yours to rent over and over to your home staging clients, giving you a nice stream of residual income throughout the year.

As the fall real estate market gets underway, it's the perfect time to start a new season with some fresh pieces of art in your inventory. Being perceived as an art expert will up your credibility in the eyes of your home staging clients. The intimidation factor and hassle that come with selecting art the old fashioned way will be removed and you make more money at the same time. Win-win-win!

Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements Inc. and creator of The Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program with 900+ Graduates worldwide. She is the author of "Staging Diva Ultimate Color Guide: The Easy Way to Pick colors for Home Staging Projects", and "Staging Diva Ultimate Guide: Creating The Perfect Portfolio to Sell Your Home Staging Services". Debra created the Staging Diva ArtShop and has also developed a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell quickly and for top dollar. To learn more visit http://www.stagindiva.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Debra_Gould




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Sell Your Home Fast - Preparing a House For Sale

From the home inspector's point of view there is always a VERY different approach to the meaning of this title phrase than from the seller's position. And for a very simple reason - "we" (the property owners) tend to forget about areas in our homes that don't (at least not immediately) impact our daily routines. For as long as we don't feel any dramatic changes in our surroundings, everything is assumed to be alright. We adjust and fail to notice small, gradual changes, and because, over the years of living in the house, it was decorated (in and out) to please our personal senses, we think that everything is in a good shape, and the property will sell quickly, just because "we" love it so much.

And this approach, or rather this natural human behavior, worked perfectly for the past few years. Unfortunately for the sellers, with the currently unstable real estate market, preparing your house for sale might need that extra ingredient to help successfully complete the entire transaction.

During the recent months, I've had several clients using my inspection services 2 or 3 times each (it never happened that often during my 10 years of being in this business). I'm not sure if the sellers of all those properties searched the Internet for home selling tips, or preparing their homes for sale guidelines, but if you'd only look at those houses appeal, most of them were pretty much ready to move-in: clean, de-cluttered, de-personalized (so the buyer could easier picture himself as the owner), rearranged, with a perfect curb appeal ... yet that did not sell. Why?

- Because the current market buyers' approach (at least my clients) changed dramatically, they seem to be more interested in what they can't see (behind the wall and under the floor) than how neatly your house has been arranged or how clean it is.

- Because the sellers didn't check the attic and crawlspace area, heavily contaminated with black mold.

Don't get me wrong - so called "Staging" or "House dressing" (preparing your house cosmetically so it appeals best to the broadest amount of potential buyers) is still very important, it's the bait! And that first impression may give you the signature on a contract, but if your potential buyer brings a home inspector, that signature might start fading extremely fast. You can, of course, keep gambling because not every buyer hires a home inspector, but if he does, it might be already too late to save the deal.

Wouldn't it be better to check a few critical items before you put a property on the market? - recognizing those major issues is simple and you could do it yourself, or have a friend checking it for you. What you might gain, for just a few minutes of your time, is avoid a lot of frustration, aggravation, and eventually, a canceled deal. If you have a critical issue, it's much better to have it taken care of before listing your property for sale, and even add credibility to your offer by providing a buyer with warranty papers from any performed repairs. During negotiations, you'll often end up paying much more for the repair because it is driven by emotions, time limitations, and just wanting to get it over with. And even if you fix it, the deal may simply fall through - buyers often loose trust to the sellers because according to the disclosure, the problems discovered during the home inspection should not exist (at this point it doesn't matter for the buyer if you really didn't know about the problem).

The critical and usually the most expensive issues to correct are: mold, roofs, cracked / leaking foundations, and heating systems.

1. For the house heating system, it would be a good idea to get it checked and certified by a licensed HVAC contractor. Than you can provide a potential buyer with a proof of such service (make sure it is a recent one).

2. Cracked / leaking foundation - don't mark the disclosure sheet that you don't know anything about it, unless you're sure that it is not leaking. Just take a walk along the foundation exterior and interior walk and look for cracks and stains / discoloration on the finished walls along the base. It's a mental approach - a lot of the buyers are scared of cracked foundations, they don't know if a crack, even a small one, could become a disaster in the future. As a seller, you're not in the position to make such a guarantee. But, the scenario changes if you hire a professional (it's a good idea to use an established company like US Waterproofing or Perma Seal) and present the buyer with a warranty documentation - the responsibility for the foundation condition just shifted over to the hired contractor (this works for every type of repair as long as you can provide sufficient paperwork, and believe me, it makes the buyer happy).

3. Crawlspaces - most of the time, they're not a pleasant place to visit, but are often responsible for many surprises. If you have never been there and are selling a house with one underneath - shine your light under the floor, and at least make sure that is dry, well ventilated, and has no leaking plumbing.

4. Roofs - it is very important and most of the "home selling tips" have it listed as one of the top priorities. A new roof adds value to the house (make sure that you have no more that 2 layers installed), secures everything within your property, but it might be a waste of money if you fail to check what's underneath. It seems like nobody does it - if you have an attic under the roof, that short trip to evaluate it might be worth somewhere around $3,000.00 - $10,000.00 ... for the mold cleanup - that's just doubled the roof replacement cost! If you just did the roof without checking what's underneath, and you do have a mold problem, replacing the contaminated decking (plywood sheets) at the time of the shingles (or other material) replacement could be cheaper than the mold remediation process itself.

5. Mold - again, check the attic; the critical areas are usually located above the bathrooms and bedrooms. Lack of or inadequate attic ventilation is the most common cause. Check the foundation surface for moisture and stains or growth of any type, look inside the basement closets, cabinets on exterior walls, or any other poorly ventilated areas.

Depending on your abilities, checking those few items shouldn't take you more than 15 - 45 minutes, but it might save you precious time and tons of money when it comes to deal negotiations - Good Luck.

Get more valuable information about preparing your house for sale, maintaining it and correcting most common problems the right way from the beginning. Learn how to personally inspect the most critical areas of your property, and let Darek Rudnicki to be your guide at http://checkthishouse.com

Darek is a licensed Illinois home inspector who has been in this business for ten years, crawling through the areas you'd newer expect that even exist in your house ... just to let you now if everything is working properly.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dariusz_Rudnicki




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Checking Out Home Insurance Cover Online

When looking into taking out home insurance cover you should be aware that there are two different types of home insurance. Both do the job of protecting your home but in different ways and usually insurance companies will provide both types individually or you can often save money if you take the policies together.
The first type of home insurance cover is home contents and this provides insurance in case the contents within your home should have to be replaced. The majority of home contents insurance will cover a huge range of eventualities; however you have to look into what the cover does offer before taking out the policy. Policies usually cover any home contents that you are able to take with you and they will be protected against such as theft, damage due to fire or flood if you possessions get stolen or vandalized.
When taking out contents insurance you can insure up to a certain amount for the items in your home. With this in mind you have to ensure that you do not under insure, yet do not want to over insure as the amount you insure against will be reflected in how much you pay for contents insurance. If you are insuring equipment such as computers and TVs then you would have to check to make sure if your policy quoted a certain figure you could insure up to for such items. If for example you are using a room as your office and work from home then you might have to take out a different policy to cover home office equipment. Some policies will provide flexibility during Christmas when you have extra value in the home, so this is worthwhile checking in the small print.
Buildings insurance is the other type of home insurance cover that you can consider taking out. This type of insurance policy would cover the outer shell of your home. It should also include such items as those that are permanent fixtures in the home which can include fitted kitchen units, bath, shower and toilet. Buildings insurance would also cover any outbuildings you have such as sheds or garages and patio furniture. Buildings insurance is not only a necessity but it is also required when you take out your mortgage. The amount that you would choose to cover when taking out this form of insurance is how much it would cost in total if you had to rebuild your home. As with any type of insurance policy you will have to pay an excess towards the cost and this is the amount you would have to pay before the insurance company would payout. Paying a higher excess will lead to cheaper insurance but then you would have to be able to come up with that money in a lump sum.
When looking for home insurance cover the majority of insurance companies will offer both cheaper if you take them out together. However as with any form of insurance you do have to compare not only how much the insurance would cost but also what is and is not included in the small print. All insurance comes with exclusions and limitations and it is essential that you know what these are. It has been known for homeowners to take out a policy and then to find when it comes to putting in a claim that they cannot due to the small print.
David Thomson is Chief Executive of BestDealInsurance an independent specialist broker dedicated to providing their clients with the best insurance deal on their home insurance, car and life insurance.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_H_Thomson

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Protect the Shell of Your Home With Buildings Insurance Cover

Anyone who takes out a mortgage will have no option but to take out buildings insurance cover. While it is compulsory and the mortgage lender will ask that you protect the outer shell of your home, you do not have to take cover from the lender. In fact by comparing quotes you will be able to save a huge amount of money on the cost of insurance and get the best deal. The easiest way to compare the cost of insurance is to go with an insurance broker and allow them to search for insurance on your behalf.
Buildings insurance cover would protect the outer of your home against damage. The amount that you want to insure your home for is the amount it would cost to totally rebuild your home from scratch. This does not take into account how much it would cost to replace the contents in your home such as your belongings. However a policy would generally cover fittings in the home that were not movable such as toilets, baths, sinks, fitted kitchens. In general anything would be covered that you cannot take with you if you should decide to leave the property.
Along with the outer shell of your home being insured with buildings insurance a policy would extend to other things. Such things as greenhouses, patio furniture, sheds and garages along with paths and walls are all usually included in the policy.
It is essential when shopping around for your insurance that you check what is and is not included in the policy. Some policies will include damage by such as from flood or fire, however some policies might ask that you pay extra for flood damage particularly if you live in an area prone to flooding. Subsidence is also generally included as is damage caused by vandalism or theft. When checking what is and is not covered in your policy look for accidental damage. This could cover pipe work underground, broken glass in windows and accidental damage to bathroom fitments. The majority of policies will exclude damage done by home improvements so always check for this.
With any type of insurance there will be a lot of exclusions and conditions set out in the policy so however boring it is the small print needs to be checked thoroughly before taking on the cover. Never just assume that something would be covered unless it actually states that it is you might not be able to claim on the cover if needed.
There will always be a certain amount that you will have to payout before the insurance company will pay on your buildings insurance cover. This is called the excess and the sum you have to stand to will vary. You need to check to make sure of how much this would be before taking on the policy. Usually the excess can be in the range of £50 to £100, however if you want to keep down the cost of your policy you could offer to payout more. However you would have to bear in mind that if your policy included breakages to glass in doors and you claimed on this then you would have to stand to the excess so it might not be worth putting in a claim.
David Thomson is Chief Executive of BestDealInsurance an independent specialist broker dedicated to providing their clients with the best insurance deal on their home insurance, car and life insurance.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_H_Thomson

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Protect Your Belongings With House Contents Insurance

House contents insurance is something every homeowner should have. This is an insurance policy that can be taken out to insure the items you have built up over the years in your home in case they should be destroyed, damaged or stolen. In general anything that you could pick up and take with you would be covered in this type of policy but you do have to check the terms and conditions as the exclusions will vary from provider to provider.
One of the best ways to check out several policies for the best deal and the lowest cost is with a specialist broker. They will search online for the lowest priced policies and then you are able to compare them. All policies should come with the key facts and the information needed to be able to determine what is and is not included in a policy.
The premium you will pay for the insurance will be worked out by how much in total your home contents are worth. If you under insure when setting this figure you would lose out in the eventuality that all your contents were destroyed, say in a fire. However if you over insure then you will be paying out more than you need to for your policy as this figure is taken into account when setting the premium.
To work out how much your contents are worth you need to go around your home and add everything up. It can be surprising when you start totaling all the little things up how much this comes to. You should not forget to count such items as those in the kitchen cupboards such as cutlery, utensils e.t.c and also the contents of the wardrobe, all of these items count and add up. Of course items such as TV, computer and games machines should be covered, but sometime a policy might state that these are only covered up to a certain amount. Home office equipment if you work from home will not usually be covered. Always check for this in the terms and conditions of the cover before taking it on and if you are insure about whether something would be included in the policy then ask.
When taking out house contents insurance you need to know what cover you are taking, you can generally choose to insure against wear and tear or take a new for old policy. A new for old policy means that you would get the value of what the items are today if you should have to replace them, not what they were worth. Whereas wear and tear would take depreciation into account.
If you have valuables in your home such as expensive jewelery, collections or paintings then you will probably have to insure these under a separate policy. Any items over a certain amount of money are generally excluded from a general house contents insurance policy unless you have specifically told the insurance company about them. The majority of policies will payout due to fire, theft, flood damage or vandalism but again always check the small print to ensure that the policy you are considering does.
David Thomson is Chief Executive of BestDealInsurance an independent specialist broker dedicated to providing their clients with the best insurance deal on their home insurance, car and life insurance.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_H_Thomson

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Shop Online For UK House Cover

When looking to take out UK house cover the cheapest premiums are generally to be found online. The quickest way of gathering together several policies to compare is with a specialist broker. They will do the hard work for you and you can then take your time and check out what each policy has to offer.
There are two forms of UK house cover you can choose to take out. These can be taken as separate policies or you are sometimes able to get both together cheaper from the same insurance company. Buildings insurance has to be taken out if you take on a mortgage, although you do not have to take it alongside the mortgage and can shop for it independently. Home contents cover is your choice as this would replace the contents in the home.
Home contents is taken out so that if in the worst case scenario you totally lost all of the contents in your home you would be able to replace them. You are able to take out protection that would give you the value of what your possessions would cost to replace at the value of today, which is new for old. However you can also choose to take cover for wear and tear which takes depreciation of the items into account. When looking for home contents insurance you have to decide how much the contents of your home are worth. The sum you insure against will reflect in the cost of the insurance. You will want to take an inventory of all removable items in your home to ensure that you will not under insure or over insure.
Generally this type of policy would pay out if your contents were destroyed due to vandalism, if they were stolen during a break in or damaged or totally destroyed by such as a fire. Some polices will payout for flooding but others ask for an extra premium so always read the conditions.
Buildings insurance would allow you to protect the outer shell of your home and any outbuildings. It would usually also include fencing, walls, garages or greenhouse. The policy will state that you are able to claim for a wide range of things including fire, flood, subsidence, vandalism, theft and storm damage but again you do need to check in the conditions. The majority of buildings insurance would usually also cover damage to items in the home that were seen as permanent fixtures. This could include damage to fitted kitchens, bathrooms and anything that you would not take with you if you left the property. The sum that you would take out in insurance would be the amount that it would take to totally rebuild the property back up from scratch in the event it was reduced to rubble.
All forms of UK house cover come with exclusions and these are the reasons why you would not be able to claim on the policy. They can vary from insurance company to insurance company so you have to check the small print of any policy you are considering along with comparing the cost of the insurance. You also need to check to see how much excess you would have to pay before the insurance company would payout as this varies too.
David Thomson is Chief Executive of BestDealInsurance an independent specialist broker dedicated to providing their clients with the best insurance deal on their home insurance, car and life insurance.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_H_Thomson

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Shop Around For Your Combined Home Insurance

Shopping online and selecting the right combined home insurance policy is imperative as they cost of protecting your home varies greatly depending on the provider you choose as well as the type of policy.
So, what does home insurance actually do? There are two elements to this insurance - contents insurance; and buildings cover. A contents policy is valuable when it comes to damage or loss of belongings in the home while buildings cover would protect the outer of your property including the shell and often the surrounding area which can include sheds, swimming pools and garden fencing.
Both forms of home policy allow you peace of mind that you would at least not be struggling financially for repair costs or to replace items in the event of something unforeseen.
With cover for the shell of your home and a policy for the contents you would have peace of mind if damage occurred through fire, subsidence, flood, theft or any of the criteria set out in the policy's terms and conditions, you would be financially protected.
An online home insurance policy specialist will search for some of the lowest premiums for combined home insurance and you are then able to go through the quotes and find the best deal for your circumstances by comparing the policy features and benefits.
The amount you pay in premiums will be decided by how much you choose to protect your contents for. So always be careful to come to the correct figure so that you are not paying over the odds for your policy. Include everything from clothing to furnishings - even CD's. By the same token, do not under insure - you will not get the full value of any damaged goods if you have quoted an incorrect sum insured.
When thinking about to make savings on the cost of your home insurance policy you should always shop around for a better deal each year and never just be tempted to renew your policy or policies.
The excess is another way you can keep down the cost of your policy cover. By offering to pay a voluntary excess on top of the standard excess, you will often be offered lower premiums; however you have to remember that you would have to find the money for the excess out of your own pocket if you make a claim.
To make more savings on your policy then consider fitting alarms and locks to doors and windows. Also consider fitting a burglar alarm or a surveillance camera to ward off intruders. Some insurers will reward those homeowners who have lessened the risk of a break in with lower premiums.
The terms and conditions, including the small print might be boring but you do have to take your time to look them over. If not then you could be under the impression you have cover for something when you do not and would not be eligible to claim.
Combined home insurance to protect both the contents and the structure of the property can be found for cheaper with some providers when taken out together as a package, so always investigate all your options.
David Thomson is Chief Executive of BestDealInsurance an independent specialist broker dedicated to providing their clients with the best insurance deal on their home insurance, car and life insurance.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_H_Thomson




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